FAQs


Each April, you will be required to sign a declaration (Annual Membership Declaration) and settle your annual membership fee(s).

Although the internal audit is an annual requirement, you do not need to submit it to IRATA Head Office, but it should be kept on file for verification when you are next audited. Click here to download a template.

We require the latitude and longitude coordinates of your company. Send this to [email protected].

The cost is referenced in the IRATA price list. This can be found in the publications section of the Membership. Send your company’s logo to [email protected] and a web-address you want the advert to link to. Please ensure that your logo is 729(w) x 90(h) pixels, in jpg, gif or png format.

Please send your request to [email protected] with the certificate of name change provided by your national ‘Registrar of Companies’ or equivalent (Companies House in the UK). Upon successful verification, a new certificate will be issued with the new name at the cost of £48.00 + VAT (if applicable).

Please send a new declaration (Form 015 – Annual Membership Declaration) to [email protected]. This can be found in the forms section of the Member’s Area here.

All meetings and events are listed on our events page here and a notification is sent to members at least 21 days prior to the meeting being held.

Your designated ‘Website Administrator’ will have access to the ‘Training Course Editor’ in the Members Area of our website. For guidance on how to use the Training Course Editor, please contact [email protected].

Please send an e-mail to [email protected] with the vacancy, and we will post it for you.

Your designated “quarterly returns” contact, will receive a link on a quarterly basis with instructions to complete a survey for the previous quarter. For instance, Q1 201X which covers the period 1st January to 31st March will be sent out on 1 April. This will need to be submitted by 30 June. Should you have any questions, please send an e-mail to [email protected]

Please send an e-mail to [email protected] to request a link.

Please fill in a new application form online. You will be invoiced for the cost of the audit.

Prices correct as at December 2018

  • Stage 1 Audit Time: £220.00*
  • Stage 2 Audit Time: £440.00*
  • Post-Audit Time: £220.00*
  • Auditor’s Travel Time: 8 hours per 24 hour period at £55.00 p/h
  • Mileage reclaim: £0.45 per mile
  • Travel Expenses (plane and / or train ticket(s), car hire, taxi, etc.). Please note that any plane journey over 8 hours may be charged at Premium Economy subject to availability.
  • Accommodation
  • Incurred local travel and meal expense, or the per diem rate of £40.00 applied for each day of audit and travel.
  • Visa Cost, if applicable.
  • 3% handling charge fee.

*Additional time may be charged if the auditee delays proceedings or if inadequate information is supplied.

From IRATA’s point of view, your membership certificate is issued to a single entity, therefore, if that entity undertakes work internationally there is no obligation to let IRATA know, providing that it is the certified, audited, entity that is undertaking the rope access work being carried out.

However, you should always ensure that applicable national legislation, regarding industrial rope access, is adhered to at all times.

Please visit our contact us page here. Each contact displays the main topics that should be directed to them. If you cannot find your specific query in the topics list, please contact ‘General Enquiries’.

​This is the number that is assigned to your company upon incorporation with your national registrar of companies (Companies House in the UK)

Only persons named on your company’s most recent declaration form have access to the members area of the website. Please contact [email protected] if you need to update your declaration. If you are a nominated contact on your company’s declaration and are still unable to access the members area, please contact [email protected]

No, it is not a requirement for Associate members to be audited.

​To update your address with us, please contact [email protected] to obtain an address change form. This must be completed and returned to us in order to action the change.

​Full and Probationary members will receive a new certificate after successful completion of an audit. This certificate will be valid until the date that their next audit is due. Associate members receive a new certificate every year in accordance with the annual membership renewal process.

Your nominated website administrator contact has access to the training course editor tool in the members area. A user guide for the training course editor is available here.

Your website administrator contact access to the “post a job” tool in the members area. A user guide for the “post a job” tool is available here.

“Nominated contacts” are the contacts you have provided on your company’s most recent declaration. Contacts that you will need to nominate are:​

Elector - the person within your organisation who will receive all correspondence from IRATA and receive the ballots for committee elections.

Website Administrator - a unique email address for the person within your organisation who will have access to the members area tools on the IRATA website, (e.g. the “company directory editor” and “post a job” tool.)

