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When a real-life Spider-Man scaled four storeys to save a child dangling from a Paris balcony the world watched in amazement.
Malian immigrant Mamoudou Gassama’s extraordinary feat of strength and bravery not only earned him French nationality and a job but the admiration of people everywhere – none more so than those who scale such heights every day.
Rope Access Engineers know what’s involved in working at height and understood the risks ‘Le Spider-Man’ took when he swung his way up the block of flats in 30 seconds to rescue the toddler without any climbing gear.
But that’s where the similarities end. Rope Access Engineers are highly-skilled professionals, trained to abseil, who are vital in sectors such as engineering, construction, energy and oil and gas.
Whether it’s carrying out a rig survey, repairing an oil leak, removing a blockage from a sea outfall or fixing a wind turbine, these aerial engineers use ropes to get into places that would otherwise be inaccessible, impractical, unsafe or too costly to access by conventional scaffolding or platforms.
There are several rope access companies operating in Scotland, some of which can be found on s1jobs advertising for workers.
If the idea of clipping into a harness and taking to the air appeals, here’s what you’ll need.
Technical skill
Just because you’re a keen abseiler, rock climber or caver, you’re not going to walk – or swing – into a job as a rope access engineer.
Rope access is simply a way of getting workers into the correct place. Once there, it’s your technical skills that matter.
There are training courses through the International Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA) where you can learn the ropes.
A head for heights
If you feel a bit light-headed on the fourth rung of a ladder, this kind of work is not for you. Remember working at height is only the start of the job. You’ve then to factor in weather conditions, confined spaces or being suspended over the crashing waves of the North Sea.
Physical fitness
Rope access engineers don’t need to be gym bunnies but a healthy level of fitness is required. A good strength-to-weight radio and decent cardio fitness are going to be helpful, as well as healthy joints, especially in fingers and knees.
Knowledge of knots
You’ll get taught these on training courses but if you already know your Bunny Ears from your Alpine Butterfly, you’ve a head start at your interview.
Safety awareness
Rope access work is safer than caving or pot-holing because it involves two ropes, meaning there’s always a back-up should one fail. But you still need to be a stickler for safety – there’s no room for slap-dash operators or wannabe trapeze artists here.
Want to get roped into a new career? For all the latest Engineering and Technical vacancies swing by s1jobs.