Rope Access Tips, Tricks & Chats

This week we sit down with Andre Quinn from Just Get It Done and chat about the rope access challenge.Where did the idea come from?What’s it like to organise the first rope access competition in Australia?Where is it heading?

This week we answer a few questions we have been asked, no particular order or topic, but some very interesting questions. Some of the answers may surprise you.

This week we take a dive into some of the uses that Petzl say you can use a Grillion for. Big question is, can you hoist on it? If you like what we do here you can buy me a coffee. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/RATTAC

This week we have a chat about the age limit on doing you level 1.The noise on the street is that IRATA has been looking at a change. What would be the knock on affects if this was to happen? what would be the benefits and what would be the drawbacks? If you like what we do here and want to help expand the podcast, you could 'buy me a coffee', click on the link below if you are keen, and thanks if you do.https://www.buymeacoffee.com/RATTAC

This week we have a look at how my harness has changed over 25 years.What did I have on my harness in the late 90's and what has changed to today. Which bits of kit have lasted the test of time, what have i moved onto, and what do I miss.Let us know what you still have on your harness and isn't going anywhere soon.

This week we take a look at the new Harken Multi Ascender.Could this be the new direction for a chest ascender, can we now call it a point of connection, once and for all?I love the way Harken are bring tried and tested sailing technology into the world of rope access.Have you had a play with the Harken Multi ascender? let us know what you think of it.

This week we have a look at the new Edelrid Fuse and compare it to the Petzl ASAP.It has been a long time coming, but has another manufacture designed an auto following back up device that works better than the ASAP?Have a listen for a side-by-side comparison, and if you have used them both, let us know which one you prefer.

It's time to have a chat about another fun rescue when you are on your next IRATA course or when having a play in a training centre.This is another rescue along the lines of the Singapore special. Trying to tick as many level 3 assessment boxes as we can and only leaving the ground once.

This week we chat about the new level 3 online exam, Im sure you all have lots of questions and would like to know how it is set up and what's involved.Have a listen and we will break down how it is set up and what you can do to prepare for it.

Hi Everyone,We are back!, we have been on a break for a while, but now we are back.Its time to to have some more tips, tricks and chats.Have a listen on what's been going on and what we have planned for this season.

This week we have a look at which type of karabiners we use. Are you team Ally or Steel?why do some people say you can't use Ally karabiners in heavy industry?That shape karabiners should you use?

This week we carry on with our chats about the connector that keeps us safe, Karabiners.What's your preferred locking system Auto or Screw? What are the advantages and disadvantages of both of them?This week we take a look at why you would choose one over the other.

This week we look at the common pole straps and how we use them in rope access, what the difference and what do you get extra for the money.

This week we chat about the karabiners we use and do they need to be done up?The one on your footloop? how about the one on a pulley in a hauling system?We discuss them all and if its undone is it a discrepancy on assessment day?

So you are keen to get ahead before you turn up for your level 1 course, this week we give you some tips of things to learn and try and understand before you turn up on day one.If you have friends who are thinking of getting into rope access, this is an episode for them.

Time to talk about the elephant in the room on every IRATA course. Hands up if you have ever suffered from repetitive strain injury (RSI) or occasional overuse syndrome (OOS). Yep that pain in the elbow after a long ascent, long aid climb or the 6th time you have done the loop rescue this week.We chat about how it happens, advice we have received off of experts of body movement to fix it and how we can stop it happening in the first place.

This week we have a look at some of the Powered Ascenders that are available on the market.We chat about what's the difference is between them, why choose one over another and how we have worked with them.

This week we are having a chat with Mikey Reid, from the outskirts of Aberdeen as a professional boxer and trainer, he got a tip to get a rope ticket, how will a roofers son go with 2 points? How did that get him to Australia?

Booked in for your IRATA level 1? Or thinking of getting into rope access. This week we cover the things you can practice and look into before the course and some tips of what not to do during the week.

Seems we still had some unanswered questions about when and how we use the Asap in a rescue situation .If you missed the first part go have a listen only a few weeks back.Let us know how you use the ASAP in rigging of ropes.

This week is 100 weekly episodes, thank you for coming on this journey into all things rope access.We thought now would be a good time to chat about how we ended up on 2 ropes rather than one. This story might surprise you.

This week we answer one of the questions we have been asked.Can you explain the difference between SWL, MBS and WLL.We take a look at how it all works and explain the difference and where you might come into contact with them.

