[pjulk]

Thanks for the info chris.

My son who will soon be 18 so will be old enough want to do rope access training but looking at some sites it say that level 1 shold be  under the supervision of an IRATA approved level 3 rope access supervisor.

So if i put my son on that course i take it he would not be able to work on his own after he got his level 1.
Or would he.

Paul

[Chris A]

Hi Paul,
                IRATA is not the be all and end all of rope access, they are guidelines and recommendations only. Saying that though they have proven to be the safest and most efficient methods of rope access and most people, like ourselves try to work as close to IRATA regulations as possible without becoming a member company as this costs a fortune. http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/misc612.pdf#search=%22rope%20access%20british%20standard%22 is a hse publication on the safety of window cleaning operatives engaged in rope access methods. There is also an international standard ISO/wd 22846-2 and the british standard BS7985, if you work to these you will be ok. Paul I would recommend your son  sit the level 1 course and then try to  make sure he works for an IRATA member company (so he has adequate supervision) till he has enough experience to gain level 2, if he want's to be a window cleaner he might find it difficult to find a soley window cleaning Irata company as most irata companies will do window cleaning as a last resort as they think it's beneath them and they don't think that it is a skill to clean a window, I thought like this until I tried to clean a window for the first time , , it was a right mess, don't forget also that it will be a lot different for your son to clean windows while bouncing about on a rope when it's windy.

[rosskesava]

Hi Chris

Interesting posting.

Although I am maybe getting on a bit for roped access at 47, I am a qualified abseiling instructor with 25 years experience with a pile of organisations like the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority etc and who are all H & S registered organisations.

You may not know the answer to this and IRATA wouldn't give me a specific answer except to attend their courses.

IRATA seem to be the main people for roped access and certificates. Do you know of anyway to not have to go through level 1, 2 and 3 to get IRATA certificates or any other organisation that takes into account previous provable experience?

On and off for the last 3 years I've been trying to find out but I keep getting nowhere.

Cheers

[Chris A]

ross, up until last year you could get direct entry to level 2 if you could prove your experience, I don't think there is anyway now that you can do this. Irata are an association with only 1 paid employee, the chairman Roderick Dymott and he seems to be doing nothing . Irata guidelines are like the bible(koran for all you muslims) of rope access in many ways, but there is no way now that you can skip levels no matter what experience or certificates you have.

[rosskesava]

That's as I thought.

Thanks for the reply.

I run a business and to take time out to get just the hours needed just for level one would be impossible. I'd be an old man before attaining level 3.

That's a real pity. Sometimes I think provable experience counts for zero in todays society.

Cheers.