News Archive

As well as helping to run the global organisation that is IRATA, and speaking on behalf of rope access throughout the world, many of our representatives are also involved in important national and international standards committees; contributing on the behalf of rope access for the good of us all.

In the UK, we are represented on the British Standards Institution’s (BSI) Technical Committee, PH/5, ‘Personal fall protection’. This committee is responsible for personal fall protection equipment standards and codes of practice and, in the past, has contributed to and published important rope access documents, e.g. BS 7985, ‘Code of practice for the use of rope access methods for industrial purposes’. PH/5 is currently writing the much anticipated BS 8610, ‘Personal fall protection equipment - Anchor systems - Specification’, which IRATA members have recently been invited to comment on.

We are delighted to announce that after lengthy discussions and exchanges with the office of the ‘Construction Skills Certification Scheme’ (CSCS), an agency of the CITB, we have managed to get Industrial Rope Access recognised as skill in itself. What does this mean?

Level 3 Technicians

CSCS now accept our Level 3 certificate as the equivalent of a NVQ level 2 qualification and therefore current (in date) Level 3 technicians can apply for the CSCS ‘Blue Skilled Worker Card’. Click here to apply and then click the ‘Search by occupation’ button; and enter the text ‘IRATA’ in the space provided. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your application.

Level 2 Technicians

Level 2 technicians, working towards achieving their Level 3 qualification, are now able to apply for the CSCS ‘Trainee Card’. In order to do so, you will need to contact IRATA Head Office (01233 754 600) and complete a declaration confirming that you are working towards achieving your Level 3. After completing and returning the form (FM193ENG) to IRATA, you will receive a confirmation letter containing a unique reference that you will be required to present to CSCS in order to complete your application