What is IRATA?

The Industrial Rope Access Trade Association, often called IRATA, is a leading global trade association for the industrial rope access work-at-height sector. It was formed in the late 1980s to solve hard-to-reach or at-height maintenance challenges facing the offshore oil and gas industry using rope techniques pioneered in climbing and caving sectors. 

Today, the rope access techniques developed by IRATA are used for repair, maintenance, inspection, and access work in a range of industries, which include petrochemical, oil and gas, infrastructure, pulp and paper, and renewable energy. IRATA-designed rope access methodology boasts an unrivaled safety record, short set-up and dismantling time, positive environmental benefits, and removes the need for invasive access equipment or worksite disruption. 

Headquartered in Kent, England, IRATA has grown to include more than 400 member companies globally and has trained greater than 100,000 rope access technicians worldwide. IRATA directs and regulates, through its members, the training of all workers seeking its qualifications. These member companies provide training, operational services, or both.

Altius Technical Services is proud to a Full Training Member of IRATA. Headquartered in Houston, Texas we also offer the full of IRATA courses at our state-of-the-art training facilities in Atlanta, Georgia, New Orleans, Louisiana, Las Vegas, Nevada in the USA, and Cape Town in South Africa.