Rope Access
Definitions

Anchor - secure and reliable place, fixing or fixture to which a rope or line can be connected and which will easily support the forces of a person falling on to it.

Back-up device - (e.g. shunt) device fixed to the safety rope which accompanies the user and which locks automatically under tension should the working rope, or any attachment to it, fail.

Competent Person (Rope Access Supervisor) - designated person suitably trained or qualified by knowledge and practical experience to enable the required rope access tasks to be carried out safely.

Fall arrest - technique of fall-protection where a person is connected to a reliable anchor by means of a safety line which incorporates energy-absorbing qualities to limit the forces on the body during the fall. Position of anchor in relation to the body, and its length, determine the fall factor and thus the potential forces involved.

Fall factor - maximum height a person could fall if held by a rope, divided by the length of the rope from the person to the anchor point (fall factor 0 = good; ff 1 = adequate; ff 2 = poor).

IRATA - Industrial Rope Access Trade Association.

Suspension trauma - physiological reaction to being upright and immobile, where blood pools in the legs, preventing proper blood circulation. Constrictions caused by the harness exacerbate the problem and prolonged suspension (e.g. following a fall or getting stuck) can be fatal.

Work positioning - technique that enables a person to work supported in tension or suspension by personal protective equipment in such a way that a fall is prevented.

Work restraint - technique of fall-prevention where a person in a harness is secured to a fixed length of rope / lanyard which prevents them from getting to a place where they could fall. Provided the person has good contact with firm level working platform, a means of back-up (e.g. second rope) is not required.