Ropepro were pleased to assist Woods Environmental Services to clean “The Ornithologist” in the Valley Lake Estate in Melbourne. “The Ornithologist” is a Public Art piece designed by Tim Jones to celebrate the water and birdlife that is naturally drawn to the area.

“The Ornithologist” is an angled structure of steel construction located in the middle of the Lake and anchored below the water surface on the Lake bed. In order to gain access to the structure a boat was required which also, in the event of any emergency rescue, would allow the return of an injured operator to dry land. Aid climbing techniques in conjunction with an integrated rescue system were used to ascend the structure to its apex. High pressure water was used to clean the structure and remove dirt, grime and bird droppings that had built up over the years since it was erected.

Due to the structure’s location in the middle of the lake, Elevating Work Platform or Scaffold were not viable methods of access to carry out maintenance on this structure. Rope Access techniques in conjunction with effective rescue equipment, plans and training were ideally suited to execute this task on time and without incident.

Ropepro were pleased to once again assist Meridian Energy and Senvion Australia with the inspection and testing of Anchor points across the Mt Mercer, Chepstowe and Hepburn Wind Farms in Victoria as well as the Mt Millar Wind Farm in South Australia recently.

To ensure the safety of personnel who work at height, height safety equipment such as safety harnesses, horizontal life lines and rails, fall-arrest devices, and associated lanyards, connectors, anchorages and fittings must be inspected regularly by competent height safety equipment inspectors. This is to ensure they are safe for use and compliant with the manufacturers specifications as well as the specifications set out in the Australian Standards. The Australian Standards that may be relevant to this type of equipment may be:

AS1891AS/NZS 1891.4:2009 Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices – Selection, use and maintenance

AS4488:1997 Parts 1 & 2 Industrial Rope Access Systems

AS 1657-2013 Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders – Design, construction and installation

Due to the nature and construction of Wind Turbines, in order to carry out inspection and maintenance of the structure’s elements both internally and externally it is common that maintenance personnel are exposed to a fall hazard. In order to control the risk of a fall from height, Wind Turbines have Anchor Points and Height Safety systems within the Turbine Towers as well as internally and externally on the Nacelle and Hub/Spinner.

These systems in conjunction with regular working at heights and rescue training of maintenance staff allow safe access to most areas of the Wind Turbine by service technicians in order for them to carry out maintenance. Areas that are more difficult to access such as; Rotor Blades, some areas of Tower surfaces and some areas of the Nacelle and Hub, are able to be accessed using Rope Access Techniques, Elevating Work Platform or Crane and Man box.

If Ropepro can assist you with the inspection of assets or infrastructure such as Wind Turbines or Height Safety Systems, please call 03 93917159 or email info@ropepro.com.au

Ropepro were pleased to assist Senvion during their recent project at Noshiro Wind Farm in Akita Prefecture, Japan. Ropepro were engaged to provide Supervision during recent Rotor Blade repairs.

Adequate Supervision of Rope Access works is critical to a project’s success. Work site’s that require Rope Access are inherently hazardous and dynamic. Often sites contain hazards that are not easily identifiable or easily managed, rescue capability is also a major consideration when not only carrying out Rope Access work but work at height in general.

An effective Supervisor of a Rope Access team is suitably qualified (Level 3 Industrial Rope Access), has broad experience, is able to identify and mitigate hazards, displays strong leadership skills and is an effective communicator with team members and customers.

It is important that Mangers of sites where work at height is being carried out are diligent in their management of contractors to ensure hazardous work is being carried out under adequate and competent supervision.

As always, we look forward to working with Senvion again and thank you to the Senvion crew: David, Christian and Ryan and well done to Stu Lakeland for a job well done!

Cast Iron Down pipes and Rain Heads are a predominant feature on older buildings across Australia. These features, although they are often strong and robust, are difficult to maintain as they age and deteriorate, particularly if they are located in difficult to reach areas.

Ropepro recently carried out work to remove and replace old cast iron pipework on Collins St in Melbourne. Rope Access methods are an effective way of carrying out this work as access can be made within relatively small areas such as laneways with minimal disruption to pedestrians and traffic below. Manageable sections of pipework can also be removed using Rope based hauling/lowering systems that eliminate the need for large Cranes, Scaffold or Elevating Work Platform.

Ropepro were pleased to assist Brooks Marchant Pty Ltd and Icon Water with the replacement of a Tilt Sensor on the Cotter Dam Primary Spillway on the outskirts of Canberra recently. This project presented a number of unique challenges to overcome in order to carry out this task safely. 

The Tilt Sensor that required replacement was embedded in the Dam Wall’s concrete structure and located in the middle of the Primary Spillway. There is currently no fall protection in place to safely access the middle of the spillway which posed fall risks both in to the Dam itself and down the Dam Wall. The use of Scaffold, Crane or EWP was either not possible or not practicable for the scenario and the development of a Rope Access method to carry out this work was decided to be the most effective and efficient method. 

