Duties and Responsibilities of the Level III Technician (Rope Access Supervisor)
- A Rope Access Supervisor shall have overall responsibility for the rope access work site and the rope access technicians assigned to that work site.
- To the extent that other qualified rope access technicians are assigned a duty or responsibility that is also designated as a duty or responsibility of the Rope Access Supervisor, the Rope Access Supervisor shall retain primary responsibility to ensure and/or verify that the assigned task is accomplished.
- Where appropriate, the Rope Access Supervisor may also perform duties and responsibilities of the Rope Access Lead Technician and the Rope Access Worker, to the extent that it does not prevent the effective performance of the Rope Access Supervisor’s duties and responsibilities required by this section.
- The Rope Access Supervisor shall have the authority to stop the work immediately if it is unsafe to proceed.
- The Rope Access Supervisor shall:
- Be responsible for the immediate supervision, implementation, and oversight of the rope access program at the work site.
- Have sufficient knowledge of current regulations that apply, directly or indirectly, to rope access and working at height, so as to ensure compliance by the rope access technicians being supervised.
- Direct the efforts of other rope access technicians to ensure safety and compliance with the rope access program.
- Communicate and coordinate with clients and their safety representatives, and other contractors on the work site where appropriate, regarding rope access safety and rescue
- Identify all hazards to which rope access technicians may potentially be exposed on a rope access project, specify the means by which such hazards are to be controlled or eliminated prior to the commencement of work, and ensure that such elimination or control has been accomplished.
- Specify the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to be used by rope access technicians, ensure rope access technicians are properly trained in the use of such PPE in the rope access environment, and ensure rope access technicians use the PPE as required.
- Identify work zones, ensure that these zones are marked appropriately, and verify that adequate measures are taken to keep other personnel and the public out of any affected areas.
- Complete all required planning and documentation, including work permits, job safety analyses, and rescue plans as directed by the Rope Access Program Administrator prior to the commencement of rope access projects.
- Review all procedures prior to the commencement of work and as work site activities change to determine if additional practices, procedures, or training is needed in order to commence or continue work.
- Conduct job site safety meetings with all affected persons regarding applicable work permits, job safety analyses, rescue plans, or any other relevant information prior to commencement of the work.
- Specify the appropriate rope access equipment, systems and system components, and supervise their installation, use, and inspection.
- Verify that the necessary emergency services are available, including emergency medical services and ancillary rescue services (when applicable), and that the means to summon them are functioning.
- The Rope Access Supervisor is responsible for on-site rescue of on-rope The Rope Access Supervisor shall:
- Ensure that a prompt rescue of on-rope persons can be accomplished.
- Manage or perform any rescue that may be required during the work.
- Specify appropriate rescue
- Perform or manage initial emergency care within the scope of the Rope Access Supervisor’s
- Remove from service any rope access equipment or other equipment (such as tools) that are used during rope access work that is damaged or has potentially sustained damage (such as from a significant shock load), until such time that it can be established that such equipment is safe for use.
- Ensure that all equipment on the work site is protected from damage and is maintained in a safe condition throughout the work.
- Document and validate rope access technician rope access hours in the manner prescribed by the Rope Access Program Administrator.
- Perform any other duties designated in the employer’s rope access program or identified by the Rope Access Program Administrator. Such duties remain within that Rope Access Supervisor’s training, skills, experience and qualifications for conducting safe rope access operations and maintaining a safe rope access work site.
- Where it is determined that the use of ancillary rescue capability is required in the event rescue is needed during rope access operations, the Rope Access Supervisor shall coordinate with the provider of the ancillary rescue capability as required in the rescue section of this document.
