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Abseiling

Legislation does not specifically cover abseiling or rope access techniques unless it is a service provided to children for payment. However, if conducted as a work activity – for example as part of a production – the Health and Safety at Work Act and other legislation, such as the working at height regulations, apply.

For industrial purposes, IRATA (Industrial Rope Access Trading Association) has developed and implemented schemes to regulate and control safety issues, and for recreational abseiling the governing bodies are Mountain Training UK and the British Mountaineering Council.

See below for productions’ and operators’ responsibilities and our checklist.

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Abseiling | International Advice

Specialist: Alastair Kleissner

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Alastair is a Chartered member of IOSH who hold a NEBOSH General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety, a Level 6 NVQ Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Practice and a Level 5 Award in Crowd Safety Management. He has over 20 years' experience working in Film, Theatre, and Events after gaining a BA in Technical Theatre and Stage Management from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He specializes in supporting productions particularly in CDM compliance and rigging safety. Alastair sits on the ABTT Safety Committee and is a full member of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management. He is currently responsible for supporting clients both in the UK and around the world on a variety complex projects in both the TV/ Film industry and the Events world.

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Article last updated on Feb 14th, 2026

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