About 70% are our regular customers and for some technicians, it is the third or fourth time to train with us. For them, we always try to find something new to teach.

With new customers, we assess their needs (what is the complexity of their job and existing skill level) and make an offer. Sometimes we get a question like “can you do this training in 1 day, instead of 3 days?”

Our response usually is Yes and No.

WHY NOT?

The longer explanation behind this is that our training is mainly about changing people’s behaviors and that means getting them to use new habits. You can’t get new skills through a PowerPoint presentation, we use that just for raising awareness. New habits come through practice and repetition. We can’t teach 3 days’ worth of skills in one day because people can’t learn that fast. When we cut the training down to one day, then the person learns only one third of the things they need to learn. When the training is not complete, these people can’t do the job they are supposed to do. So what is the alternative?

We could rush through 3 days of materials in one day in a classroom setting: watching pictures and videos, reading text and answering questions. By the end of the day we would do an exam and these people would have to DEMONSTRATE new skills in practice. We are confident that all of them would fail. How can we issue a certificate if the person cannot demonstrate skills that are necessary for the safety at their job?

WHY YES?

Yes, we can do the shorter training, it is better than nothing! BUT then the person cannot do the job you want them to do. We can say that the person can demonstrate higher awareness BUT (again) if it is not a habit, accidents will occur.

Knowledge is power (read: useful) ONLY when it is used!

People tend to forget the theoretic parts very quickly. In a stressful situation (which work at height usually is) we don’t rise to the level of the task, we fall to the level of preparation. Preparation here means muscle memory.

So actually, NO, we can’t do a shorter training!

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In Estonia, rope access is still a new field, but it’s developing fast. Unfortunately there aren’t that many events similar to Skyproff Cup happening – at least not with an international target group. Here are some of the better-known rope access competitions that also host international guests:

1. Petzl RopeTrip
   This is undoubtedly the most famous international rope access competition. The first RopeTrip was held in 2012. In addition to the competition, there are also trainings and workshops. It is held every time in a different country, for example in 2018 it was held in Germany and in 2017 in Switzerland.
2. Rope Access Challenge
   This is a popular rope access technicians’ competition in Romania. The event that lasts a whole long day invites both men and women on separate tournaments. The first Challenge was held in 2017.
3. Indonesia Rope Challenge
   In 2018, the first rope access challenge in Indonesia was held. Competitors faced their tasks both in teams of three and individually. There were qualifications, semi-finals and finals; after the competitions, all participants relaxed in an awards ceremony.
4. OTDL Cup
   This was the biggest event in the Polish rope access field. The event lasted several days and also featured some team challenges. Unfortunately the Polish rope access organization OTDL doesn’t host the competition anymore – it was last held in 2016.

To read more and register to Skyproff Cup, click here!
When? – March 1st, 2019
Where? – Tallinn, Estonia

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Here are some reasons why we recommend participating in the IRATA course:

1. International certificate
   IRATA, short for International Rope Access Trade Association, is the most recognized organisation in the field of working at height and rope access, followed by the USA-s SPRAT (Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians). IRATA was formed in the 1980s, when the different industrial and constructional uses of rope access became more widely known.
   IRATA:
   • Brings together all certified rope access technicians and trainers,
   • Gives out safety guidelines and recommendations,
   • Ensures a high training quality in its official partner companies,
   • Works to make the field of rope access ever more safe and better-known.
2. High safety standards
   IRATA trainings can only be given:
   • In training venues that have passed a special audit,
   • Using exclusive training equipment,
   • Following a specific training structure,
   • Under the supervision of experienced and licenced professionals.

   Each IRATA training company follows the most strict safety standards to ensure the safety of all participants and a high-level training. If they fail to do so, they risk losing their training licence. Each year, an internal audit is carried out, and every three years an IRATA representative carries out the audit.

   Oftentimes, IRATA guidelines and standards are much more strict than the laws, because national guidelines haven’t yet caught up with the fast development of rope access and working at height. This way IRATA helps to secure best practices in situations where the law doesn’t give enough guidance.

3. A level for everyone
   IRATA rope acces technicians can have three different levels.
   • Level 1 – beginner. Is capable of executing the most common rope access works under the supervision and guidance of a Level 3 technician.
   • Level 2 – mid-level. Has more advanced knowledge about equipment, rescue and rope access methods.
   • Level 3 – supervisor. Has knowledge about different working techniques and the law; organizing works at height and rescues; has a valid first aid certificate. May be the supervisor and safety responsible at work sites; may train new rope access technicians.

