Health & Safety

One of the prime motivations for the formation of IRATA in 1987 was the recognition by leading practitioners that the existing legislation did not cover rope access techniques. In the intervening years IRATA has worked closely with the HSE to formulate working philosophies for regulated rope access. IRATA has developed and implemented three broad schemes to regulate and control safety issues

International Code of Practice (ICoP)

All technicians working within the industry are required to be trained and assessed in accordance with the IRATA International Training, Assessment and Certification Scheme (TACS). This document has been developed by IRATA International to provide training and assessment criteria to develop and test competence, and to assure training is delivered to the required standard.

The IRATA ICoP reflects current best working practice and members of IRATA International are required, as a condition of membership, to comply with the principles of the code of practice. The document has been compiled using the experience of established rope access companies and is the result of many years of knowledge gained from working with various national, international, regional and trade-based health and safety organisations, to which IRATA International is indebted for their advice and assistance.

Membership Audit

All companies wishing to become members of IRATA must be audited by the association to confirm that they are working to the guidelines. Audits have both technical and quality assurance components to assess all aspects of rope access management.

IRATA members provide clients with method statements for any operation involving rope access. By identifying potential hazards and through effective risk management IRATA companies can produce a safe system of work. This progressive and proactive stance has led to documented accident rates being very low when compared with other access industries.

Training & Certification

All technicians working within the industry are required to be trained and assessed in accordance with the IRATA “Training, Assessment and Certification Scheme” (TACS). After training, the technicians undertake an independent assessment and, if successful, are registered with IRATA and issued a log book and identification card.

​For more Health and Safety information, please see links below: