Complex work environments
Our
services
Working within operational facilities
Refineries, chemical plants, steel mills, and tank terminals place high demands on safety, preparation, and execution. Work is often carried out within operational facilities where accessibility is limited and downtime directly impacts production processes.
With rope access, work can be carried out precisely at locations such as flare stacks, pipe racks, tank walls, steel structures, pipe racks, and hard-to-reach parts of installations without extensive scaffolding or long-term operational disruptions.
Our IRATA-certified specialists are familiar with work in ATEX environments, shutdowns, turnarounds, and maintenance stops where planning, coordination, and controlled execution are essential.
From inspection and maintenance to project-based work
SkyPeople supports both periodic maintenance and project-based work within the industrial and petrochemical sectors. From preservation campaigns and inspection work to piping, steel repairs, cable trays, lifting operations, and maintenance of existing installations.
By combining different disciplines within a single project, work can be carried out more efficiently, and lead times can be kept limited. We tailor our approach to the installation, operational conditions, and project specifications.
Where necessary, we support operations with temporary lifting equipment, specialized access systems, and custom solutions for complex or difficult-to-reach locations.
Experience in complex industrial work environments
SkyPeople supports clients in industry and petrochemicals with maintenance, inspection, and execution projects on operational facilities and structures. Our specialists are familiar with work on tank installations, pipe racks, offshore structures, steel structures, and process plants within complex industrial work environments.
Projects in
hard-to-reach places
What our
clients say
“We experience the collaboration with Sky People as a true partnership. They actively contribute ideas, are flexible, and focus with us on the safe and successful execution of the work. For example, we have collaborated on the bicycle bridge in Lelystad, where Zoet Services thoroughly cleaned the top side and the underside was executed in collaboration with Sky People. We definitely recommend Sky People due to their professional approach, commitment, and reliable effort.”
Mark Zoet
Sweet Services
“Skypeople has addressed some of the accessibility challenges on the Erasmus Bridge project for Van der Ende by thinking solution-oriented, where traditional scaffolding was not an option. With excellent collaboration, the highest parts of the Pylon and the ballast block in the bridge cellar have been safely and expertly preserved, and the cables cleaned. Skypeople has thus made a huge contribution to this magnificent project.”
Michael
Lars Sigmond
Frequently asked questions
Rope access is used in industry and petrochemicals for a variety of applications, including:* **Inspection:** Inspecting structures, pipelines, vessels, and equipment for defects, corrosion, or damage. * **Maintenance and Repair:** Performing welding, grinding, painting, sealing, and other repair works on hard-to-reach areas. * **Construction and Installation:** Assembling and installing new equipment, structures, or platforms. * **Cleaning:** Cleaning external surfaces of structures, tanks, and equipment, especially in hazardous or confined spaces. * **Damage assessment:** Evaluating the extent of damage after incidents like fires or explosions. * **Emergency response:** Providing access for rescue operations or immediate repairs in critical situations. * **Non-destructive testing (NDT):** Conducting ultrasonic testing, magnetic particle testing, and other NDT methods on various components. * **Asset integrity management:** Ensuring the long-term safety and reliability of industrial assets.
Rope access is used in industry and petrochemicals for work at height, depth, and in difficult-to-reach locations within operational facilities. This includes maintenance, inspection, NDT, preservation, industrial cleaning, welding, E&I work, rigging & lifting, and assembly or disassembly work.
The method is suitable for locations where traditional access methods such as scaffolding, aerial work platforms, or cranes have limited applicability. For example, at tank terminals, processing plants, pipe racks, flare stacks, pipe bridges, silos, steel structures, and hard-to-reach parts of existing installations.
Why is rope access suitable for operational facilities?
Within operational facilities, accessibility is often limited, and downtime can directly impact production. Rope Access allows work to be carried out in a targeted manner without extensive scaffolding or long preparation times.
This allows the impact on processes, logistics, and planning to often remain limited. This makes Rope Access suitable for maintenance projects, inspections, ad-hoc repairs, and work within existing industrial environments where safety, coordination, and controlled execution are essential.
Can rope access be used during shutdowns and turnarounds?
Yes, rope access can be well utilized during shutdowns, turnarounds, and maintenance stops. During these periods, available time is often limited and multiple tasks need to be carefully coordinated.
With Rope Access, specialists can quickly gain access to hard-to-reach parts of the installation. This can limit the turnaround time and allow for efficient scheduling of activities such as inspection, preservation, cleaning, assembly, welding, or E&I work within the overall shutdown or turnaround program.
Is rope access suitable for ATEX environments?