   You can only move to the next level after working at least one year and at least 1000 hours. Also, you must pass the training and the exam. Every three years, the existing level must be renewed or upgraded.

4. Multi-faceted, experienced trainers
   IRATA trainings are generally given by 2-3 trainers from different countries. This ensures many languages, different experiences and teaching styles and helps to create the best training experience. The exams are evaluated by an independent Assessor, thus guaranteeing objectivity.Because every trainer must also regularly update their Level 3 qualifications, it means that:
   • They don’t just train, but also work on different projects,
   • They have years of experience in their field,
   • They have participated in many IRATA trainings themselves and know how it is from the participant’s perspective,
   • They have vast knowledge about safety, security and first aid.

    

5. New contacts in the field of rope access
   Rope access is fast-growing field in the industry. Rope access technicians can perform a wide variety of jobs, for example in construction, installation, maintenance and cleaning. Oftentimes there is cooperation between companies. So you will benefit from a wide web of contacts to find both work and workers.In the IRATA course you will meet new and experienced technicians and get to know your trainers. The course lasts for almost a week – enough time to connect people and help you network.
6. Training environment that mimics real life
   Every IRATA training venue must meet certain requirements to ensure a training quality that meets high standards. For example, the training room must be at least 7 meters high. The size and height of the training venue help create a “real” feeling of working at height. Different anchor points and ropes are placed optimally so that several people could exercise at the same time without interrupting each other.In Skyproff’s training venue we also have equipment for imitating power towers and a high platform for descending over the edge or through a hatch. In the wintertime, it is chilly, to keep the environment as close to real life as possible. Still, the trainees are protected from wind and rain.

Who is the training meant for?

Anyone who is at least 18 years old and physically capable of safely working at height is welcome to join the IRATA course! Only a severe fright of heights is an obstacle – a little bit of fear is normal and even encouraged.

How you can use the knowledge from this course depends on what you can already do. IRATA only focuses on the access method, but to become successful in rope access, climbing is not enough. Before you register, think what you could do with your new skills – painting, installing billboards, washing windows or conducting roof audits? There are of course many options, but keep in mind that you won’t get any construction- or maintenance-related skills from this course.

Both men and women are welcome – contrary to what a lot of people think. There is no upper age limit – it all depends on your own health and fitness.

We especially recommend this training to:

• Skilled workmen who wish to
  • Widen their work opportunities
  • Try something new
  • Add more excitement to what they do
  • (Builders, painters, electricians, cleaning experts etc)
• People interested in working in heights internationally
• Anyone who craves an active and physically demanding job in fresh air
• Anyone who craves daily adrenaline rushes and challenges

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As you’ve probably heard, there’s been a lot of talk about OSHA’s new rule on Walking-Working Surfaces and Personal Protective Equipment and its relation to fixed ladders. So what exactly is happening? And what do you need to do?

While there are many facets to the rule, we want to bring the focus to the ladder aspect. Cages specifically. The new rule will require fixed ladders over 24ft be equipped with a personal fall arrest system to arrest a worker’s fall, as well as phase out cages as an option for fall protection by November 18, 2036. But why exactly do we want our ladders like we want our chicken (cage free)? Well, there has been wide recognition that cages do little to protect the worker when they fall since it’s the worker’s body that arrests the fall. Cages lead to workers getting tangled up in them after a fall, and they can make rescues quite difficult. Adding a fall protection system not only eliminates both of these issues, but it also “incorporates advances in technology, industry best practices” (USDOL), and provides you with a more cost-efficient way to protect you and your workers.

“Given the Choice Between a Cage or a Personal Fall Arrest System, I’d Choose the “Ladder””

This revised ruling, printed in the Final Register as of January 17th, 2017, has actually been in the works since 1973. Over that time, OSHA gathered and analyzed data on walking-working surface hazards and methods to prevent and eliminate them. Many of you are already in compliance with varying aspects of the new rule…unless you have cages (they’re always getting in the way!). While 20 years might sound like a lot of time, you should consider the age and quantities of your ladders. OSHA estimates a ladder’s life span is roughly 20 years, hence the time frame of the new regulation going into effect, and if you have 1,000 ladders under your company’s name, you’ll be needing all the time you can get!

