I REFER to the article headlined ''Safety expert warns of dangers in using mountaineers for high rise maintenance'' (South China Morning Post, August 4) .
The precise nature of the work has not been made clear, whether it involves climbing or merely attaching ropes to the structure for the inspectors to traverse down using abseil techniques.
If climbing is involved, it would be far safer to employ experienced mountaineers or steeplejacks than construction workers who felt ill at ease at such heights.
Abseiling, or more properly termed ''Industrial Rope Access'', is a method of access frequently used in Britain and continental Europe on construction sites as well as for building maintenance.
It is a safe and cost-effective form of access, often more practical than other means in congested areas or on buildings with complex geometry, reducing the risk of damage to the building by impact or scraping of a gondola.
Several companies provide formal training and certification in the methods of rope access.