IRATA Rope Access Training Courses

IRATA is the world’s leading authority in rope access, and its qualifications are recognised worldwide. IRATA’s training scheme and codes of practice have been developed for over 30 years and are the chosen means of access for most heavy industries, including oil and gas, iron ore, construction, and civil engineering. Most major companies in the world require their personnel to be trained and assessed under the IRATA scheme to perform rope access work.

Most importantly, with strict training and working guidelines, IRATA delivers a safe working record year after year. IRATA is committed to ongoing development in this area to ensure that its member companies and technicians remain current and safe in their ever-evolving working environments.

You can find our cancellation and booking policies on our terms and conditions page.

You must submit all cancellation, refund, or date change requests in writing to iratatraining@tasmanropeaccess.com. For further discussion, contact Tasman Rope Access directly.

Course attendees and technicians should have adequate levels of fitness to ensure they have the physical ability to perform rope access tasks expected in terms of strength, agility and coordination. 

Rope access is often performed in extreme conditions, so you will need to be able to withstand the stresses of the working environment, including the heat, cold and other inclement weather.

If you are being treated with medication, you MUST obtain a signed doctor’s note which states that your condition or treatment will not prevent you from performing rope access work. This must be presented to Tasman Rope Access before training commencement. If you fail to do this, Tasman Rope Access reserves the right to refuse training services until the note is obtained.

Rope access training courses require physical movement, so make sure the clothing you wear allows you to move freely, but does not pose the risk of you being caught in your equipment. 

Your footwear should be non-slip, and it is a health and safety requirement that you attend our facility in closed-toed shoes or boots. We recommend that, if you have work boots, you wear these as it will allow you to gain experience in the footwear you will likely wear on a work site.

Please don’t wear short shorts, a skirt or kilt!

No. If you don’t have an industry helmet, we can supply you with one for your training and assessment. For hygiene reasons, we do recommend that you bring a headsock with you if you are not supplying your own helmet.

If you wish to supply your own helmet, please ensure it is within 10 years of manufacture as per textile standards and is fit for purpose (ie chin strap, good fit, no impaired vision, able to withstand side, frontal, rear and crown shock). If you are unsure whether a helmet is fit for purpose, please bring it to your first day of training and our experienced instructors will advise you accordingly.

When you attend training with Tasman Rope Training, please bring with you: 

• Your rope access helmet so we can ensure it is fit for task (you can borrow one if needed)
• Comfortable clothing that allows you to move freely but not so loose it can get caught in equipment 
• Closed-toe shoes with good grip, or your own work boots 
• Government-issued photographic identification (eg driver’s license, passport or proof of age card)
• A water bottle and small snack if you wish 

For rope access candidates who are recertifying, upgrading or undertaking a refresher course, you MUST bring your logbook. Your logbook must be up to date and be presented to one of our instructors before training.

Rope access is intrinsically high risk. The purpose of the assessment is to ensure that the candidate can demonstrate the requisite tasks safely, in accordance with the IRATA TACS. This ensures you have the skills and presence of mind to exercise safe working practices in the workplace for the wellbeing of you, your workmates and other site personnel.

All assessments are two parts: practical and written.

There are two possible outcomes of assessment: pass or fail. To pass, the candidate shall complete all the required elements of the syllabus at the relevant level. To fail, the candidate will have committed one major discrepancy or three minor discrepancies.

It is a requirement of IRATA that the Assessor be independent of the candidate, the candidate’s employer and the organisation providing the employment.

If you fail your assessment, there are two possible outcomes:

1. Reassessment. This must take place within 60 days of the original assessment; otherwise, you will be required to attend a further training course in full. You must present a copy of the previous assessment at the time of reassessment.
2. Further training. The Assessor may specify that more training is required. If this is recommended, it must be completed before reassessment

For further clarification regarding assessment, reassessment and certification validity for Level 2 and 3, see TACS sections 4.5 – 4.10

Technicians who have not been using rope access techniques for 6 months must undergo a refresher course. This must be done in an official training facility by a Level 3 technician (minimum standard), ensuring the technician has the requisite skills for their certification level.

The training will be entered into the technician’s logbook. Your logbook must be up to date and be presented to one of our instructors before commencement of training.

Every level is certified for three years. After this point, without revalidation, technicians are no longer certified to carry out rope access works.

IRATA assessments are required every three years for all levels after a minimum of four days of training have been completed. We recommend that you complete your training and assessment at least 6 months before your current certificate expires.

What happens once your certification expires depends on your level of training. Level 1 technicians will be required to complete the minimum four-day training course and assessment. They are not permitted to perform rope access work from the time of expiry until a successful reassessment is completed.

If you are Level 2 or 3 and: 

• Undertaking assessment after the expiry of your previous certification
• Or your certification is about to expire, but you believe you may fail to revalidate or upgrade due to medical reasons, please contact us for guidance.

Further information can be found in the Procedures for IRATA Certification

Rope access technicians are in high demand across a range of industries. We suggest you chat with our friendly trainers and other course participants while you are here to give you a real-world guide into what it is like to work as a rope access technician. 

Rope access personnel often have complementary trades or skills according to their sector. We suggest you peruse career advertising websites (eg, Seek) to have a look at positions that are being advertised. You can also keep an eye on our Careers page for open roles within our team.

A light morning tea/lunch will be provided during the course, but rope access training is strenuous work! It’s up to you whether you bring extra food with you. Please make sure you bring a water bottle. It’s important you fuel your body and keep it hydrated during your training course.

There are cafes within walking distance from our Adelaide training centre, or we have tea and coffee-making facilities available.