Home IRATA Members' Area

INFORMATION

About IRATA Why IRATA? Explaining Rope Access Contact IRATA Links

THE ASSOCIATION

Member Companies IRATA Personnel Registration Scheme Publications & Downloads IRATA TechniciansTraining Courses Situations Vacant

IRATA NEWS

Headline News General News Press Releases Safety Notices Health and Safety

NEWSLETTER

IRATA will not have a stand at this event this year, having chosen to support the IOSH Exhibition in Liverpool. Some IRATA members will have stands at the S&H Expo and you can pre-register at
www.registerbynet.com/shows/safe09aif.

Brisbane-based, HighQ, has achieved substantial press coverage in Australia for its innovative work with Austrade, that country's overseas trade promotion agency, whereby it has taken IRATA's high-grade training and operational procedures into the heart of Tokyo with a large Japanese window cleaning company now following the IRATA Guidelines.

The HSE reports 34 fatalities in the six months to September 2008 for the sector including construction. IRATA has never recorded a death whilst working on ropes in the 19 years of compiling its annual independently-audited Work and Safety Analysis. The other figures in the HSE report generally show decreases; IRATA currently records an incident rate of barely three per 100000 hours worked; our members work in excess of 2.5 million hours per year!

Following completion of an evidence based review of published medical literature on the effects of a fall triggering harness suspension, HSE confirms that no change should be made to the standard first aid guidance for the post recovery of a semi conscious or unconscious person in a horizontal position, even if the subject of prior harness suspension.
The sometimes quoted suggestion of recovery in a semi-recumbent or sitting position was considered to be without any sound evidence base and may prove dangerous through prolonging the lack of blood return to the brain. http://www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/harness.htm 

This information is likely to require a change to many company procedures and training manuals. It should also be drawn to the attention of sub- contract employees.

The annual Work and Safety Analysis 2007, audited by an independent Health & Safety expert, has again demonstrated IRATA's excellent training and worksite record. Despite a considerable increase in the number of hours worked and number of countries in which the Association has members, the incident rate was again well below the industrial average. Compiler of the report, Dr Chris Robbins writing in the Analysis says, 'Explanations for the continuing improvement may include - disciplined training and work procedures, rigorous and continuing assessment of rope access technicians and close supervision of the work site.'

IRATA has member companies in every continent and has taken its safe working procedures into new territories such as Iran, China and Mexico in the last few years. It has trained rope access workers around the world and, in doing so, has often significantly raised the standards of safety in the workplaces of these nations. It has assisted in the upgrading of many work and safety standards in many countries.