Key Takeaways from ITEC Aberdeen 2025

By Richard Denmead, Technical Director at Sutro Group

Earlier this month, I attended the IRATA International Technical and Engineering Conference (ITEC) at P&J Live in Aberdeen. As the premier gathering for IRATA members worldwide, ITEC provides an invaluable opportunity to exchange technical knowledge, explore shared industry challenges, and build meaningful connections with rope access professionals across the globe.

One of the conference highlights was the presentation of IRATA’s Work & Safety Analysis (WASA) 2025 report—a comprehensive review of safety performance across the rope access industry. The report analysed data from 718 IRATA member companies representing over 33.6 million working hours globally, providing crucial insights into how our industry can continue to improve safety standards and operational excellence.

Industry growth reflects increasing confidence

The data demonstrates strong industry growth and increasing recognition of rope access as a safe, efficient solution for working at height:

Employment increased by 18.2%, with Level 3 technicians growing by 31.3%
Total working hours reached 33.6 million across diverse sectors
Membership continues steady growth, now at 718 companies worldwide

This expansion reflects the proven value of rope access across industries—from oil and gas to renewable energy, construction, and infrastructure maintenance. However, with growth comes the responsibility to maintain and enhance safety standards through continuous learning and improvement.

How we’re responding at Sutro Group

The WASA 2025 report identified several priority areas for continuous improvement across the rope access industry. At Sutro Group, these insights align perfectly with the values we’ve built our company on—and that our entire team lives by every day:

Behavioural competence and safety culture
We go beyond technical training to emphasise decision-making, situational awareness, and adherence to procedures. I’m proud that our teams are empowered to stop work when conditions aren’t right, fostering a culture where everyone takes responsibility for safety. This isn’t just policy—it’s how we operate every single day.

Comprehensive hazard identification
Our turnkey approach combining rope access, UAV technology, NDT, and confined space expertise enables multi-perspective risk assessment. This integrated methodology ensures unified hazard identification and seamless communication—eliminating the coordination challenges of managing multiple contractors. Having worked across multiple sectors for over 25 years, I’ve seen firsthand how this approach transforms project safety and efficiency.

Technology-enhanced safety
Our investment in Elios 3 and DJI Matrice drones, robotic inspection solutions, and advanced NDT techniques reduces personnel exposure to hazardous environments whilst maintaining thorough inspection quality. We use the right tool for each specific challenge, always prioritising safety and efficiency. Technology doesn’t replace expertise—it enhances it.

Supervision and communication excellence
Led by Ben Routledge, our IRATA Level 3 Rope Access Operations Manager, we maintain clear communication protocols, comprehensive pre-job briefings, and active monitoring throughout operations—with single-point accountability for both safety and quality outcomes. Ben’s experience and leadership exemplify the standards we hold ourselves to.

Environmental adaptability
We’ve enhanced our environmental monitoring protocols to address climate-related challenges, adjusting work schedules when necessary and ensuring our teams have appropriate equipment and support for extreme conditions. The industry is evolving, and we must evolve with it.

The value of industry collaboration

Events like ITEC Aberdeen demonstrate the power of collective learning. As IRATA emphasises: “Safety is a shared journey, and through open exchange of knowledge and collective learning, we continue to refine best practice, raise the benchmark for excellence, and foster a culture where every worker returns home safe.”

This philosophy aligns perfectly with how we approach our work at Sutro Group. Over my career, I’ve learned that safety excellence requires:

Transparency: Sharing learnings—both successes and challenges—to benefit the broader industry
Continuous improvement: Regularly reviewing and updating procedures based on industry-wide insights
Cultural commitment: Making safety everyone’s responsibility, from apprentices to directors
Active participation: Contributing to industry discussions and best practice development

These principles I’ve seen make a real difference in protecting lives and advancing our industry.

What this means for asset owners

The WASA findings reinforce what matters when selecting a rope access and inspection partner: commitment to continuous learning, comprehensive risk management, multi-disciplinary capability, and proven safety culture.

At Sutro Group, we demonstrate these qualities through our ISO accreditations, IRATA certifications, investment in advanced technology, and most importantly, our people—experienced professionals who bring both technical excellence and unwavering commitment to safety.

Looking forward

My participation at ITEC Aberdeen represents Sutro Group’s ongoing commitment to industry leadership and continuous improvement. The insights I gained inform our safety initiatives, training programmes, and operational procedures, ensuring we remain at the forefront of rope access and industrial inspection services.

The rope access industry has an excellent safety record, and through collaborative efforts—sharing knowledge, implementing best practices, and leveraging innovative technologies—we continue to raise standards year after year.

As we grow and evolve, we remain focused on our fundamental mission: delivering exceptional asset integrity solutions whilst ensuring every team member returns home safely at the end of every shift. That’s not negotiable—it’s why we do what we do.