Australia is popular for having iconic landmarks and fun activities. Part of these include some thrilling and heart-racing adventures that can get you pumped and excited. If you are the type who enjoys these types of activities, then the idea of rope access may appeal to you. Perhaps you encountered someone doing it in a climbing gym or similar place and thought about what it would be like to do rope access work regularly. The good news is that you can do it as a career, but much like any other path, you will have to go through many processes before you can officially begin.
Rope access work is not easy, to say the least. Aside from getting proper equipment from verx australia, you will also need to undergo training to receive qualifications to become a technician. However, before you get started with any of this, the most important thing to do is ask yourself whether this path is right in the first place. Read on to learn more about what rope access in Australia entails to help you decide.
About Rope Access
As its name suggests, rope access is a type of work that involves reaching normally inaccessible areas to complete jobs. It is highly prevalent in the construction and industrial industry where there can be limited infrastructure in place to reach all areas of a job or site. You often see workers these workers in a safety equipment harness hanging from a rope or just as they walk around as it is essential to their job. However, rope access is generally highly diversified as it can be used for several kinds of jobs, from washing windows to maintaining infrastructure.
Working in rope access can come with many advantages, one of the most significant being the fact that it opens you to various career paths. The nature of rope access work allows you to engage in different activities, so whether you want to be a technician, instructor, project manager, or something else, you can certainly pursue that. Likewise, rope access also introduces you to some spectacular views that only you can see. If you are an adventurer at heart, this benefit may appeal to you more than you realize.
Rope Access Training
The big question now is: How to get started with rope access? Is it enough to visit a store and get the necessary equipment from verx australia? If you are starting with no prior knowledge, the best place to start will be a training center. IRATA and SPRAT are two of the most well-known and recognized certifications, so choosing between the two or getting a dual certification will be beneficial for your career.
- IRATA
IRATA training is provided by the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA), and requires that you are at least 18 years old. You can get three levels of certifications, and each of them are valid for three years after you complete the training. For each level, you will also need to complete an independent assessment and test to get qualified. To give you an idea of how the program works, Level I involves a minimum of four days training with an IRATA member, while Level II requires 1,000 hours of work on the ropes and a minimum of 12 months of experience as a Level I technician.
- SPRAT
SPRAT training, on the other hand, is provided by the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians (SPRAT) and also comes in three levels. Similar to IRATA, Sprat Level I requires no prior experience and helps you get acquainted with working on a two-rope system. Level II will then review and advance your skills and require you to complete 500 hours of work on the ropes.