This week we chat about where the Petzl ASAP is used in hauling and lowering situation.Are we setting ourselves up to fail an Assessment.

This week we look at an near miss where no knots in the ropes was only part of the problem.We hope this chat highlights the posable issues and how we can all avoid them.Stay safe

This week we look at a safety bulletin on strains while working on the ropes.We hope this helps anyone from avoiding injury.we look back on some tips from Charles Cooper back in our chat last year. check that out in Ep 61.

This week we are looking at an IRATA safety bulletin about slings slipping on an anchorage.If you are rigging ropes around round or square structure this episode is for you. We include some great lessons learnt and how to avoid a similar situation.

This week we do some basic maths to work out how to best set up a 3-1 pulley system with some basic rope access gear.Using an ID and karabiners is surprisingly inefficient, but how bad is it?

The gear i use everyday has changed a bit this year.I do a rundown on how my harness is set up. How i use a some new gear and changing the way some gear is used.Also a bonus fast way to pass knots.

This week we chat about working on the ropes and undertaking hot works, cutting, grinding,welding. All of these tasks that introduce a new hazard to our work environment.We chat about what we have seen used and not used on site.As always a few tips for products that might work for you.

This week we chat about retrievable rigging or pull throughs. We look at the plus sides and down sides of various systems and how we could do it safer.Let us know your preferred system and why you like it.

This week we take a look at the Skylotec Spark, this may have answered the question I have heard a lot since the Sirius came out, ' can we get one without the panic feature?' well the Spark is exactly that.Have a listen as we run through the features.

This week we chat about the chest ascender, is it half a point or one point? we discuss the story behind the this urban myth.What about if you attach to a casualty on an ascender, can they be used as a point of attachment?

This week we have a look at rescues on two descenders.Why do we not teach this to Level 1's?Should we be work on two descenders more?

Is the standard of technicians dropping? Do we need technicians to get more hours between levels? Is it more experience that's needed or more hours on ropes? Sound we get more training for each level?We ask these and more questions this week.

Do we need an IRATA level 4? I think i first heard this discussed when i was a level 1, but it comes up more often in conversation theses days.What would you like to see on a level 4 course, We have a look at a few options.

This week we turn the normal level 3 rescue, passing a set of knots on its head.Why don't we get level 3's to lower a casualty and have to to bypass knots?We look at situations where you may need this skill in the field, and options for how it is done.Let us know if you would like this rescue added to the level 3 syllabus.

This week we discuss the single deviation rescue, This is a level 2 skill, we ask why do we get level 2's to do this rescue? Could you just unclip the deviation? shouldn't we have level 2's rescue past a double deviation?Let us know what your thoughts are on the single deviation.

This week we take a look at breaking into a tight line, Why this was taken out of the IRATA level 3, Is it a good skill to know and should it come back.Let us know what you think about the technique and if it should make a comeback.

We have been asked to share our knowledge on how to look after our ropes to make them last longer and keep us safe.Various manufacturers give different advice and we try and work through this and give you some points to follow.

This week we chat with Tane from Caines Rope Access, We cover working in the tropics, going from employee to owner in 3 months and how you can travel the World on an IRATA ticket.

This wee we look at all the myths we have heard about what you can do if your IRATA ticket expires.We then look at each level and see what you need to do to upgrade or revalidate.This is a good one to share with your mates to ensure they stay current and save some money.

This week we chat with Mac Northeast the inventor of the Mac Pro and the Ladder Safe Leash.We chat about how these products came about, one from an accident Mac witnessed, the testing process and the evolution of the products.If you are keen to get your hands on them check out.www.mac-pro.com.au and Ladder Safe Leash on Face book.

This week we take a look at how we can work out the angles in our rigging. We look at using our hands to help us work this out, and the use of some technology to make life easier?

This week we sit down with Dave Stafford and chat about a 20 plus year career in rope access.Do you need a trade or can you work as a level 3 and make that your trade, keeping people safe on the ropes and solving the access problem.

Carrying on from our other episode on the rule of 60, we talk about how the number 60 can help you work out the rough load on a deviation anchor.How much force are you putting on that anchor? Here is a quick way to work it out.

This week we sit down with Ali Rugg, to talk about the reality of working away in rope access, it could be on regular swings , shut down work or just stand alone projects.How do you deal with it and how it affects family.Ali and I have known each other for nearly 3 decades, so a little trip down memory lane was inevitable.