SOURCE: 

https://gravitec.com/so-whats-up-with-ladders/

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One of the earlier forms of access by rope involved a team of men lowering another brave/unfortunate, hand over hand, down the work-face on what (still is) known as a Bosuns’ Chair which consists of a plank of wood used as a seat at the end of a rope. This method was used on a grand scale during the building of the Hoover Dam in the 1930s by men who were known as High Scalers whose job it was to clear the canyon walls of loose rock. Some 93 of them lost their lives during the project and today there is a monument to their endeavor in Boulder City, Nevada.

Rope Access in its present form started to materialise in the 1970’s, particulary in France where mountain guides were hired to stabilise cliffs above roads and railways. By the early 1980’s a number of companies in the UK had formed to carry out abseil work on bridges, buildings and transport cuttings. The industry then quickly moved offshore to solve difficult access problems on oil and gas rigs. In 1987 six companies got together and created the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA) in order to promote the business and control standards. Nowadays they are pretty much the governing body of rope access internationally, and although some other countries have similar smaller organisations, IRATA is the foremost recognised worldwide.

The Work

Jobs can sometimes be very dull and involve no more than routine tasks not far from the ground. Consequently an ability to deal with monotony as well as long shifts and lengthy periods away from home is advantageous.

On the other hand it can be exhilirating and involving; climbing around on famous bridges, skyscrapers and oil rigs in far flung places. Travel can feature quite a lot, occasionally to amazing exotic places, and then again sometimes to the least enjoyable places on the planet!

The tasks that people do vary enormously, for example:

• Historic building restoration
• Window cleaning
• Sealant application
• Telecoms
• Wind turbines
• Painting
• Grit blasting
• Insulating
• Non-destructive testing (NDT)
• Welding
• Electrical
• Rigging
• Geotechnical

Becoming Qualified

The vast alien space of a supertankers’ bowels!

The IRATA system consists of three progressive levels of certification. Level 1 being entry, Level 2 a working, experienced technician and Level 3 a supervisor responsible for all rope access activies and often the job as a whole. Many technicians with strong trades backgrounds remain at Level 1 or 2, with no imperative to progress to Level 3.

It costs around £700 odd plus VAT to attend an IRATA Level 1 course, which usually consists of four days of training and one of assessment. These have to be revalidated or upgraded every three years.

During the training candidates learn about health and safety, the personal protective equipment (PPE) used, a range of aerial manoeuvers and for Level 1, a simple rescue. These will include ascending and descending ropes, transfers, deviations, re-belays and aid climbing. All good fun, and for anyone who has previously put a harness on and done some climbing, not too stressfull. On the other hand the prospective Level 3 will be pushed to the limit of their ability and be required to pull off all manner of involved rescues, often with an added complication factor.

Getting a Job

A good number of years ago it was predominantly climbers and cavers doing the work but this has changed gradually and now I come across few climbers and even fewer cavers. The vast majority are trades people who have become certified in order to diversify their work, and sometimes as a requirement of their job.

Having a plan and then being prepared to abandon it in favor of just plain doggedness, in the event that things aren’t working out as hoped is essential. Many times I’ve known people become disenchanted and ultimately give up after spending a fortune on courses.

Most of these disciplines, especially in the energy industry, require trade certifications which vary from courses lasting a couple of days to a full apprenticeship. Prospective entranants to the industry should ask themselves ‘what can I offer”, given that a Rope Access certificate is not enough in itself.

Girls?

Ladies are under-represented in the industry, but there’s no good reason for it. Even in the supposed strongholds of unreconstructed males offshore, life is surprisingly civilised and poor behaviour is simply not tolerated. Having said that there does still seem to be an invisible hurdle that makers it harder for women to compete with their male counterparts to get a job. Once established there should be no problem with acquiring work, regardless of gender.

Money

Rates of pay vary substantially with the energy industry usually being the highest paying. Hourly rates may be anything from £12 – £40. For a new technician, working onshore, this may be considerably less. Given time and experience, however, very high salaries are possible.

Is it worth it?

For those looking for a quick easy way to make money – probably not. Guiding and rope access can be awkward partners, until well established. Mountain Instructor level work has become quite competitive nowadays, with high numbers buying into a lifestyle where if you dissappear for a while it can be hard to re-establish. And on the other hand, many rope access companies are now big multinationals seeking regular employees. In the past I’ve been looked at as if mad when turning down a steady, permanent slot offshore in favour of living in the dust somewhere for weeks on end!

Each to their own…

For those prepared to commit time and money, why not? It’s a long term investment in a growing industry and can return two very valuable commodities: money and time, which for a keen climber is gold dust, an expedition every year!

SOURCE:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-rope-access-john-benloss

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