OPEN ENROLLMENT ROPE ACCESS PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS
Rope Access Skills Workshop - Level 1
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The Rope Access Skills Workshop 1 is an intensive 6 day long open enrollment workshop intended specifically for those who work on rope at elevation. Rope access is used around the world to support or place workers in various environments for the purpose of performing their jobs. This may include, but is not limited to:
- Bridge, dam or structural inspectors
- High scalers
- Construction personnel
- Sea platform inspection and construction
- Tower workers
The RASW-1 is a full six days in length and is taught at 4,500' in beautiful Sedona, Arizona (Oak Creek Canyon) and provides basic-to-intermediate skills for the authorized rope access worker.
The RASW-1 is entry level and provides training needed for the Society of Professional Rope Access Technician (SPRAT) Level 1 (Worker) certification.
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Engineer for Grand Coulee Dam using rope access techniques for US BUREAU OF RECLAMATION during on site Ropes That Rescue rope access program |
RASW 1 key points:
- Job site safety!
- Applicable federal and state laws on rope access
- Knotcraft for rope access work: end line, middle, hitches, bends
- Rope access rope and equipment, inspection and care
- Rope management
- Job site evaluation and rigging for safe working conditions
- Two-point contact principles (main/belay)
- Rope access equipment:
- Descenders /ascenders
- Connectors / carabiners / screw links
- Fall arrest, work positioning
- Helmets, PPE, harnesses, other...
- Lanyards
- Beginning pulley systems
- Complete use of AZTEK kit
- Belaying (safety line) techniques and communication
- Anchoring principles
- Distributing
- Multipoint
- Fixed and focused
- Bolts / hangers
- Improvised and manufactures lanyards and slings
- Minimum rope access essentials:
- Descent and descent-to-ascent
- Ascent and ascent-to-descent
- Knot passes (ascent and descent)
- Passing deviations in ropes (ascent and descent)
- Passing intermediate anchors (rebelays)
- Rope-to-rope transfers (ascent and descent)
- Aid climbing (horizontal)
- Rescue of coworker who is descending and ascending
- Negotiating the edge in ascent and descent mode
- Parapet rescue or worker over the edge
- Controlled lowers/raise
- Hazard analysis and risk assessment
- Communication
- Much more
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Important rope access anchoring techniques are covered extensively. RTR's Jayne Thorne getting ready to call it a day after dam inspection
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RTR lead instructor, Becky Cordova lead climbing on 730' high Forest Hill Bridge near Auburn, CA.
 Reed Thorne at Hoover in 1997 installing seismic monitoring devices for USBR. Photo: Jayne Thorne |
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6 Days
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4 Students/
1 Instructor
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Moderately difficult
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Classroom 20%, Practicals 80%
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| Prerequisites: None with medical clearance |
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Rope Access Skills Workshop - Level 2
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The Rope Access Skills Workshop 2 is an intensive open enrollment workshop intended specifically for those who work on rope at elevation. It goes well beyond the standard RASW-1 in scope, and is more designed for those who need additional skills involving artificial high directionals (tripods, bipods and monopods), mechanical advantage (pulley systems), advanced anchoring, and offsetting (tag lines, guiding lines, tracking lines, skate blocks, deflecting lines and two rope pendulums). There is also a session on the use of mechanical capstan winches for raising and lowerings loads.
- Ideal for those supervising others or performing themselves, rope access work in:
- Bridge, dam or structural inspectors
- High scalers
- Construction personnel
- Sea platform inspection and construction
- Tower workers
The RASW-2 is 4 days long (four additional days above the six days in length for the RASW-1) and is taught at 4,500' in beautiful Sedona, Arizona (Oak Creek Canyon) and provides advanced skills for the authorized rope access worker. RTR and SPRAT Level 1 Authorized Worker Certification upon successful completion. RTR Level 2 Certification upon successful completion
 Right, RTR at the Tampa Bay SUNSET SKYWAY bridge for Florida DOT inspection 1998. Special rope access equipment was designed by RTR for this difficult inspection
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ADOT Navajo Bridge Construction
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 Left, Navajo Bridge nears completion.