We have been asked if we can tell the story of the Petal shunt.How did it become the rope access back up of choose?Can we still use it?Is it illegal to use it on site?hope this answers some of the questions you may have.

This week we sit down with Mike MacDonald. He started his career being sponsored by the UK Government to undertake IRATA training.This followed a 20 plus year career offshore finding his area of expertise in Special surveys.A great chat with some cool tips for techs from all over the World.

This week we look at the European standards for the helmets we use.what is the difference between the standards and which one should we use.would the standard change which helmet you use? or is fit more important?

This week we have another chat, This time with Keeron Le Busque.Keeron turned a change in career into a 20 plus year life style choose.From cleaning glass in the city to building Oil facilities in the ocean, this is a good one, with lots of advice for anyone getting into or working in our rope access World.

This week we try something a bit different.I hope this one works.We sit down and explain the rule of 60, a great way to work out forces on anchors when in the field.Please let us know how we did, if it worked for you.Stay safe.

This week we try and explain the updates in the IRATA TACS.We chat about how the assessment day needs to run and what are your options if it goes wrong and in what circumstances you can have another assessment on the same day.

This week we look at 5 things you should know about tension lines.How we should set them up.What you should look for.The basic do's and don'ts.let us know how you like to set up tension line, drop us a line on facebook, rope access tips tricks and chats.stay safe, see ya soon, cheers.

This week we sit down with Willie Johnstone and chat about rope access through the 80's, 90's to today.Willie is an Auditor, Assessor and consultant for companies.These chats are so real even his grandfather clock gets to chime in.The question is why didn't Willie want to jump in the Delorean to go back to where it started?Great chat with another Legend of rope access.

This week we chat about pulley systems.How do you work out mechanical advantage?what's a compound system?We start with the basics of how to work out mechanical advantage, and what makes a compound system.Hope this sheds some light on what can be a confusing situation.

This week we sit down with Richie Spence.Richie has gone from a Level 2 who didn't want to take the responsibility of being a Level 3 all the way through to Technical Authority to Evaluator, and IRATA Auditor.A great chat about how rope access can take you to places you didn't imagine, if you are willing to put in the work and take opportunities presented to you.

This week we have a look at the EN 12841 standard for rope access, try and explain how it works and what's covered in it.Don't worry I'm just a rope tech talking about a standard, i'll keep it a simple as possible.

How a chance meeting on the streets of Melbourne can take you to the Red sand of Western Australia and back to the mountains of Canada. Once again a unique story of life in rope access.

This week we take a look at IRATA.We all know IRATA and the level 1,2 and 3 system, but how is it set up and who is involved.We hope this answers a few questions you had, and maybe some you didn't know you wanted to ask.

Keeley is a second generation welder and IRATA rope tech, having found some great support at Women Building Futures in Alberta, Canada, Keeley has kicked down some doors and created a great future for herself and her kids, She is now passing the baton to her daughter as a IRATA level 1, the first mother daughter rope techs I have found in IRATA.Great little chat about how taking opportunities can change your life, but always remembering to give back.https://www.womenbuildingfutures.ca

Time to chat about all things load sharing.Do we have to do it?Why should we do it?When don't we do it.Why you want to do it.Let us know what you do to load share.www.rattac.net

This week i had the pleasure of sitting down with Charlie, this is where it all started for me back in '98.Charlie on the other hand has been on the ropes since the 80's.Developing his own techniques to ensure having a back up and using an Orange Chair???A few trips down memory lane for me in this one. 2 mates having a chat.Hope you like it.

This week we have a quick chat about 5 bits of kit to have on your harness.I bet you have a few bits of kit of your own.let us know what you carry, send us a message on face book rope access tips tricks and chats.

This week we sit down with Mikey Stevenson from Rope access and climbing podcast.We chat about how he got into rope access and represented Canada in the Petzl rope trip and the team walked away champions.Have a listen to a couple of rope techs comparing working, training and podcasting.

This week we have a fast and dirty episode on what a supervisor should check before a project. A good listen for supervisors or soon to be supervisors.

This week we chat to Daniel Thornton, From one of the first guys at RAT to Vegas and back to his Celtic roots with Keltic Falcon. I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did, I think he was talking to his kids more than me and I loved it.

This week we chat about the types of slings we use in rope access, what are the advantages and disadvantages of them all?

