DEKRA Industrial in South Africa has introduced a niche initiative to complement their non-destructive testing (NDT) inspection services: corrosion control via rope access.
“This new corrosion control initiative will elevate our strategic position from being an NDT inspection services provider to that of a holistic, ‘one-stop’ services provider of NDT inspection, corrosion control, welding and certification services,” said General Manager Eddie van Hansen.
“By pairing rope access with corrosion control, we can leverage the advantages thereof to limit impacts on clients’ plant production and performance. This effectively reduces – or indeed eliminates – the need for scaffolding or other heavy equipment – and means we can easily access areas at height or confined spaces.”
Dekra Industrial Cape Town Branch Manager Rudolf Vermeulen said the service includes surface preparation, sand / grit-blasting, corrosion control coating and the provision of advanced NDT inspections.
Thanks to the single point of contact, clients are spared the inconvenience of sourcing and managing several contractors to perform different scopes of work on the same project.
“To this point, Dekra Industrial – as the final point of contact in the course of the project – takes full accountability and responsibility for the service excellence and integrity of all aspects,” Vermeulen said.
“Importantly, as rope access requires far less time to set up – compared to erecting scaffolding for example – the substantial time- and cost-savings achieved from corrosion protection with rope access really ensures this is a ‘stand-out’ service for clients with huge benefits,” he said, adding that rope access is estimated to be almost 100% safer than scaffolding.
Industry expert Greg Fish has undertaken the role of Project Leader: Corrosion Control and Rope Access. “Competent and certified employees with multi-disciplinary experience are required to perform this ‘one-stop’ service. As such, Dekra Industrial has qualified rope access technicians – with the required blasting and painting application certifications; as well as the desired NDT qualifications to proficiently and successfully execute these services,” he said.
The company has registered as a member of the Corrosion Institute of Southern Africa (CISA); and is also in the process of finalising registration with the Southern African Qualifications Authority (SAQA)-recognised Institute of Work at Height (IWH).
The first Dekra Industrial service technicians have also undergone IWH-approved rope access training and certification; while fall-protection planners have been appointed at the various company branches.
Drone NDT inspections are planned in future.
