Scope
What the inspection covers
Every post-installed anchor, friction fixed or chemically glued in, pull tested to 7.5 kN and tagged with the test date.
Every other asset on the system visually inspected and recorded, which is what applies to anything that is not a drilled in anchor.
Static lines and their end terminations, intermediate brackets, energy absorbers and tensioners.
Ladders, ladder brackets, walkways, guardrail and roof access hatches.
The structure each anchor is fixed to, including edge distances, corrosion around the base and any work done nearby since the last inspection.
Davit bases and sockets, which are checked separately because a davit puts a very different load into the roof.
Height safety equipment kept on site by the building, if you want it inspected at the same time.
A written register listing every asset, its location, its result and its next due date.
A certificate of compliance for the system, valid twelve months from the inspection date.
Process
How an inspection runs
01
Book and review history
We pull the previous certificate and register so we know what is meant to be up there, and what was already flagged last time.
02
On the roof
One or two technicians, usually most of a day on a residential tower. Every asset is located, photographed and visually inspected, and every post-installed anchor is pull tested.
03
Tag and record
Anything that passes gets a tag with the date on it. Anything that fails gets tagged out so nobody clips onto it before it is fixed.
04
Certificate and report
The certificate and the asset register arrive within the week, with a photo of every defect and a quote for the rectification if you want one.
Findings
What actually fails
Anchors rarely fail because somebody loaded them. They fail because of what happened on the roof in between inspections.
Corrosion
Stainless in contact with a different metal, which quietly eats the fixing from the inside.
Water sitting in the base where the sealant has let go, in a Brisbane summer.
Salt on a riverside or bayside building, which shortens the life of everything on the roof.
A corroded eye or carabiner is the single most common thing we tag out.
Other trades
Solar arrays installed straight over the top of anchor points.
Air conditioning and comms gear bolted down in front of a static line run.
New membrane laid over an anchor base so nobody can see what is underneath it.
Anchors painted over, which hides the exact corrosion the inspection is looking for.
Paperwork
No install certificate, so nobody can prove what the system was rated for on day one.
An installer who has stopped trading and taken the records with them.
Tags gone or unreadable, which means a contractor legally cannot use the system.
A register that no longer matches what is physically on the roof.
Photos
On the roof
Related
Failed an inspection?
Rectification and new systems are the other half of this work. If the inspection turns up anchors that cannot be brought back, or a roof that needs a static line rather than a set of single points, that becomes an installation job.
Why us
Why building managers call us back
Abseil Pro has been working Brisbane buildings since 2017. This is what that actually buys you.
Certified and insured
IRATA certified technicians on every job, supervised by a Level 3.
$20 million public liability and $10 million professional indemnity.
Work carried out to the Australian Standards for rope access and height safety.
SWMS, JSA and a job specific rescue plan in your hands before anyone arrives.
One crew, many trades
Rope access plus real trade tickets: arborist, painter and height safety installer.
Cleaning, gardening, painting, repairs and inspections from the same crew on the same ropes.
One mobilisation instead of four, which is where most of the saving actually comes from.
The same faces each visit, so nobody has to relearn your building.
It all gets documented
A free photo inspection at the end of every job, not just the big ones.
Anything we notice on the facade, flagged with a photo and a location.
Fixed prices, with variations quoted before the work rather than after it.
A fixed price with the assumptions written down, and a free on-site consult if you would rather we looked first.
FAQ
Questions building managers ask
How often does a height safety system need inspecting?
Twelve months is the standard interval under AS/NZS 1891.4, and it is what almost every Brisbane building runs on. Harsher environments, and systems that get used heavily, can need six monthly. If the certificate has lapsed, contractors are within their rights to refuse to work on your roof until it is back in date.
Does every anchor get pull tested?
No. Post-installed anchors, the ones drilled into the structure and held by friction or chemical glue, are pull tested to 7.5 kN every year. Cast-in anchors, structural attachment points, static lines and hardware are inspected visually. Pull testing an asset the standard does not call for risks damaging it, so we do not.
What does an inspection cost?
Most buildings land between $1,000 and $2,400 plus GST for the annual inspection, certificate and register. What moves it is how many assets are on the roof, how many roof levels there are and whether there are davit systems. If you are already using us for cleaning or facade work, the inspection is often bundled into a maintenance agreement.
What happens if an anchor fails?
It gets tagged out on the spot so nobody can use it, and it goes in the report with a photo and a recommendation. We quote the rectification separately, and you are free to have anyone do it. A system with one failed anchor is not automatically unusable, the certificate just records which assets are out of service.
Who is responsible for the system?
The body corporate or the building owner, as the person in control of the workplace. In practice that means keeping the system certified, keeping the register current and making it available to any contractor who needs to use it. It is not the contractor's job to prove your roof is safe.
Can you inspect a system you did not install?
Yes, and most of what we inspect was installed by somebody else. Where there are no install records we inspect and test on what is physically there and say so plainly in the certificate, rather than certifying something we cannot verify.
We are having other work done. Can you do both?
Usually yes, and it saves a mobilisation. The inspection is often done on the first morning of a window clean or facade job while the crew is already rigging, which is the cheapest time to have someone competent on your roof.
Do you work to Australian Standards?
Yes. Rope access work follows AS/NZS 4488 and the IRATA international code of practice, and height safety systems are inspected and certified to AS/NZS 1891.4 with anchors to AS/NZS 5532. Every job goes out with a SWMS and a rescue plan, and we carry $20 million public liability and $10 million professional indemnity.
How do we get a price?
Start with the free quote, or book an on-site consult if you would rather we looked at the building first. Most jobs can be quoted without a site meeting. Either way you get a fixed price with the assumptions written down, usually within two business days, with no charge and no obligation.
Is the inspection included if we have a maintenance agreement?
Yes. On any agreement of three years or more the annual height safety inspection, load testing and certification is included at no charge for the life of the agreement, whichever other services you choose. For a typical residential tower that covers the full inspection cost every year of the term, and your certification never lapses. See how our maintenance agreements work.
