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rope access (Read 3977 times)

noshjewbold

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rope access
January 18, 2018, 09:01:14 am
Anyone on here involved in rope access work that wouldn't mind answering a few questions for me.

Johnny Brown

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#1 Re: rope access
January 18, 2018, 09:18:43 am
Fire away. I run a training company, a couple of other regulars are rope access managers, dare say there's a few techs about too.

Duncan campbell

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#2 Re: rope access
January 18, 2018, 10:10:22 am
Also happy to answer questions - I’ve been on the ropes for about a year... so still fairly new to the game. Will try and be as helpful as possible though

Adam Lincoln

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#3 Re: rope access
January 18, 2018, 10:42:19 am
Sure JB can help, he is the oracle. So doubt i can add anything.

noshjewbold

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#4 Re: rope access
January 18, 2018, 10:23:31 pm
Im planning on doing an IRATA level 1 course in May and have been reading up about it and it says its advantageous to have an additional trade along side it, which I won't have. Will it make finding work much harder and is it something which you would suggest getting first?

Johnny Brown

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#5 Re: rope access
January 19, 2018, 10:28:06 am
If you want to immediately work offshore (oil rigs) it's essential. If not, it isn't. Plenty of onshore firms will give you a start with just a Level 1. Being a climber helps, so make sure you put that on your CV. Do you have any other quals?

Most climbers will get up to Level 3 (supervisor) within the first few years at which point an additional trade is superfluous. But the career path beyond that is basically limited to rope access manager, so depending where you want to go getting a trade may give you other options. The one thing I always say is to think long term from the start. Rope access is a great way to earn good money in your twenties and thirties, but you probably won't want to be stuck with manual work on a rope going into your forties, fifties etc.

Adam Lincoln

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#6 Re: rope access
January 19, 2018, 10:32:34 am
Im planning on doing an IRATA level 1 course in May and have been reading up about it and it says its advantageous to have an additional trade along side it, which I won't have. Will it make finding work much harder and is it something which you would suggest getting first?

Personally before you spend all the money on tickets, id get the Level 1 done and build up some hours with companies such as CAN(Chesterfield) Access Direct, etc etc. They will take you on without trade tickets and you can gain some hours/experience on the ropes.

Then you can think about getting tickets. Main options are:

NDT - Very expensive and hard to get signed off if you don't work for an NDT company
Rigging - Very popular but getting more difficult as a lot of companies now asking for an NVQ in rigging as opposed to the mickey mouse Opito Rigging.
Fabric Maintenance - Probably easiest to get into. Would need a blasting/spraying ticket.
Wind turbines - Very expensive again. Becoming saturated. Not that clued up on this, so best to ask others

noshjewbold

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#7 Re: rope access
January 19, 2018, 11:15:20 am
Cheers for the advice, i have GCSE's and then thats it did an unsuccessful year of 6th form then started a college course but didn't enjoy that so now just looking to start working

Johnny Brown

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#8 Re: rope access
January 19, 2018, 11:30:35 am
You need to be 18 to do IRATA L1, for starters, but I guess that can't be far off.

Where are you based?

noshjewbold

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#9 Re: rope access
January 19, 2018, 01:17:49 pm
18 in march and based in Ingleton

Johnny Brown

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#10 Re: rope access
January 19, 2018, 02:11:24 pm
Have you done any caving? The caving scene is even better than climbing for rope access. I reckon you if you hang around Inglesports/ Bernie's long enough you'll land a job no problem.

Have you got a driving licence? You'll have to travel a lot.

noshjewbold

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#11 Re: rope access
January 19, 2018, 02:20:58 pm
not been caving but done a bit of SRT and i current work in inglesport cafe and do a little bit of setting at the wall, and yeah iv go my licence

 

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