Working at height specialist Skysite is involved in the refurbishment of the Foreshore Place, in Cape Town.

The project started in November 2018 with completion expected in the second quarter of next year.

Skysite is cleaning and sealing the building’s façade and has imported the cleaning material from the US, says Skysite MD Simon Hareb.

He adds that the company currently has a team of 15 to 20 people on site cleaning, and assisting the façade specialists with installation, repairs and sealing.

“Most of our work on this particular project is full rope access, the façade company working on the project is using gondolas to access the area behind the lift core,” says Hareb.

Skysite has over 150 employees working in South Africa, recently changing their Johannesburg office from a satellite office to a permanent full-time office.

Teams are currently cleaning the internal and external glazing of property investment holding company Growthpoints’ head office, law firm Webber Wentzel and financial institution Discovery Group offices as well as the law firm Norton Rose Fulbright building, all in Sandton, Johannesburg.

The modern architectural designs of the buildings in Sandton often require innovative rigging systems to allow for maintenance and cleaning, Hareb points out.

Rope access can be as diverse as the project requires; however, generally, Skysite projects include building surveys, condition reports, coating applications, structural repairs and building maintenance, as well as nondestructive testing and inspections for the National Association of Corrosion Engineers, installations, signage and cleaning, he outlines.

Skysite ensures that the equipment it uses complies with international and national norms and standards. External staff training is carried out in accordance with South African National Standards (SANS), overseen by the Institute for Work at Height.

Skysite also ensures that its rope-access worksites conform to SANS.