Rope Access & Industrial Abseiling Services
ARRT Group provides rope access and industrial abseiling services in London and across the UK — glazing, façade repairs, cleaning and inspections at height by IRATA-trained technicians, usually without scaffolding. For glass-specific work, see rope access glazing.
ARRT Group is SafeContractor accredited and can offer an insurance-backed guarantee of up to 20 years on the work.
Scaffolding a building to change six gaskets is not a method statement, it is a budget problem. Rope access puts a trained technician where the work is, within days.
Rope access vs MEWP vs spider for commercial façade work in London
Choose access by cost, disruption and geometry — not habit. In London and the South East, ARRT selects rope access for slender or cluttered elevations, MEWPs for clear hardstanding, and spider / tracked platforms for atriums and tight internal overheads. IRATA-trained technicians where rope is used; UK-wide mobilisation for planned programmes. Method is locked in the written access plan before price.
Our technicians are glazing and building-envelope tradespeople who work on rope, not rope specialists who dabble in glazing. That combination is what makes the method worthwhile — the person on the line can diagnose the defect and complete the repair in the same visit.
Every deployment runs on dual independent rope systems, a documented rescue plan, a technician-level supervisor on site, and anchor arrangements verified before work starts.
Named Alexandra Palace, a Grade II listed London landmark, rope access glazing: a two-day heritage roof-lantern maintenance job on a traditional metal-framed glazed roof, reached without unnecessary scaffolding. Read the Alexandra Palace heritage roof case study, or the wider heritage glazing service for listed-building and historic glass at height.
Emergency and difficult-access commercial glass replacement that uses rope is linked from emergency glass replacement — this page keeps the method; that page is the call-out URL.
Rope access is often the right method for difficult access glazing: slender elevations, cluttered hardstanding, or a need to make safe a broken glass panel above a live entrance without a full scaffold. Call-out path: emergency glass replacement. Planned unit swaps: high-level glass replacement. Overhead leaks: glass leak repairs and atrium and rooflight glazing.
Recent examples (anonymised)
Non-compatible toggle-bar unit at height — a London riverside office building. At a London riverside office building, a failed toggle-bar glazed unit was found to be non-compatible with the curtain-wall system. The defective unit was removed at height and replaced with a system-compatible unit so the elevation sealed correctly. Related: high-level glass replacement and rope access.
Failed high-level panel make-safe — a Heathrow-area commercial facility. A shattered curtain-wall panel at height was reported at a Heathrow-area commercial facility. ARRT attended, surveyed and cordoned the area below, then returned with a team to make the opening safe. The permanent matched unit was sourced for follow-on replacement. See emergency glass replacement and emergency glazing & make-safe.
Glazing carried out on ropes, such as glass and sealed unit replacement, resealing, glass roofs and make-safe at height, has its own page: rope access glazing. To compare rope access with MEWP and spider lifts for a glass swap, see glass replacement without scaffolding.
What we deliver
- High-level glazing repair, resealing and replacement
- Facade, cladding and rooflight inspection
- Mastic, sealant and jointing works at height
- Netting, signage and fixture installation
- Facade cleaning and coating application
- Standby rescue and safety cover for other trades
How the work is done
| Certification | IRATA-trained technicians; Level 3 supervision on site |
|---|---|
| Systems | Dual independent ropes, back-up devices, verified anchors |
| Rescue | Site-specific rescue plan and equipment on every deployment |
| Mobilisation | Typically days, not weeks — no scaffold design or licence lead time |
| Documentation | Task-specific RAMS, anchor records, technician logbooks |
Questions we get asked
Is rope access safe for occupied buildings?
It is one of the lowest-impact methods available. There is no structure at ground level, no scaffold alarm risk, and the working area is a small controlled zone rather than a whole elevation.
When is rope access the wrong choice?
When materials are heavy, quantities are large, or the work needs a stable platform for long periods. We will tell you when a MEWP, cradle or scaffold is genuinely the better answer.
Can rope access be used for difficult access glazing and unit replacement?
Yes. IRATA-trained glazing technicians diagnose and replace failed units at height on the same visit where the geometry allows, including make-safe of a broken glass panel above a live floor.
Can rope access be used on listed glass roofs and domes?
Yes, where anchors and the roof structure allow. Rope access reaches heritage roof lanterns and glass domes without loading historic fabric with scaffold — as on the two-day Alexandra Palace heritage roof-lantern job on a live Grade II venue.
What rope access services do you provide?
Our rope access and industrial abseiling services cover commercial glazing, façade repairs, mastic and sealant replacement, façade cleaning and close-quarters inspections at height. For glass-specific work, see rope access glazing.
Are your rope access technicians qualified and insured?
Yes. Rope access work is carried out by IRATA-trained technicians, alongside IPAF & PASMA trained and CSCS carded operatives, with £10 million public liability cover.
Proven at Alexandra Palace
On 20 October 2026, ARRT Group completed an emergency make safe of the Great Hall roof ventilation louvres at Alexandra Palace, a Grade II listed London landmark. We were on site within 4 hours of the first call, serviced and made safe three roof vents by rope access, and resolved the leak in a single visit without scaffolding.
- On site within 4 hours of the first call
- Three vents serviced in a single visit
- Rope access — no scaffolding
- Before-and-after photographic record
Four steps, every time
Enquiry & triage
You speak to someone who understands glazing and access. Emergencies are prioritised; everything else is booked for survey.
Close-quarters survey
We access the defect, identify the system and photograph the condition, so the price is based on what is actually there.
Fixed price, access plan & RAMS
A written price setting out scope, materials, access method and programme, with task-specific RAMS issued for approval before mobilisation.
Delivery & close-out
Trained operatives on site with a named supervisor, and a photographic record before, during and after the work.
Often needed alongside this
High-Level Glass Replacement
Failed, cracked, blown or vandalised units replaced at height — from single panes to full elevations, with access designed around your building.
View service 02Curtain Wall Refurbishment
Extend the life of an ageing aluminium facade — gaskets, seals, drainage, fixings and finishes brought back to a serviceable, watertight standard.
View service 03Atrium & Rooflight Glazing
Overhead glazing repaired and refurbished over live public space — with the temporary works, protection and rescue planning that overhead work demands.
View service
Need a specialist on site?
Send us the building, the defect and a photograph if you have one. We will tell you the access method, the likely scope and a realistic programme.