IRA (Industrial Rope Access) also known as vertical access or abseiling, originated from recreational outdoor disciplines, such as mountaineering and caving. It has long since been re-purposed for providing work access to extreme locations at industrial and offshore platforms, as well as inshore commercial and residential properties.

Today, IRA* is acknowledged as one of the safest methods of high-level access techniques. It is an internationally recognized standard, governed by IRATA**, of which Gecko is a fully accredited member (operator).