Eric Ziegler, Master Instructor at SKYLOTEC, has been elected President of the Regional Committee for Germany, Austria and Switzerland at the "Industrial Rope Access Trade Association" (IRATA).
IRATA organizes more than 15,000 industrial climbers worldwide in nearly 600 member companies that are licensed to use rope-assisted work methods. As a trained industrial climber, Ziegler himself has been a member of IRATA for several years and was most recently Vice President of the Regional Committee for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In his new role, the expert will represent the association's interests vis-à-vis its member companies and will be the first point of contact for industrial climbers on all issues relating to rope-assisted work methods. He will also work to further improve cooperation between the three most important trade associations, IRATA, FISAT and FSBS.
"Eric Ziegler of SKYLOTEC is now president of the regional committee for Germany, Austria, Switzerland at the IRATA association."
Ziegler himself has been trained to IRATA standards at Level 3 since 2017. At SKYLOTEC, the experienced professional work as an instructor for industrial climbers in the "Vertical Rescue College". In the training center at the German headquarter in Neuwied, the global brand for fall protection offers, among other things, courses conducted according to IRATA or FISAT standards. This training is required for anyone who wants to perform rope work in industry, wind energy or maintenance, for example. Depending on previous qualifications, IRATA Level 1, 2 or 3 can be taken. The course content includes material-, rope- and knot knowledge, ascent and descent techniques, and the safe use of personal fall protection against falls from a height. Refresher training at the respective IRATA level is mandatory after three years at the latest in order to maintain the validity of the qualification. Recently, the training center passed the audit of the international organization for the second time.
Master Instructor VRC
IRATA is committed to improving work processes worldwide and thus making them safer. The widespread use of working at height by companies, administrations and public authorities, which attach importance to high quality standards, has already raised awareness of rope-assisted work procedures. SKYLOTEC has also been involved in various European standardizations for many years, helping to improve safety and standards. The election of Eric Ziegler as President of the IRATA Regional Committee now confirms SKYLOTEC's expertise. For example, Ziegler - at that time still as vice president of the regional committee - was involved in the creation of DGUV principle 312-003. This describes in detail the technical content and formal requirements for examinations of rope access and positioning techniques.
