European Leaders

Warning! Buying a ropes course? Questions to ask

A ropes course is invariably a major investment and it is essential that you maximise your return on that investment.  As founder of the European ropes course industry and having seen a variety of ropes course suppliers come and go over the years, RCD has established a list of points clients should consider when buying a ropes course. 

 

Ropes course shops don’t exist (at least not yet!) so the first point of reference is invariably the World Wide Web.  In theory, this can be an excellent source of information but in practice this is not always the case and frequently leads to misinformation. Web sites are unregulated and prone to abuse. Information extracted from ropes course web sites should be validated by a reliable source. Photographs, in particular, may be misused. It is not uncommon for them to represent other organisations' work!

 

Before deciding to proceed with any particular supplier, RCD urge you to consider the following points:-  No construction company is perfect (not least RCD!) and I am sure every constructor could cite clients whom they would rather forget having worked for! No construction company gets it right everytime and all will have been delayed from time to time. Nevertheless, by addressing all of the following 10 Key Points you will establish a good picture of what your ropes course supplier is really like and whether they are an organisation you would really like to work with.

 

These are all really important considerations as your reputation, indeed your business, may depend upon the integrity and competence of your supplier.  Unlike Europe where there is (believe it or not) stricter controls at government level, there is practically no intervention in the UK until something goes wrong.  For example, a manufacturer can construct a climbing tower that may have space for 100 people within it and there is no legal requirement for any external check, inspection or validation of any sort.  After a tragedy has occurred then all the processes of law come in to effect, but by then it may be too late for your business and for those injured.

  1. Do not ask a supplier to volunteer references, but instead request a client list extending back over the previous 12 months with start and finish dates of each project.  Request permission to contact each and every client to establish the following:
    1. Was the ropes course built on time?
    2. Was the ropes course built to budget?
    3. Did the construction process and the finished product fulfil their expectations?
    4. Was the training good?
    5. If the client requested operation and maintenance manuals– were they supplied and were they comprehensive?
    6. Was the ropes course independently inspected?
    7. Did the ropes course conform to any standard and, if so, was it independently verified?
    8. Was the after sales service good?
    9. Would they employ them again for future work or would they look elsewhere?
  2. Ask your prospective supplier if you can visit similar installations to the one you are considering buying. Take little notice of any photographic material supplied
  1. Ask to see a copy of a supplier's Liability Insurance Certificate and check with the agent or underwriter that it is genuine
  1. Request a copy of relevant certificates e.g.
    1. chainsaw operators
    2. first aid certificate
    3. MEWT (cherry picker) operator licences
    4. Excavator driver licences
    5. LOLA (lifting certificates)
    6. CITA certificates
    7. Wire rope certificates
  2. Pay little regard for claims of guarantees - the proof is in the pudding!  Ask to speak to clients from ten years previously.  It is easy to make a wild claim to secure a sale but harder to deliver!
  1. Ask to see engineer’s drawings and calculations for any product and if necessary have them independently verified. Alternatively a less expensive option is to contact the prospective suppliers engineer and ask them to verify that the drawings and calculations are genuine.  Do this before the course is built
  1. Is the supplier prepared to allow you to retain 5% or more of the cost price for 12 months in order to ensure that any defects are rectified?
  1. Are employees appropriately trained and experienced to work at height – request experience and certification if necessary and check it is genuine
  1. From 2007 request that the supplier is able to have the ropes course independently inspected to ensure the requirements of EN:15567 are met
  1. Does the proposed design address the Working at Height Regulations in terms of instructors accessing the ropes course for inspection or maintenance purposes?
From later in 2007 the European Ropes Course standard will become de facto.  Conformity to this standard will go a long way to ensuring a ropes course is structurally sound and operationally effective. Additionally, in 2007 the European Ropes Course Association (ERCA) will very likely offer accreditation to inspectors and trainers of ropes courses and this will further enhance the verification process.