Welcome to The Rope Access Channel, where we talk and teach all things rope access.
In the coming months I will teach you all the knowledge and skills required to get you going on all the different levels in the rope access industry. I will start with the basics and gradually move up in skill
So, what is it going to look like?
For the first few months,
I will release three video’s per week, until the basic rope access library is finished.
After that we move into phase two of the channel. Which I will announce around the summer of 2022.
Each video will build on the knowledge of the video before.
Some of the things we will cover are:
We talk about all the gear needed to start climbing, (for example the Rope Access Harness)
how to go up and down on a rope,
what to do when you find a damaged spot in the rope and
how to transfer to a new set of ropes.
You will learn how to climb underneath a platform using various techniques and how to pass an edge.
We will get into basic rigging and move onto advanced rigging where we combine multiple different anchor points and share the load.
That knowledge can and will eventually lead into the advanced skills of hauling- and lowering systems,
and tensioning lines, and using those to move a load or a casualty.
Speaking of casualties, of course we will get into rescues as well.
Again, starting at the basic level 1 descending rescue where you come from your own set of ropes to rescue the casualty and move into the more advanced level 2 and 3 rescue exercises.
Follow on
So if you are interested in all this,
SUBSCRIBE to the Youtube channel,
Hit that notification bell to be notified as soon as I release a new video
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and please leave a comment on what YOU would like to see discussed in a next video..
Long term goals
The long term goal of The Rope Access Channel is to, first and foremost, create a complete video library of all the different rope access and rescues techniques out there.
And second, a very important one to me, is opening up a conversation and enlarging the communal learning potential. If we have an open conversation on techniques and principles we can all evolve into better Rope Access Technicians. That means, if you see me demonstrating something in a different way than what you were taught, let me know in the comments and let’s get a conversation going. Maybe we find out it is a better method than the one I was showing or that it is just ANOTHER method. Either way we all learn.
The rope access industry is an interesting one….
For a multitude of reasons….
For one, you get to travel the world and work on all kinds of crazy projects which all provide their own unique challenges.
Second, there are a lot of opinions on HOW something should be done. The thing is, there is no ONE way of doing something. If you scale everything back to the essential principles the discussion about the method is sort of moot. We need to accept that.
Principles over methods
People are different and an explanation that makes sense to me might be confusing to you.
Therefore, for some exercise I will show you a few different ways to accomplish the task.
My philosophy is that you need to understand the principles of a given task. If you do that, then you can create your own methods.
The principles are built up of doing something within a certain set of constraints and if you adhere to those constraints you will always perform the task safely. For instance, the objective of performing a successful rescue from ascenders and passing a deviation, is a byproduct of doing everything within the constraints of staying on two points of contact and preventing uncontrolled swings. (This is just to give you an idea on what I mean. There are more constraints within that scenario)
If you just use a method without understanding the WHY, then when the situation is slightly different, for instance moving from left to right instead of right to left, you might end up on one point of attachment.
So principles over methods!
As I am based in the Netherlands, some of what I teach might be according to the Dutch rules and regulations and not applicable to your location, so take care to always be informed wherever you are working of the local laws and regulations. And maybe company policies.
There is a difference between what you get taught indoors and out there in the practical world. Sometimes you just need to get the job done. Safely of course and maybe not up to training standard. Best example that comes to mind is positioning yourself statically on an open biner on an edge while you rig your anchors. “Officially” not allowed and forces generated should be really low. A shoelaces would suffice, so an open biner is good enough in that moment.
If it happens that you get into an argument about methods, for instance a rope access trainer with a rope access technician who only works on oil rigs, be mindful of each others situation.
So please be respectful in the comments.
Important!
One final note!
And this is important!
These video’s, as good as they might be, they do NOT replace proper in person training!
However, they can certainly serve as a support method of proper training. If you want to see what you need to know as a rope access technician, or when you’re coming up towards your reassessment you can have a look and refresh your mind.
Allright guys, let’s dive in
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