Hancock Industrial Access Ltd is a leading supplier in industrial rope access services, scaling some of the UK's most recognisable landmarks and buildings including Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Albert Bridge and many City of London buildings, in order to carry out vital repairs and maintenance.

The subcontractors hired by Hancock Industrial Access Ltd use industrial abseiling equipment to carry out a variety of tasks, including, high rise window cleaning, structural surveys, fitting & repairing lighting, installing safety eyebolts and bird proofing buildings. The specialist service negates the need for costly scaffolding in difficult to reach areas.

Working at such heights can be a very risky business and companies such as Hancock Industrial Access Ltd have toensure compliance with the Working at Height Regulations 2005and other relevant regulations, especially in the light of recent legislationHealth and Safety (Offences) Act (2009) and the Corporate Manslaughter Act (2008).

Kate Deyn who runs the company with her husband Ryder said:"The environment we work in has the potential to be extremely dangerous and therefore it is important to us that we always operate in the safest way and that we are up to date with all recent legislation in health and safety.

"We are continually promoting a safety conscious culture and carry out detailed risk assessments and method statements prior to each job. Our ropes and rigging equipment are subject to inspection prior to every use, updated on a regular basis and replaced if there is any wear and tear.

"Being a member ofSAFEcontractor has reinforced this safety culture and has streamlined the process of managing our risks. It's great for our business because we can prove to our customers that we take safety seriously.

"We decided to opt forSAFEcontractor, as it is one of the most respected and well known schemes amongst our clients. The process of reaching accreditation was extremely thorough and we were well supported by theSAFEcontractor team, who gave us clear information and helpful advice on how to meet their criteria."

The Essex based company was established in 1999 by Kate and Ryder Deyn, who turned their love of abseiling into a business venture. Hancock Industrial Access Ltd employs around 20 subcontractors on a regular basis and has a£150kturnover.

Darran Hughes, Business Unit Director forSAFEcontractorsaid:  "Industrial Abseiling is a profession that presents obvious risks of injury due to working at substantial heights. Companies similar to Hancock Industrial Ltd need to have extremely robust measures in place when it comes to monitoring health and safety issues.

"It is an organisation's legal requirement to ensure that any external contractors they employ have been properly vetted and are compliant with legislation such as the Working at Heights Regulations 2005.It makes good sense for companies working within high risk industries to adopt a scheme that can assist in upholding these obligations."

Under theSAFEcontractorsystem, businesses undergo a vetting process, which examines health and safety procedures and their track record for safe practice. Those companies meeting the high accreditation standard are included on a database, which is accessible to registered users only via a website: .

SAFEcontractornow has over 16,500 contractor members from more than 120 industry sectors that have been audited by one of the company's professional auditors. There are now almost 150 clients signed up to use the services of these contractors, including some of the UK's biggest blue chip organisations.