MyAbseil has joined IRATA as an Associate Member. This article explains what that means, and how we help rope access companies to work safely and stay compliant.
Why we joined IRATA
IRATA is the leading trade association for industrial rope access, so software built for this industry should speak its language. This membership gives us a seat in the community, and a duty to follow the Association’s terms, ICOP and TACS where they apply.
What IRATA membership asks of rope access companies
IRATA operator members must follow the International Code of Practice (ICOP) and the Training, Assessment and Certification Scheme (TACS). In daily practice, that comes down to a few commitments:
- Every technician, employed or subcontracted, holds a current IRATA qualification.
- A Level 3 technician supervises all rope access operations.
- Work is carried out under the company’s own IRATA rope access procedures and controls.
- The company completes an internal audit of the membership requirements at least once a year.
IRATA also requires members’ operational safety records to be submitted every quarter, and those records are independently audited. Each commitment leaves a trail of evidence: who was on the job, what they were qualified to do, which kit they used and what its inspection history says. That trail is where good software can help.
Where paper and spreadsheets let you down
Most rope access companies still keep this evidence in several places at once: a printed form signed on site and scanned later, a spreadsheet of equipment inspections, certificates sent over WhatsApp, an inbox full of reports. Each works until someone needs the records in a hurry.
The usual result is familiar. An inspection date slips, a job runs without the proper job pack & controls in place, technicians work without a Risk Assessment & Method Statement in place, or a supervisor is chased for a record that was never completed. This not only means the proof is hard to produce, and a gap in the paperwork can hide a gap in practice, but also that a team is unsafe.
How MyAbseil supports safety
MyAbseil is customized for rope access, so the records are created as the work happens instead of being rebuilt afterwards. Compliance is built into the operational workflow.
Plan with competence in view
Jobs, schedules, crews and equipment are planned in one place, with each operative’s competencies visible when work is allocated. Scheduling jobs without assigned Work Safety Documents is immediately flagged. Job assignments and schedule updates can be sent by SMS or WhatsApp, so the team lead, the office and the crew all work from the same plan.
Capture the record where the work happens
Digital forms replace the print, sign and scan cycle. Risk assessments or job hazard analyses, method statements, daily toolbox talks, work records and inspection forms are completed on a phone or tablet, signed electronically, and can be filled in offline when there is no signal on site. The finished form turns into a report without retyping.
Keep kit and personnel certifications in date
Every item of equipment has a record from purchase to retirement: unique IDs (RFID and NFC tags are supported), kit groupings, inspections, defects, usage history, and the jobs or operatives it was assigned to. Automatic reminders flag inspections before they expire. Personnel profiles work the same way for certifications and competencies, so a lapsing qualification is flagged before it becomes a problem on site.
Prepare quarterly returns without the scramble
Team leads can log rope hours electronically on site, so the office can compile the IRATA Work and Safety Statistics Return in a few clicks instead of chasing paper.
Stay audit-ready by default
Records live in one organized, securely stored place and export as PDFs for clients, third parties or auditors, with a clear audit trail behind them. When an auditor asks for any record, the answer is a quick search and export, not a hunt through folders.
Safety you can see, and prove
Rope access safety is decided in small things: the right operative on the right job, kit inspected before it expires, a method statement signed before anyone clips on. MyAbseil helps keep those things from slipping. Competencies are in view when work is allocated, automatic reminders flag inspections and certifications before they lapse, and job updates reach the crew through notifications. Forms are completed and signed on site, even offline, so the office sees field activity as it happens, not days later.
Level 3 supervision and sound judgement still keep people safe on the rope; MyAbseil makes sure they follow all the required procedures and nothing they rely on falls through the gaps. Also, every check is ready to prove when an auditor, a client or an incident review asks.
Built for the conditions you work in
Rope access happens on rooftops, façades and offshore structures, not at a desk with Wi-Fi. MyAbseil has already been trialled and tested in harsh conditions, including offshore with no mobile reception and out in the rain. Because forms can be completed and signed with no signal, the record is made at the point of work instead of being left for later.
Foresight, not hindsight
Put it all together and one of the biggest gains with MyAbseil is that admin has a real-time view of what is happening on every site: which jobs are running, which forms are completed and signed, and which kit and certifications are nearing expiry. Problems can be spotted while they are still small and dealt with before they reach the rope. A lapsing certification is covered, an overdue inspection is booked, a crew is reassigned, a gap in the paperwork is closed the same day. Safety stops being something reviewed after the fact and becomes something managed proactively or as the work happens.
See it on your own jobs
If your team still runs on paper forms, scattered apps and spreadsheets, a short demo shows how the pieces fit together. We handle the setup: we onboard your team and migrate your forms and equipment data free of charge, and you can start with a free account, no credit card needed.
See MyAbseil working on a real job
No obligation. Free onboarding included.