Above, RTR working with ADOT on advanced rescue techniques involving highline to canyon wall from center of bridge. |
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Ropes That Rescue has been contracted to train and supervise high scaling crews for contractors and the Arizona Dept. of Transportation (ADOT). They have designed safe two-rope systems for scalers involved in difficult high scaling operations. RTR riggers are masters at complex scaling anchors and rigging requiring in various rock types including expansion bolts, epoxy bolts and other unique problems relative to multi-rope scaling systems. Two separate safety awards were awarded to teams that were trained and managed by Ropes That Rescue, including the Navajo Bridge rope inspection team for ADOT (see below). This high arch bridge spans the Colorado River in Marble Canyon and was completed in 1995.
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RASW 2 key points:
- See all skills from Level 1 above
- Advanced knotcraft
- Management of rope access team / Supervision
- Advanced anchoring techniques
- Advanced bolting (drilling and placement)
- Epoxy bolts
- Methods of first up climbing with fall protection:
- Double lanyard
- Advance-placed
- Lead climbing
Advanced physics
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Rescue options (team or solo)
- Building rescue into anchors
- Dynamic anchors
- Rigging plates
- AZTEK (dynamic fixed brakes)
- Phylosophy of descending on rope versus lowering on rope
- Capstan winch options for rope access
- Advanced rescue of rope access team members
- Confined space entry via rope access
- Use of high directionals in rope access work (Arizona Vortex Multipod)
- Monopods (gin poles)
- Bipods (A frames and SA frames)
- Easel A frames (tripods)
- Advanced compound and complex mechanical advantage
- SKYHOOK capstan winch raises and lowers
- Offsets for rope access:
- Tracking lines
- Guiding lines
- Skate blocks
- Deflected offsets
- Much, much more...
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Horse Mesa Dam
A complete inspection using rope access techniques on the Horse Mesa Dam spillway for Salt River Project in December, 2001.
Reed Thorne on descent above tailrace
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4 Days
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4 Students/
1 Instructor
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Moderately difficult
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Classroom 30%, Practicals 70%
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| Prerequisites: RASW-1 Recomended |
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Tower Rigging Workshop
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The Tower Rigging Workshop is an intensive "open enrollment" workshop designed specifically for the following who work, or train others to work, at elevation:
- Safety professionals
- Tower workers
- Working linemen
- Linemen trainers
- Supervisors / Foremen
Tower workers and linemen will be in attendance and sharing of ideas and techniques during this workshop. This workshop teaches the principles of rigging on towers, structures (i.e. bridges), power transmission towers beginning with easy to understand lessons on simple physics, anchor loading, mechanical advantage in the form of pulley systems and levers, fall factors and impact force and much more. Many people know what they believe about rigging, but not why they believe it. This in-depth workshop concentrates on the practical ART of clean and intelligent rigging with just that in mind---just what is needed when instructing others. Tower workers will find in this provocative workshop a return to the time-proven techniques of the past which today have become lost to us through an over-reliance on mechanized technology. While these seemingly thought-provoking techniques may seem revolutionary, they are merely a return to the principles used for generations before us---principles our ancestors used regularly and found essential to the tasks of daily life. Ideal for hot stick crews where rope work is common.
It should be emphasized that the Tower Rigging Workshop is NOT a strictly rescue workshop
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Participants in the 2002 Lineman Rigging Workshop practicing rigging and rescue techniques using life safety ropes for the first time |
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"Dear Reed,
I just wanted to say thanks for another wonderful class. I am still blown away by the depth of your knowledge and expertise. Your gift, which you share and teach so well with others, saves lives. I envy you that remarkable gift. It is my sincerest hope that we can convince Tucson Electric Power to host a regional workshop here every year. I promise to do what I can from my end to make it happen."
Gayle Stadtlander
Tucson Electric Power Company
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"Reed,
Just wanted to tell you again how much I enjoyed your training course. I learned a great deal that will be very useful in the future. This course is something that should be taught to every lineman in the US. Hopefully it will never have to be used but like you said it is a valuable tool that can be kept in your tool bag."
Stephen Williams
Georgia Power Company
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7 Days
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6 Students
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Moderately difficult
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Classroom 30%, Practicals 70%
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Prerequisites: Employee of a tower company or utility.
No private. |
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