Duties and Responsibilities of the Rope Access Program Administrator
- A Rope Access Program Administrator is responsible for the development, implementation, monitoring, review, and revision of the employer’s rope access program, and has overall responsibility for the program.
- The Rope Access Program Administrator will be responsible for setting up the employer’s rope access program and developing or approving the access work plan.
- At minimum, the administrator should have the knowledge and experience of a Level III Technician (Rope Access Supervisor) if not a certified Level III Technician.
- The administrator should also be knowledgeable about and experienced in supervising fall protection programs and in particular fall protection systems for rope access work.
- The Rope Access Program Administrator shall:
- Recognize the limitations of the rope access technicians (in terms of training, qualifications, experience, and expertise) to perform rope access work, and ensure that no work is undertaken that exceeds those limitations.
- Have a working knowledge of current applicable federal, state and local regulations that apply to rope access and working at height, directly or indirectly, and ensure implementation of all such requirements.
- Establish and implement procedures for ensuring and verifying that all rope access technicians have the necessary training, skills, and experience for each rope access project to which they are assigned, according to their duties and responsibilities as outlined in this standard.
- Establish and implement procedures for ensuring that all hazards to which rope access technicians may potentially be exposed on a rope access project are identified, and controlled or eliminated, prior to the commencement of the rope access project.
- Ensure that all rope access projects are appropriately supervised.
- Appropriate supervision may not always require a Rope Access Program Administrator or Rope Access Supervisor to be on-site. Depending on the nature of the work and the qualifications of the rope access technicians, the on-site Rope Access Supervisor may not be required if it can be shown that the safety of the rope access technicians has not been decreased.
- Ensure that the procurement, inspection, tracking, and replacement of equipment used for rope access projects is performed by a person (or persons) with the appropriate knowledge, training and experience to perform the assigned task as it relates to the employer’s
- Ensure communication and coordination with clients and their safety representatives regarding rope access safety and rescue procedures.
- Provide, or verify that rope access technicians are provided with all appropriate rope access, rescue and personal protective equipment for each rope access project.
- Ensure that procedures are in place for establishing and marking work zones, and for keeping other persons and the public out of affected work areas.
- Ensure that procedures are consistent with all applicable regulatory requirements and standards related to the work environment, and that such requirements are followed by all rope access technicians.
- Establish and implement procedures for ensuring that all required planning and documentation, including work permits, job safety analyses, and rescue plans are completed prior to the commencement of rope access projects, and that all affected persons are appropriately briefed.
- Verify that rope access technicians maintain all necessary training and certifications.
- Ensure that rope access technician rope access and training hours are recorded properly.
- Provide, or verify provision of, all rope access technician training required to meet the provisions of this standard and of the employer’s rope access program.
- Participate in the investigation of all incidents related to injuries or near misses involving rope access technicians during rope access work or training, either personally or through a qualified individual designated to investigate the incident(s), and taking necessary corrective action to eliminate the causes of such incidents.
- Perform any other duties and responsibilities that are necessary for the development, implementation, and maintenance of a safe and effective rope access program, given the particular nature of the employer’s operations and the environment in which rope access work is to be performed.
