Rope access or industrial climbing is a form of work positioning, initially developed from techniques used in climbing and caving, which applies practical rope work to allow workers to access difficult-to-reach locations without the use of scaffolding, cradles, or an aerial work platform.

Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings, bridges and all other man-made structures.