Industrial Rope Access Specialists
This summer, Skyline Restoration launched Skyline Access to provide an added and enhanced service to the industry: a new company focused solely on Industrial Rope Access (IRA), a method of conducting inspections that can have distinct advantages over Traditional Access (TA) when specialized access is needed.
Skyline Access contracts with engineering firms to assist in FISP (Façade Inspection Safety Program) inspections required every five years for buildings over six stories located in the five boroughs of New York City. The firms, in consult with Skyline Access, select a staff engineer best suited to the task. The person undergoes a week of rigorous training at a SPRAT (Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians) facility to be evaluated and certified as L1 (Level 1). When an inspection is needed, Skyline Access provides the L3 certified supervisor required to be on site with a rescue plan on hand while the L1 trained individual conducts the inspection.
Bryan Prekopa, director of operations at Skyline Access, noted the advantages of IRA for specialized access.
Safety “The safety records of IRA are impeccable. We are able to achieve a level of safety that is topnotch,” said Prekopa.
Cost-Effectiveness “IRA can be more cost-effective. It is not as labor- intensive and less equipment is required.”
Time, effort, equipment, and personnel are needed to set up and move suspended scaffolding from one area to another. Industrial Rope Access can generally perform 10 times the number of drops per day as Traditional Access.
Greater Depth “IRA enables a more in-depth inspection,” said Prekopa. It is ideally suited for areas where extremely close access is required. It can be particularly helpful when there are multiple setbacks.
Less Intrusive– Industrial Rope Access is a particularly wise choice for historic landmarks as no holes are drilled and braces aren’t attached.
Less Disruptive It is less disruptive to building tenants and requires less coordination and advance planning with facilities managers.
Faster Deployment An inspection can be conducted almost on the spot which is especially helpful in critical situations.
Having Skyline Access manage the comprehensive pre-construction inspection enables a more seamless transition when Skyline Restoration performs the subsequent repair and restoration work. "Skyline Access will provide all our customers with the same standards of excellence and professionalism they have come to expect from Skyline Restoration in whatever capacity is needed,” said Prekopa.
Bryan Prekopa
Director of Operations
It started on The Gunks. That’s the ridge otherwise known as the Shawangunk Mountains, extending from the northernmost tip of New Jersey to the Catskills, a region where Skyline Access Director of Operations Bryan Prekopa honed his rock-climbing skills near his New Paltz hometown as a teen. His career in construction began in the late 1990s as a carpenter, project manager and supervisor. When SPRAT (Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians), was developed in the United States, it was an easy transition for Prekopa to transfer his skills to Industrial Rope Access (IRA). In fact, he noted, “many rock climbers came out of the woodwork” with the advent of SPRAT. For nearly 10 years, he has worked as a SPRAT certified L3 (Level 3) technician. He was a traveling technician then regional manager in the Pacific Northwest where he built programs to conduct non-destructive testing in refineries. He then returned to the northeast working in NJ and NY on façade inspections (FISP), crane support, telecommunications, rescue and recovery, geotech, oil and gas sectors, and stadium construction including Arthur Ashe Stadium and Madison Square Garden. Prekopa was featured in a 2010 episode titled “Extreme Heights” on “World’s Toughest Fixes,” the National Geographic channel program hosted by Master Rigger Sean Riley.
