WHS Qld Inspector Rope Access Orientation Day

A Rope Access technician can complete a four day skills competency course before commencing work. However, in many instances this is not the case and the Rope Access operator is not obliged to provide an up to date certificate of competency. This in itself is inconsistent with the intent of Section 85 of the Qld WHS Regulations 2011.

In many respects in Queensland Rope Access, like other States, is a largely unregulated and unsupervised work activity.

The only relevant Codes of Practice that have any depth, accreditation and independent verification are the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association’s (IRATA) International Code of Practice and the ISO 22846-2 Rope Access Code of Practice.

Facts that bear consideration if the Rope Access industry is to be made a safer and more accountable work activity are:

• The levels of training and certification of Rope Access operators In Queensland are inconsistent and uneven.
• Many Rope Access operators are “qualified” by unaccredited training operators. (In the case of IRATA trained Rope Access operators this is not the case, as the IRATA training company is subject to a regular rigorous external validation and audit.)
• Rope Access operators do not have any obligation to maintain currency of their Certificate of Competency. (There is no current legislation that requires a Rope Access technician to undertake refresher or recertification training unless he is an IRATA technician working for an IRATA certified company.)
• Rope Access is not regarded as a high risk work activity under Queensland Acts or regulations.

As Rope Access is an unregulated work activity, there is a lack of knowledge by Persons Conducting a Business Undertaking (PCBU) as to what codes of practice; administrative or regulatory matters are relevant to rope access work.

We advocate the consideration of:

• Developing a regulatory framework or Industry Guidelines for Rope Access work activity;
• Implementation of a mandatory Rope Access  Industry Code of Practice which is subject to audit or accreditation by competent third party
• The inclusion of Rope Access  as a high risk work activity and subject to the licence requirements under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011;
• And Implementation of a requirement in Queensland for Rope Access operators to renew their certificate of competency every three years.
• Mandatory Emergency/Rescue Planning for Rope Access in Queensland each day.

Hundreds of workers are conducting Rope Access work activities without any formal or regular training in emergency or rescue techniques. This applies only to operators that they have not undertaken an IRATA or ARAA training course as part of their original certification. Apart from those certified under those training schemes, there is no requirement for a Rope Access operator to undertake regular refresher training in rescue procedures; this needs to change.