Wider Adoption of ActSafe Ascenders Increases Safety of UK Rope Access Workforce, says Altitec

Smart rope access businesses are increasingly making the move to using powered ascenders. New figures from Altitec show a marked increase in demand for the technology in businesses across the wind, structural maintenance and construction sectors. Up from leasing 15 ActSafe Ascenders to rope access businesses for 38 weeks in 2017, 2018 saw Altitec leasing 58 Ascenders for a total of 419 weeks. ActSafe powered ascenders can trim the time technicians spend on-site by as much as a third; the uptake in ascender leasing levels over the last 12 months indicates that companies are looking to reduce business costs and with it, technician fatigue.

Working as a personal elevator and equipment lifter that moves tools and technicians up and down rope access systems safely and at speed, power ascenders assist traditional, manual climbing methods and can be used in places where it is impossible to use a crane, scaffolding, or powered platform. Equally, the conditions that make manual climbing methods necessary can be challenging for personnel. Investing in technology that reduces the time technicians spend in these challenging conditions means that fatigue and accidents can be reduced.

Leasing figures from Altitec show no sign that the brakes are on for businesses investing in powered ascenders. The use of a powered ascender can save technicians significant amounts of time when moving and positioning themselves on the job, but the benefits don't stop there.

"Powered ascension is transforming the way rope access maintenance, inspection and rescue procedures are conducted, saving significant amounts of both time and money, reducing fatigue and preventing accidents on site" says Claudia Gomez, Sales Manager at Altitec, the exclusive distributor for ActSafe products in the UK, Baltics, and Ireland.

Altitec's new leasing figures provide a unique insight into how the technology is taking off for rope access businesses across multiple sectors. Businesses that invest in powered ascension can save time on rope access sites, reducing fatigue for technicians and personnel and making them less prone to injury.

Altitec | www.altitec.co.uk