Most building owners ask a rope access contractor one question about safety: are your guys certified? It is the right question. It is also only half of the obligation, and the half that is not yours.
This article summarises what the published standards say, in plain language, so a property manager can read a proposal and know what they are looking at. It is a summary — not legal advice, and not a substitute for the standards themselves. Verify the current text with OSHA, IRATA and SPRAT directly before you rely on it for compliance.
The two certification bodies you will see on a proposal
IRATA International — the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association. Founded in the UK in the late 1980s after the offshore industry needed a safer way to reach structures, it is now the international benchmark. IRATA publishes the International Code of Practice (ICOP), runs a graded technician scheme, and publishes an annual work and safety analysis based on hours logged by member companies.
SPRAT — the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians. The North American equivalent, with its own Safe Practices for Rope Access Work and a parallel three-level scheme.
The two are separate organisations with broadly comparable structures. A contractor working in South Florida may hold either or both.
What the levels actually mean
Both schemes grade technicians in three levels, and the distinction matters more than most clients realise:
- Level 1 — works on rope under supervision. Can perform tasks, rig under instruction, and carry out basic rescue.
- Level 2 — can rig working ropes, perform more complex rescue, and take on more responsibility, still under a Level 3.
- Level 3 — the supervisor. Responsible for the whole rope access operation on site: the rigging, the method statement, the rescue plan, and the safety of the team.
The practical point for you: a compliant rope access team is not simply "certified technicians." Under the IRATA scheme a Level 3 supervisor must be present on site while rope access work is being carried out. If a proposal does not tell you who the Level 3 is, ask.
Technicians log their hours, and certification is revalidated periodically — every three years under the IRATA scheme, with a logged minimum of hours required. A certificate with no logbook behind it is a certificate that has stopped meaning anything.
The principle underneath all of it: two ropes
If you remember one technical thing from this article, remember this.
Rope access is built on a two-rope system. Every technician is attached to a working line — the rope they descend and position on — and a completely separate safety line with a backup device, anchored independently. If the working line or its anchor fails, the technician is already attached to something else.
This is why you will never see a Skyhanger technician on a single rope, and it is the fastest visual check a property manager can make from the ground. One rope is not rope access. It is a person hanging from a rope.
Now the part that is your obligation
Here is what most building owners do not know until a contractor raises it.
Under OSHA's walking-working surfaces rule for general industry, when work is performed using a rope descent system — which covers a large share of building maintenance work at height — the responsibility for the anchorages sits with the building owner, not the contractor.
In broad terms, the rule requires that:
- The building owner informs the employer in writing that the permanent anchorages have been inspected, tested, certified and maintained as capable of supporting the required load per anchorage, per attached worker.
- That certification is based on periodic inspection and must be recertified on a recurring cycle.
- The employer must not permit rope descent work to begin without that written information.
There are also limits on the height at which a rope descent system may be used before other methods are required.
Read that again from the manager's chair. A contractor who starts work without asking you for anchorage certification is not doing you a favour. They are skipping the step that protects both of you — and leaving the building exposed if something goes wrong.
What this means when you review a proposal
Four questions that separate a real contractor from a cheap quote:
- Who is the Level 3 supervisor on this job, and will they be on site?
- Are your technicians' certifications current, and can I see the logbooks?
- What is the rescue plan? Every rope access job should have one before anyone leaves the ground. Ask what happens if a technician is incapacitated mid-descent.
- Have you asked me for anchorage certification? If they have not, that tells you something.
What we do about the anchors
Many South Florida buildings have anchors that were installed with the building and have never been tested. Some have no anchors at all. Some have anchors that were certified once, years ago, and nobody has looked at the paperwork since.
If your building falls into any of those categories, that is a separate piece of work — inspection, testing and certification by a qualified party — and it has to happen before rope work starts, not during. We will tell you that in the first conversation rather than after mobilising.
Frequently asked
Does a rope access crew need a supervisor on site?
Under the IRATA scheme, yes — a Level 3 supervisor must be present while rope access work is carried out. The Level 3 is responsible for the rigging, the method statement, the rescue plan and the safety of the team. Ask for that person by name before work starts.
What is the difference between IRATA and SPRAT?
They are separate organisations with broadly comparable three-level structures. IRATA International is the global body and publishes the International Code of Practice; SPRAT is the North American equivalent with its own Safe Practices for Rope Access Work. A contractor in South Florida may hold either or both.
Who is responsible for certifying the anchors on our roof?
Under OSHA's rope descent system rule the obligation sits with the building owner, who must inform the employer in writing that the anchorages have been inspected, tested, certified and maintained. A contractor cannot start rope descent work without that written information, and cannot supply it on your behalf.
Why are two ropes required instead of one?
Because the second rope is a completely independent system. The technician is attached to a working line and to a separate safety line with a backup device, each on its own anchor. If any part of the working system fails, the technician is already attached to something that shares nothing with it. A single-rope operation is not rope access.
Sources
This summary is based on material published by the following organisations. Where compliance matters, go to the source:
- OSHA — Occupational Safety and Health Administration, walking-working surfaces and personal fall protection standards for general industry: osha.gov
- IRATA International — International Code of Practice and annual work and safety analysis: irata.org
- SPRAT — Safe Practices for Rope Access Work: sprat.org
Skyhanger II Corp has worked South Florida high-rises since 1986 with IRATA-trained technicians and SPRAT-certified personnel. If you are not sure whether your building's anchorages have ever been certified, that is a good first conversation to have.
(954) 609-7870 · General@skyhanger2.com