This week we sit down with Ryan and chat about going from sweeping the floors of a rope access company warehouse to sitting in a massive fridge in the dessert, and how he is to blame for any Global crisis with his travel plans.

First of all thank you for listening for a whole year. that's where I wanted to end this, but Damo had other ideas, hope you enjoy. X

Andy went from a shop assistant to starting the company that every rope tech in Australia wanted to work for. With the dream team of Laura, Denis and Andy, Vertech began.Could this really get you to a catamaran in the Caribbean? Have a listen to see if dreams can come true.And is that story of Andy and his shoe really true? can we belive everything Denis B said way back in episode 10.

This week we have a look at the ASAP from Petzl, see how it came about and when and where it is good and not so good to use.

This week we chat with Laura about getting into rope access as a female in Europe and working her way towards becoming an Assessor.www.rattac.net

After all the interest in the Singapore Special we discussed back in episode 43, we thought a chat about some tricks to help make for a quicker faster rescue.Kit list3 cowstails, 1 Karabiner on each Descender, 1 Karabiner (no clutches or sirius)Hand ascender with a footloop2 S Tec Duck R's1 pulley1 karbinerwww.rattac.net

Ben has been abseiling since SRT turned up in the UK back in 1982, a cave diving passion turned into a job offshore as a commercial diver, while on a platform abseilers went past him on the ropes and he found his new career. He remembers back in 1989 there were about 50 guys and now IRATA has over 170,000 technicians trained.Let's see how you go from a Willans harness in the lake district to oil platforms in Bruni.You will need a brew and a bacon butty for this one.

Simple question really, what do you do to stop you from cutting your when using a grinder or other scary spiny disk things?We have a chat about what we see people do, what they could do and different methods we have used over the years.https://www.5thpoint.com.au/product/beal-rope-defender/https://www.5thpoint.com.au/product/dmm-k-pro-rope-protector-80/

This week we sit down with Nathan Hoette and have a chat about how you go from a dirt bag climber to working with the Kong to develop equipment and open an IRATA training centre at Kongs amazing facility in Italy, but still maintaining the love of being a dirt bag climber.If you have ever wondered the process to get a product from idea through the testing standards and into production, then this is the episode for you.

This week we have a chat about Rig For Rescue, If I ask you what you think of when I say set the site up Rigged For Rescue what do you imagine?We spend some time breaking this down and how we could set it up for different situations.

This week we sit down for a chat with Dirk from Ropes edge and discuss the great edge barriers they have produced using 3D printing.We chat about how long it takes for an idea to go from a white board to the finished product, and how we have both seen these great products used in the field.Ropes Edge also have offered some products for our competition this week, listen to the end to get the details and a chance to win.if you haven't seen the Ropes Edge products here are some links below.https...

What a year!!! Not sure this is what we signed up for when we started this podcast nearly a year ago.We look back on how 2020 was, and how we dealt with it, we also look forward to projects we are planning for 2021.We couldn't have got to where we are with this podcast without you, and for that we thank you. Stay safe, see ya soon, Cheers.

This week we work our way through some of the questions we have been sent from listeners and people in our training centres.Here is a taste of the questions we try to answer.Am I a member of IRATA as a technician?I have been told that a chest ascender is half a point, what's the story with that?When did we start using two ropes and why did this happen?If you think we are way off with our answers let us know, we are happy to stand corrected.Let us know any questions you would like us to answer...

This week we sit down with James Hollingsworth from White Dragon Access and talk about how we protect our ropes, what is competency and how do we measure it.This chat took place a few months back after James had up published some great information on LinkedIn about Hazard identification and Risk Assessment https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hazard-identification-risk-assessment-james-hollingsworth/?trackingId=p9bHx%2BihH4xjRVtWCg%2Bs%2FQ%3D%3DJames has added more publications since we had a ...

This weeks episode is sponsored by Harken, check out all of the great industrial products.https://www.harkenindustrial.com/en/home/We have a look at the 5ish features of our new favourite descender/hauling device.The Harken Clutch is the device that everyone wants to get in the kit bag.We also have the easiest competition ever in this weeks episode, so check it out.www.rattac.net

This week we catch up with Marcus Raby, we get to hear how he got into rope access and where it has taken him, watching London be lit up from the moonlight while working night shift and his first offshore project.We also chat about the TACs survey on what should and shouldn't be in the IRATA assessments.You will need a cup of Yorkshire tea for this one.

