Career Profile:
Job Summary:
A rope access technician works with ropes, harnesses and equipment to enable work to be carried out in hard-to-reach places such as tall buildings, churches, pylons, satellite installations, concert venues, shafts, monuments and wind turbines. A technician will set up ropes to abseil down and ascend, to do all different types of work. Work can include: electrical work, cleaning, repair, sound & lighting, painting, building surveys and testing, depending on the skill, experience and knowledge of the rope access technician.
Job Tasks:
A rope access technician may carry out a wide range of tasks depending on the type of job they are doing and in what industry. The rope access side of things involves setting up ropes and safety systems to be able to access hard-to-reach places on buildings and structures. Once these systems are set up, you will undertake the main part of your job, which will depend on the industry and role you are in.
Find out more about rope access work in different industries. In most roles, you will carry out physical work to complete the tasks of the job. Most rope access jobs are in the outdoors, so you will complete your tasks in any weather – heat, cold, wind and rain. You will almost always be working with others, so being able to get along with different types of people and communicate effectively is a must.
Skills Needed for this Job:
To work in a rope access environment, you will need:
Good attention to detail
Communication skills
Practical skills
Co-ordination
Willingness to learn
Resilience
You will need to be able to:
Work at height in every day of your job
Take instructions from others
Work independently
Work closely with others in a team
Make safe and logical decisions
Follow processes and procedures accurately
Deal with monotonous work, at times
Perform duties in all weathers
For some roles, you may need to be able to:
Write accurate reports
Manage others effectively
Manage the safety of a project
Candidates should be physically fit and unaffected by any disability or medical condition that may prevent them from working safely. They must ensure that they have an adequate level of fitness and are physically able to perform the tasks expected.
Working Hours:
These can vary considerably depending on the type of contract you have. Some roles may offer regular hours, but you are more likely to work shifts or irregular hours. Contract types can include full-time permanent, full-time short-term, full-time long-term, temp – daily/weekly/monthly.
Income:
Rope access salaries can vary from £25,000 – £70,000 per year, but incomes at the higher end are for those who have additional skills, experience, knowledge and qualifications. To earn salaries at the top of this scale, you are likely to work irregular hours away from home and have specific technical expertise, alongside project management experience and skills. Salaries in the energy industry are said to be higher than other industries.
Training & Qualifications:
There are a few routes that people take into the industry:
1. Start with IRATA certification
Sometimes, people start from scratch and pay for their IRATA training before going out in search of work. This can be expensive and it can take time to find work without experience.
2. Gain a skill, then get IRATA certification
Often people with a trade or relevant skill that relates to one or more areas of rope access work. In this instance, IRATA training to enhance their skills and job opportunities. Jobs involving rope access work can offer higher pay than standard trades jobs.
3. Work-based route
Occasionally, companies will pay for employees to complete IRATA training to help them fulfil a role.
IRATA Training
IRATA International has a formal training, certification and grading scheme, which is the industry standard and is used around the world to identify qualified rope access staff.
To start IRATA training you will need to be at least 18 years of age. Candidates are required to certify that they do not have any medical disabilities or contraindications that may prevent them from working safely. The minimum requirement is a self-certification statement, see IRATA form 014, Statement of medical condition.
Rope access roles will specify the level required for the position, so it may be useful to search current job availability to identify the type of roles that are available right now.
You are likely to need other qualifications, experience or training to carry out a role that requires expertise. For example, to work within the rail industry, you will need a PTS card, to work in the NDT field you will need an ASNT qualification and as an electrician, you will need the relevant electrical qualifications.
Mentors/ Industry information:
IRATA International has a formal training, certification and grading scheme, which is the industry standard. All IRATA International members are obliged to use this scheme. Rope access technicians are grouped into three technical grades, depending upon their experience and level of assessment as set out in the IRATA International publication, Training, Assessment and Certification Scheme (TACS).
The three technical grades are:
Level 1 – A rope access technician who is able to perform a specified range of rope access tasks under the supervision of a Level 3 technician.
Level 2 – This is an experienced rope access technician who has Level 1 skills plus more complex rigging, rescue and rope access skills, under the supervision of a Level 3 technician.
Level 3 – A rope access technician who is capable of complete responsibility for rope access safety in work projects. A level 3 technician is able to demonstrate the skills and knowledge required of Levels 1 and 2, is conversant with relevant work techniques and legislation, has an extensive knowledge of advanced rigging and rescue techniques, holds an appropriate and current first aid certificate and has knowledge of the IRATA training, assessment and certification scheme.
Other Relevant Information: www.irata.org
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