IRATA Executive Committee Vice-Chair, Peter Wood, was invited to present at the Engineering Advancement Association of Japan’s (ENAA) recent meeting alongside Kariya-San from IRATA member company GRAB LLC. The ENAA is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to support technological advancement and resource development within the region and is comprised of almost 270 member companies across various industries and government sectors.

The presentations to the ENAA aimed to highlight the potential benefits that rope access methods could bring to the Japanese market, as rope access is not yet established within the heavy industry sector in this region.

Peter Wood presented statistics to compare IRATA’s presence in Japan with that of the global market. This was followed by a discussion led by Kariya-San on the current market share of rope access in the region and the challenges faced in expanding into the heavy industry sector.

All meeting participants were encouraged to consider IRATA certification as a minimum requirement for all rope access personnel.

Following the meeting, Peter Wood commented, “It is a testament to Japan’s hardworking and enthusiastic technicians that IRATA survives in this region post-Covid. Japan’s technician cohort is highly organised and safety focused. The support of our Association will be vital to their long-term success.”