The flexibility and adaptability of rope access has been demonstrated at a rollout for Builders Warehouse’ new client Oasis Water. Rope-access specialist Skyriders was subcontracted to install plumbing pipes in hard-to-access roof areas at the Strubens Valley, Boksburg, Rivonia, and Meadowdale branches of the DIY and building materials specialist.

While these buildings are not nearly on the same scale as massive smokestacks or cooling towers, which represents the traditional type of industrial structures that Skyriders is involved with, the average Builders Warehouse is still quite significant at a height of about 15 m to 20 m, Marketing Manager Mike Zinn stresses.

“Access definitely poses a challenge, especially as these were fully operational stores. Hence not only was it necessary to carry out the scope of work after hours, but scaffolding was not a viable solution, as it would need to be erected after the store closed, and then dismantled again before the store reopened. This is both costly and impractical, so rope access again saved the day,” Zinn comments.

Rope access means that workers can begin with their tasks straightaway, as opposed to having to wait for the scaffolding to be set up first, which also limits the working window. Another major benefit is that rope access is much safer and secure.

While the bulk of the installation and set-up work was undertaken at ground level, rope access was deployed for the work-at-height component. “The rollout was an excellent example of how rope access can be adapted to the specific requirements of such niche markets, which represent a significant opportunity for us to add value,” Zinn notes.

Skyriders recently completed a similar scope of work at a major shopping centre in Limpopo, where it assisted in installing gas piping at height for a new fast-food outlet. Here again scaffolding would have interfered with shoppers’ access when the centre was open, which meant rope access was ideal to get the work done as quickly, effectively, and as safely as possible, without any disruption to the client.

“The limited space we had to work in, combined with the quick turnaround time, meant that rope access was a far superior solution to traditional scaffolding,” Zinn concludes. Apart from rope access, Skyriders offers an array of work-at-height, confined-space, and inspection and repair services, providing its diverse client base with complete maintenance solutions.