5 Reasons Your Stadium Might Need Rope Access

As the 24/25 Football Season has drawn to a close, hundreds of clubs throughout the UK will begin their annual renovations, upgrades & essential maintenance in preparation for the next season. We know stadium management isn’t an easy task, whether it's general ground maintenance, minor repairs, or stand rebuilds/extensions, the window in between seasons to start these projects soon comes by quickly, and management has to be responsive and reactive.

It is important for clubs to take advantage of this period and carry out these upgrades so that when the next season begins, the ground is fit for purpose and safe to use, leaving the fans inspired and the players feeling motivated.

However, renovations & upgrades can’t always wait until the off-season, which is why it is essential for clubs to use an efficient access method like rope access, which can see the completion of emergency repairs and pre-planned maintenance done quickly and safely.  

What is rope access?

Rope access is a specialised technique used for accessing difficult-to-reach areas, often at significant heights. This method, which involves the use of ropes and associated equipment, was traditionally developed from recreational climbing and caving.

It wasn’t until the early 1980s that it was considered for industrial use due to its low impact and safe process. Nowadays rope access is used to perform a wide range of services such as installations, maintenance, inspections, emergency repairs, and cleaning.

Rope access is becoming increasingly popular with companies now looking at using it as a preferred access system for a number of reasons.

1. Rope Access is a quick & efficient method of access for stadium work

Due to the minimal equipment involved with rope access, the preparation time is often much faster than alternative methods. Access system set-up and rigging can be achieved quickly as a result of prior thorough site visits and client consultations.

Depending on the volume of work, rope access can be carried out with minimal labour, often with a small team of technicians to complete repairs, maintenance, installations or inspections.

Football club’s facilities managers have two options when it comes to planning the stadium’s essential upgrades. They can either wait until the season has finished and have a short window throughout summer to quickly repair and install the new plans, or act even quicker and schedule-in repairs during the on-going season. Quite often, major emergency repairs cannot wait until the end of the season and need to be completed before the club’s next match, which is where a method like rope access becomes the best available option.

2. Rope Access makes it easier to access difficult and hard-to-reach areas in stadiums

Stadium architecture is often complex and unique compared to other structures, meaning standard methods of access such as platforms, scaffolding and ladders aren’t always optional.

Common stadium services such as electrical unit installations (5G, WiFi, Floodlights, CCTV etc), banner installations, industrial painting/coatings, leak repairs & inspections can sometimes only be achieved safely and effectively through rope access due to the high & complex access points around the stadium.

3. Rope Access causes minimal disruption to both stadiums and their occupants

As we mentioned earlier, sometimes stadium work needs to be completed within a very short time frame, especially when the season is ongoing. This means that necessary work sometimes overlaps with stadium occupancy, either on the lead up to matchdays or other times throughout the season.

Naturally, stadium management wants the fans and stadium personnel to remain uninterrupted on match days and key points during the season. Using a low-maintenance method like rope access ensures disruption is kept to a minimum due to the in-and-out nature of rope access.

4. Rope Access is one of the safest methods of access in the construction industry

Rope access is regarded as one of the safest access methods in the industry, with very few recorded fatal accidents, injuries and near misses compared to other working-at-height methods such as scaffolding, Rope access is recognised as one of the safest methods of working at height, with an exceptional track record to back it up.

According to stats provided by the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA), the rope access industry only accounted for 1/50 of all working-at-height-related fatalities in 2025, with over 32,795,726 hours worked. This strong safety record is thanks to rigorous training standards and built-in safety redundancies. Technicians are always secured by two independent rope systems, one for primary support and the other as a backup, ensuring continuous protection and 100% redundancy.

When compared with traditional access methods such as scaffolding or MEWPs, rope access offers a significantly lower risk of falls (which are the leading cause of workplace fatalities), with fewer access points, minimal equipment failure potential, and greater control over movement.

This combination of controlled systems, ongoing supervision, and industry regulation makes rope access not just efficient, but reliably safe.

5. You can use rope access for a range of stadium services

We know firsthand how many unexpected faults arise in stadium environments, from small, quick-fix renovations to large emergency repairs. We’ve found rope access to be one of the most suitable methods for responding quickly to these necessary stadium upgrades, which can appear in many difficult-to-reach locations across the venue.

Due to the versatility and durability of ropes, operatives can perform a range of repair, maintenance and inspection services. These span from hauling heavy-duty installations such as speakers & lighting units to carrying out small-scale patch repairs on leaks and cracks.

So, what other kind of services can be carried out via rope access? You can read our full list of stadium services here to find out how we can support keeping your stadium leagues above the rest (pardon the pun).

Thinking about using a rope access company for your stadium? Unsure on how to pick one? Read our blog on why choosing an IRATA-Member company might be best for you.

Picking the right company is crucial to ensure your work is carried out to the best ability, which is why choosing Vertical Access Ltd will ensure you have one of the most experienced rope access stadium contractors in the industry.

We have been providing a range of stadium upgrades, repairs & maintenance for some of the biggest names in English football since 1990, including:

• Manchester United

• Manchester City

• Everton

• Liverpool

• Newcastle United

• Arsenal

• Aston Villa

• Fulham

• West Ham United

Get in contact with one of our experts for your free consultation call today!