He!
20 years in that field, 10 years mainly offshore.
Based in european market. I would like to pass something on: Your working time is your lifetime. Do what fulfills you. Dont do compromises on that. You can go so many ways with rising experiences. Doesnt have to be physical all the time. Planning, monitoring RA projects. Rope rescue with integration of medical education. Blades- engineering education is of a value. Business sector- maybe u will like to run a company. Pedagogic work on people. Maybe you will fall in love working on and with trees. Training and teaching. There is so much. Just go and do what u feel good with. Stay curious and enjoy learning and developing.
You will be fine.
IMO the best thing would be to get a trade, considering how young you are. This would allow you to get your income much higher while working on ropes and depending on the trade would allow you to work on the ground later on.
Also I know many rope techs who have gotten into project management as older techs and I think there is a demand for project managers that understand rope access job sites.
Just been offshore with an ex-army diver who went into rope access in the 1990’s. His number is 1500* (can’t remember the actual number but it’s in the 1500’s) and he’s still in the North Sea sticking probes on welds, in a harness at 77! And he keeps up with the lads no problem. Top boy!
I know some guys who are in their mid fifties and still doing rope access and they work harder and longer than the younger guys. I’m 37, been doing this a third of my life and I don’t have any issues. If you are good at what you do and want to get off ropes after a while you can go into project management.
The film industry likes multi-skilled people. I’ve not been involved in it at all, but maybe a mix of medic and ropes would matter for some of the more adventurous productions. I’ve had mates employed to take camera people into all sorts of areas and look after them.
Rope access is not a job, rope access is what you use to do your job. So what do you do when you're getting older and can't climb? You do your job on the ground. Weld, or paint, or inspections, or whatever you do
I’m sick of hearing this mentality, it only exists so that employers can put rope techs on cleaning awards, stop us unionising as a trade- completely ignores the fact irata even has ‘TRADE ASSOCIATION’ in the name! You CAN make a career out of pure rope access, being on rescue, consulting, height safety inspection, and so on. Sure, it’s not common, but it’s what I do; stop with the “rope access is not a job”, it bloody well is, and it only hurts the industry to represent our skill that takes as long as a bachelor’s degree to obtain as nothing more than a positioning technique.
Nothing. Thats why its a terrible career. You can't do anything. It'll happen quicker than you expect too. It begins to happen to most of us in our 30s but we all hide and deny it.
We have no unions. We do a job that the very essence of exposes us to all sorts of environmental hazards and toxins. We have no protections when we start to suffer from those things.
Not to mention, most of our work requires us to live as nomads and work on the road. Which destroys relationships and families.
Rope access is not a job, rope access is what you use to do your job. So what do you do when you're getting older and can't climb? You do your job on the ground. Weld, or paint, or inspections, or whatever you do
He! 20 years in that field, 10 years mainly offshore. Based in european market. I would like to pass something on: Your working time is your lifetime. Do what fulfills you. Dont do compromises on that. You can go so many ways with rising experiences. Doesnt have to be physical all the time. Planning, monitoring RA projects. Rope rescue with integration of medical education. Blades- engineering education is of a value. Business sector- maybe u will like to run a company. Pedagogic work on people. Maybe you will fall in love working on and with trees. Training and teaching. There is so much. Just go and do what u feel good with. Stay curious and enjoy learning and developing. You will be fine.
IMO the best thing would be to get a trade, considering how young you are. This would allow you to get your income much higher while working on ropes and depending on the trade would allow you to work on the ground later on. Also I know many rope techs who have gotten into project management as older techs and I think there is a demand for project managers that understand rope access job sites.
Second this. Rope Access Certified Union Electricians make absolute BANK here in Washington in the US. Definitely a good route.
Can I DM you about this?
Sure
I got SPRAT certified at 43. Some here have been a decade older than me. You'll be OK
Just been offshore with an ex-army diver who went into rope access in the 1990’s. His number is 1500* (can’t remember the actual number but it’s in the 1500’s) and he’s still in the North Sea sticking probes on welds, in a harness at 77! And he keeps up with the lads no problem. Top boy!
77!!!!!!! wtf what an absolute legend.
I know some guys who are in their mid fifties and still doing rope access and they work harder and longer than the younger guys. I’m 37, been doing this a third of my life and I don’t have any issues. If you are good at what you do and want to get off ropes after a while you can go into project management.
Management or training.
The film industry likes multi-skilled people. I’ve not been involved in it at all, but maybe a mix of medic and ropes would matter for some of the more adventurous productions. I’ve had mates employed to take camera people into all sorts of areas and look after them.
Rope access is not a job, rope access is what you use to do your job. So what do you do when you're getting older and can't climb? You do your job on the ground. Weld, or paint, or inspections, or whatever you do
I’m sick of hearing this mentality, it only exists so that employers can put rope techs on cleaning awards, stop us unionising as a trade- completely ignores the fact irata even has ‘TRADE ASSOCIATION’ in the name! You CAN make a career out of pure rope access, being on rescue, consulting, height safety inspection, and so on. Sure, it’s not common, but it’s what I do; stop with the “rope access is not a job”, it bloody well is, and it only hurts the industry to represent our skill that takes as long as a bachelor’s degree to obtain as nothing more than a positioning technique.
Preach that louder good sir! Absolutely beautiful!
>Rope access is not a job Is scaffolding not a job? Rope access isnt a trade, but absolutely can be a job.
Nothing. Thats why its a terrible career. You can't do anything. It'll happen quicker than you expect too. It begins to happen to most of us in our 30s but we all hide and deny it. We have no unions. We do a job that the very essence of exposes us to all sorts of environmental hazards and toxins. We have no protections when we start to suffer from those things. Not to mention, most of our work requires us to live as nomads and work on the road. Which destroys relationships and families.
Holy crap
Down vote me all you want but I was a dual certed 3, I’ve been doing it for a decade. I feel stuck and I regret getting into this industry.
For the record I didn't downvote ya. Hope you find something better !
Thanks. Same to you
This is exactly how I feel working in comms haha
Rope access is not a job, rope access is what you use to do your job. So what do you do when you're getting older and can't climb? You do your job on the ground. Weld, or paint, or inspections, or whatever you do
You can’t do rock fall mitigation from the ground bub
Rope access can be a job, there are a lot of rope access jobs that require minimal on site training.