This week we have a look at the Singing rock and Ocun harnesses, Long gone are the days where you only had 1 or 2 options for a harness.We take a closer look at our 2 favourite harnesses and 5 features of both.https://www.5thpoint.com.au/product/singing-rock-expert-3d-speed/https://www.5thpoint.com.au/product/ocun-thor-access-4q/

Time for a chat with Brecon, how does an ex Commando find out about rope access?Brecon has been in the rope access industry for over 30 years starting with a Q number, now with an extensive Global career.Don't forget to follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RopeAccessTTAC/Follow us on your favourite podcast platform.https://open.spotify.com/show/0SO23cDT4WbmgAM8j8aemX

More products under the spot light with our 5 features series, This week we are back with Petal and the Grillon.I have always been a big fan of the Gillion, back in the 90's before Petal had even made one, i had to take a gri gri and a length of rope to make one.

This week we sit down with Paul Bingham, the brains behind the IRATA safety videos, he walks us through how it went from an idea to the videos we get to share with old and new technicians.He also explains how you could skip level 1, 2 and 3 and go straight to Assessor.here are the links to the videos if you want to take a look.https://irata.org/media/videos/safety-awareness-video-edge-and-rope-managementhttps://irata.org/media/videos/safety-awareness-video-management-and-safety-culture

This week we are back to our 5 features series, its time to get serious with the Sirius.See if you can work out which feature i showed to Skylotec last week that they didn't know about. Let us know on our facebook page which one you think it is.

This week we have the great pleasure of chatting to Alan Forrest. It has been estimated that Alan has helped over 25% of IRATA member companies achieve membership status.Have a listen to how a young man of 18 could turn a summer job into a lifelong career and travel the World.Want to share your story? drop us a line at :-www.rattac.net

This week we start a new batch of episodes on 5 features of products we know and love,starting off with the Petzl ID, some of these features you may know or they might be a surprise to you that you didn't know.let us know if we missed any cool features that you like,drop us a line at www.rattac.net

Ever wondered how the 3 levels of the IRATA training syllabus came about?I guess if you have a chat with Sandy Allan, IRATA number 003, you would hope he would shed some light on the back story.Having started rope access back in the early 80's Sandy has a tale to tell, you may need a cup of tea or a dram for this one.

The topic of rigging plates and double protection seems to be at the top of the list of hot topics at the moment, We thought we would take the time to explain the back story on the IRATA statement on double protection.We would love to hear your thoughts on this topic, please contact us at www.rattac.net

This week I had the pleasure of sitting down with my dear friend Jaime Wood, our journey together started long before we knew what rope access even was.Jaime has taken a rope access ticket and traveled and worked in places many of us would say 'i'm all good thanks" too. He has returned to the passion for educating he had before he started rope access, through training and Assessing.Have a listen and see how a boy from the West country can end up in some amazing places after doing a 1 wee...

This week we are going to chat about some of the different types of bags we have used for transporting gear to site and using on the job.Big news this week, we have set up a webpage to make it easier for you to chat to us and we can get information out to you. have a look and let us know what you think.www.rattac.netIf you are interested here are links to the bags we chatted about here are some links;Black Diamond 35l https://www.5thpoint.com.au/product/black-diamond-stubby/Black Diamond 70l&...

Time for a chat with a Sydneysider rope tech, Sarah worked in Sydney through the 2000 Sydney Olympic building boom when rope access was just becoming established in Australia, She chats about what she learnt from some great supervisors and how that has shaped how she works today.

Jackie Dodd is a long time serving level 2 who has worked in the North Sea, Norway and Australia, she is also a NDT expert and legend.If you want to know what its like being the only female on a 150 person oil platform, have a listen. We also find out why Jackie realised she needed to become an Level 3 as the industry changed and she didn't like what she was seeing.

IRATA have sent out a request for applicants who wish to become an Assessor under the IRATA banner to put an application in. We let you know where they are looking at appointing new Assessors and the requirements you need to meet.Good luck to anyone who is applying.

Time to head to Melbourne, Australia and speak to Nicky Gregoire, Nicky has been hanging on the ropes since the mid 90's.Have a listen and see how the number 9 can get you into rope access and what it's like to do a helicopter exit onto a power station cooling tower.

As we continue Ladies of the rope we have a chat with Laura Mroz . Laura is a Vancouver based Rope tech, who moved from standard construction into rope access, have a listen to the places this crazy industry can take you and what its like to be a female in Rope access.A small car crash could change your life, Laura can confirm this.