Can a Rope Access Supervisor be on-rope during the completion of work?

Q: Can a Rope Access Supervisor be on-rope during the completion of work?

Yes. SPRAT’s Section 4.1.3 of SPRAT’s Safe Practices for Rope Access Work states: “the Rope Access Supervisor has the responsibilities of a rope access technician in accordance with Section 5 (Responsibilities of a Rope Access Technician) to the extent that they do not prevent the effective performance of the responsibilities required by this section. Section 4.5.3 requires a Rope Access Supervisor to “manage and/or perform any rescue”. That section does not prevent the Supervisor at the work site from being on-rope. If the Rope Access Supervisor was going to be on-rope during the course of work, the rescue plan would need to account for prompt rescue (section 4.5.1) of the Rope Access Supervisor. Rope access technicians on-site would need to be capable to perform this rescue (section 5.5.1)

Question

Safe Practices Committee · Accepted Answer

Yes.

SPRAT’s Section 4.1.3 of SPRAT’s Safe Practices for Rope Access Work states: “the Rope Access Supervisor has the responsibilities of a rope access technician in accordance with Section 5 (Responsibilities of a Rope Access Technician) to the extent that they do not prevent the effective performance of the responsibilities required by this section. Section 4.5.3 requires a Rope Access Supervisor to “manage and/or perform any rescue”. That section does not prevent the Supervisor at the work site from being on-rope. If the Rope Access Supervisor was going to be on-rope during the course of work, the rescue plan would need to account for prompt rescue (section 4.5.1) of the Rope Access Supervisor. Rope access technicians on-site would need to be capable to perform this rescue (section 5.5.1)