Rope access can be deployed in ATEX environments, provided that the work is carefully prepared and carried out in accordance with the applicable safety procedures of the site. Within industry and petrochemicals, this requires clear work permits, risk analyses, coordination with the client, and the use of suitable materials and work methods.
SkyPeople works with IRATA-certified specialists who are accustomed to complex industrial environments, including refineries, chemical plants, tank terminals, and process facilities where safety and controlled execution are paramount.
Can rope access help limit production downtime?
In many situations, rope access can help to limit production downtime or operational disruption. Because less setup time and less heavy equipment are required compared to traditional access methods, work can often be carried out more quickly and with greater focus.
This is especially valuable for maintenance, inspection, and repair work on installations that are difficult to access, but where a complete shutdown is not desirable. For each project, it is assessed which access method is safe, practical, and efficient within the operational conditions.
What maintenance can be performed on tanks and silos?
Rope access can be deployed for inspection, cleaning, preservation, coating repair, maintenance, and technical work on hard-to-reach parts of tanks and silos. This includes tank walls, roof edges, pipelines, platforms, connections, and steel structures around the installation.
Because technicians can position themselves using rope techniques, scaffolding or aerial work platforms are not always necessary. This makes Rope Access interesting for work where accessibility is limited or where the environment offers little space for traditional equipment.
Yes, rope access is suitable for inspection and NDO within petrochemical facilities.
Yes, Rope Access is highly suitable for visual inspections and NDO within petrochemical and industrial facilities. Technicians can inspect hard-to-reach components without always requiring scaffolding or fixed access points.
This is applied in piping, welds, steel structures, pipe racks, tanks, flare stacks, and process installations, among others. By combining Rope Access with inspection and NDO specialists, installations can be examined in a targeted manner, with minimal impact on the surroundings and schedule.
Yes, SkyPeople can also combine multiple disciplines within a single industrial project.
Yes, SkyPeople can combine various disciplines within a single industrial project. For example, Rope Access can be combined with inspection, NDT (Non-Destructive Testing), preservation, cleaning, welding, E&I (Electrical & Instrumentation) work, rigging & lifting, and technical maintenance.
This is particularly relevant in industry and petrochemicals, where projects often consist of multiple tasks in the same hard-to-reach location. By combining access engineering and technical execution, coordination can be simplified, and lead times often remain more manageable.
What is Rope Access?
Rope access is a specialized method for safely performing work at heights, depths, and in difficult-to-reach locations. Using rope systems, positioning techniques, and certified safety equipment, technicians can work safely in locations where traditional access methods are limited.
The technique is applied worldwide in the offshore, industrial, petrochemical, civil, and utility construction sectors for, among other things, maintenance, inspection, and execution work on installations, structures, and buildings.
Rope access offers an efficient alternative to scaffolding, aerial work platforms, and other conventional access methods, especially in locations where accessibility, safety, or operational impact are important considerations.
Due to the limited setup time, rapid deployability, and minimal environmental impact, rope access is increasingly being used worldwide in complex operational work environments.
Want to know more about the technique, safety, and applications of rope access? Then check out our pages: About Us – What is Rope Access?, Is rope access safe?.
What does 'IRATA certified' working mean?
IRATA stands for Industrial Rope Access Trade Association en is the highest safety standard worldwide for rope access work. Within offshore, industry, petrochemical, and infrastructure sectors, this certification is used to ensure safe execution, fixed work methods, and high training standards.
To be allowed to work with rope access, technicians must successfully complete extensive training, practical exams, and rescue exercises. In addition, IRATA technicians always work according to international guidelines, fixed safety procedures, and controlled work methods.
Within IRATA, there are three certification levels:
- Level 1
A Level 1 technician performs rope access work under the supervision of an experienced Level 3 supervisor after obtaining their certification. This is the entry-level position within rope access. - Level 2 — minimum of 1,000 logged work hours
After a minimum of 1,000 hours of practical experience, a technician can become certified to Level 2. At this level, technicians perform more complex tasks and receive additional training in areas such as rescue procedures and work positioning. - Level 3 — minimum of 1,000 additional work hours as Level 2
A Level 3 supervisor is responsible for the safe execution of rope access work on site. After obtaining this certification, the supervisor is authorized to assess risks, control work methods, perform safety checks, and provide continuous supervision during project execution.
All IRATA technicians are re-examined and re-certified every three years. During this re-certification, practical skills, rescue procedures, safety knowledge, and work methods are reassessed according to international IRATA guidelines.
This makes IRATA one of the strictest and most controlled systems worldwide for working safely at height and in hard-to-reach locations.