Accounts – the contact for your finance department who will receive invoices and associated correspondence from our Accounts Department.

Rope Access Manager – The nominated person within your company that is competent to manage Rope Access operations.

Technical Authority – The nominated person within your company that is competent in accordance with the criteria detailed in section O (i) of the IRATA Bye-Laws.

Quarterly Safety Returns – The nominated person within your company who will receive all communications and links to provide the mandatory submission of your quarterly accident and safety returns.

Instructor – The nominated person within your company who will receive communications regarding IRATA training. This contact is only required for trainer member companies.

The contacts nominated for each position will need to remain valid throughout the time between renewal periods. If a nominated contact needs to be changed, Members must complete and return a new declaration form to [email protected]. This can be found here.

The declaration must be signed by a Director of your company.​

A link for each quarter is sent 3 months in arrears. Members are then given 3 months to complete the survey.​

Quarter 1 – January to March
Link sent: 1st of April
Deadline for completion: 1st July

Quarter 2 – April to June
Link sent: 1st July
Deadline for completion: 1st October

Quarter 3 – July to September
Link sent: 1st October
Deadline for completion: 1st January

Quarter 4 – October to December
Link sent: 2nd January
Deadline for completion: 1st April

You must complete the first page of the form with your company details. You will then need to go through the form and complete the sections marked “Auditee References”. In this section you will need to reference all documents/procedures/forms where you meet the requirements of the question being asked. No other section of the form must be completed.​

​A user guide for the data collector can be found here.

For guidance, please visit our “Step by Step” guide here.​

Please browse the FAQs below

Operator member: Companies directly engaged in operations utilising industrial rope access techniques (other than training).

Trainer member: Companies engaged in training personnel in all techniques of industrial rope access.

Associate Member: Equipment manufacturers and suppliers of other services e.g. insurance companies and architects may become Associate members. This type of membership does not require an audit and is renewable annually.

For guidance on the application process please visit our “Step by Step” guide here.

The total application cost is £5,500 + VAT (if applicable). This includes audit fees. Additional costs will apply for travel visas, if required.

​Yes, the current fee is £463.50 + VAT (if applicable) for operator and / or trainer members.

For associate members, the annual cost is £575 + VAT (if applicable).

The annual fee covers the period from 1 April to 31 March.

There is no initial application fee, but the annual cost is £575 + VAT (if applicable).

Associate Members shall be entitled to:

  • Present their company as an Associate Member of IRATA International and to be so described in printed and broadcast material created by the company;
  • have their company listed as an Associate Member of IRATA International in all printed and on-line listings of such membership by the Association. Including the main Directory of Members of the Association, both printed and on the IRATA website;
  • receive communications from IRATA International regarding health and safety, training, and operational matters, including legislation;
  • receive single complimentary electronic copies of all IRATA International publications and informational newsletters;
  • make available their own e-promotional literature to fellow members and IRATA technicians, in a manner that is agreed with IRATA International and which may include its display at IRATA International meetings;
  • preferential exhibitor rates to display their goods or promote services at the annual ‘IRATA Technical Event and Conference’ (ITEC) and all other IRATA exhibitions;
  • to access the open forum, news pages and technical articles of the IRATA website and to place banner advertising thereon at the standard rate charged;
  • to send a delegate to the IRATA International Annual General Meeting. The Associate Member may be invited to other Association meetings where the subject(s) to be discussed are of relevance to the product, service or experience of the Associate Member.

You must be an incorporated entity. You will need to have rope access operating and / or training procedure(s). You must employ a current or expired IRATA qualified level 3 technician, who will be nominated as your Technical Authority. Other conditions may apply.

This depends on many factors, for example providing correct and timely information with your application. Complying with the auditor’s requests in a timely manner, availability of your appointed auditor, preparing well for a desktop and site audit and promptly dealing with the auditor’s findings, by addressing identified non-conformances.

From IRATA’s point of view, your membership certificate is issued to a single entity, therefore, if that entity undertakes work internationally there is no obligation to let IRATA know, providing that it is the certified, audited, entity that is undertaking the rope access work being carried out.

However, you should always ensure that applicable national legislation, regarding industrial rope access, is adhered to at all times.

Once your company is a full member, you will be audited every three years.