The sensor is also located over the crest of the Spillway at an angle making it difficult to maintain stable footing whilst carrying out work, particularly while carrying out removal of concrete. The safe retrieval of an injured worker is also a critical part of working at height, particularly whilst using a Rope system.

When considering all of these factors, Ropepro was able to develop a Rope System that allowed safe access from the Secondary Spillway to the Primary Spillway, access across the entire length of the spillway and access over the crest to the location of the sensor. The system that was implemented, in conjunction with a rescue barge, also allowed the efficient extraction of an injured worker if required.

This project was executed safely without incident and there was virtually no disruption to the assets operation.

Ropepro were pleased to assist Museums Victoria recently with the replacement of a glass panel on the main entrance glass curtain wall. Due to the weight and location of the affected glass panel the options for lifting the panel and fixing the panel in place were limited.

The Glass Panel dimensions were 1470mm high x 2790mm wide and 12mm thick weighing 123 kgs. The panel was also located under an awning which also added a layer of complexity to the works

The area below where the glass panel was to be lifted is an underground car park and the weight of a Crane or Elevating Work Platform that would be required to lift the panel in to place would exceed the maximum floor rating.

The use of Scaffold was also not practicable or cost effective due to the location of Museum exhibits which could not be removed and the requirement that Scaffold would need to be erected both externally and internally to lift, install and seal the glass panel.

Ropepro was able to utilise Rope Access and Rigging Techniques in conjunction with a Minifor electric winch and electric glass lifting system to safely install the panel.

This project was carried out on time and safely without damage to customer property, museum exhibits or disruption to the Museums hours of operation. A job well done by all involved!

Ropepro recently assisted the team at AGL Hydro with the internal inspection of the Lower Rubicon Power Station Penstock using Confined Space and Rope Access methods. Working in conjunction with AGL, Ropepro has refined a safe access and retrieval method to safely enter and work within penstocks and other Hydro-electric infrastructure.

One of the key deliverables of this recent inspection was the requirement to record live footage within the penstock and broadcast this footage to Engineers and key stakeholders outside the penstock in real time. Due to the length and construction of the penstock coupled with limitations with signal reception there were a number of challenges to achieving this deliverable.

With credit to the creative thinking, persistence and hard work of all involved with this project our client was able to obtain documented, live and recorded audio-visual content portraying the internal condition of the penstock. The information obtained allows our customer to make informed decisions pertinent to the condition of their asset.

Ropepro is currently assisting the team at Nutall Engineering with engineering inspections of Rail Bridges and Viaducts across Victoria and NSW.

There are a number of reasons why the use of Rope Access methods (as opposed to traditional forms of access such as scaffold or Elevating Work Platform) are required to carry out visual and tactile inspection of structures such as Rail Bridges and Viaducts.

Often there is a water body below the structure making it impossible to use Scaffold or EWP. Due to the structures being active rail lines there is a requirement that equipment can be mobilised and de-mobilised in a timely and efficient manner in order to comply with OH&S and timetabling requirements.

It can also be extremely expensive and time consuming to erect and dismantle scaffold or the mobilise large and expensive EWP or Cranes resulting in cost blow outs and disruption to operations.

Industrial Rope Access methods offer a safe, efficient, innovative and cost effective solution to many access challenges.

Industrial warehouses and buildings often require extensive lighting to illuminate their premises. Often this lighting is located in difficult to reach places making maintenance and replacement of globes and fixtures problematic for facility managers. In this photo you may just be able to see our Technician, Rob, replacing a light fixture at OMYA near Geelong in Victoria.

Due to the large scale of the plant and equipment at OMYA and similar sites, Ropepro carries out a number of tasks similar to this such as; Industrial cleaning, Non-Destructive Testing/Thickness Testing, bolt tensioning/torqueing and replacement, painting/coating application and removal. If we can help you with any of these services please call 03 9391 7159 or email info@ropepro.com.au

Advertising and Media signage technology has changed considerably over the last few years. Digital Media Screens, LED Superscreens, and other forms of Digital Signage are becoming more prevalent across our city skylines offering a versatile and effective from of advertising.

Whilst signage technology has changed there are still access challenges associated with the maintenance of this modern signage.

Since its installation three years ago Ropepro has been assisting Corporate Initiatives Australia to carry out maintenance on the Media Screens at the Myer Emporium building in Melbourne’s CBD. Due to the height and location of the sign, traditional forms of access such as Elevating Work Platforms and Scaffold are not possible due to footpath/road closures and cost barriers. As a result of these barriers, Rope Access methods carried out by highly trained, professional Rope Access technicians are an ideal form of access to carry out regular maintenance and servicing of plant and equipment such as this. A team of professional Rope Access Technicians who are highly trained and well supervised have the ability to mobilise to site, carry out maintenance and demobilise from site in a fraction of the time and cost of other forms of access, not to mention the minimal disruption to pedestrians and traffic below.