Trained to the industry standard
What I've completed, what's booked and where I'm heading. Rope access is the foundation, and safety and accuracy come first.
IRATA Level 1 rope access
IRATA is the industry standard for rope access. Level 1 is the entry level, covering the safe use of rope access equipment, rigging, equipment inspection and rescue techniques.
- Level 1: entry-level certification, working under supervision (booked)
- Level 2: after the required 1,000 logged hours and 12 months of site experience
- Level 3: rope access safety supervisor
I'm not yet IRATA certified. I'll update this page after the course.
GWO Blade Repair
An intensive, hands-on course in structural inspection and composite blade repair, to the standard set by the Global Wind Organisation. It sits alongside rope access as the technical side of working on wind turbines.
- Laminate layer stacking and glass fibre lay-ups
- Sandwich panel structural core replacement
- Structural defect analysis
- Leading-edge protection (LEP) system application
- Vacuum bagging with heat blanket cure
- Lightning protection continuity testing
Why recognised standards matter
IRATA sets the standard for rope access, and the Global Wind Organisation (GWO), the wind industry's non-profit training body, sets it for turbine safety and repair. Owners and manufacturers recognise both, so a technician trained to them arrives with training the industry already trusts.
Standards first
I train to the recognised standards: IRATA for rope access, and GWO for turbine safety and repair.
Equipment discipline
Two years managing height safety and harness systems at Wildlands, with my own kit inspection records kept on the Petzl ePPE platform.
Emergency readiness
Remote Emergency First Response Level 3 and fatigue management training, to keep people safe far from help.
Where this is going
Rope access is the foundation and everything else builds on it. Future dates are targets, and IRATA levels depend on logged hours and time at each level.
- 2026 – Completed
EASA A1/A3 drone qualification, Remote Emergency First Response Level 3, Safe Use of Abrasive Wheels, and GWO Blade Repair at 3T Newcastle (Oct 2026).
- 17–22 Nov 2026 – Booked
IRATA Level 1 rope access technician course.
- Early 2027 – Target
Register as a sole trader and launch Sreabh Aeir. Start logging rope access hours. EASA A2 and OEUK Offshore Medical.
- 2027 – Target
AMPP CIP Level 1 and LEEA Part 1 Diploma, while building logged IRATA hours.
- Late 2027 – Earliest
IRATA Level 2, once the minimum logged hours and time at Level 1 are met.
- 2028 – Target
AMPP CIP Level 2, Train the Painter Gold Card, PCN Level 2 VT and PT.
- Late 2028 – Earliest
IRATA Level 3, subject to hours and requirements.
- 2029–2030 – Longer term
PCN Level 2 MT and UT (Composites), and EASA Specific Category (STS / SORA) commercial drone operations.
My training record
What I hold, what's booked and what I'm working towards. The dashed card shows goals only. I don't hold any of those qualifications yet.
Completed
Held today
- GWO Blade Repair · October 2026
- GWO safety modules
- EASA A1/A3 remote pilot · September 2026
- Remote Emergency First Response Level 3 · September 2026
- Safe Use of Abrasive Wheels · July 2026
Booked
Dates confirmed
- IRATA Level 1 rope access · 17 to 22 November 2026
Working towards
Planned, not yet held
- EASA A2 / Specific Category (STS / SORA)
- OEUK Offshore Medical & Chester Step Fitness
- LEEA Part 1 Diploma
- AMPP Coating Inspector Level 1 and 2
- Train the Painter Gold Card
- IRATA Level 2 and 3
- PCN Level 2 NDT: VT, PT, MT and UT Composites (longer-term goal)
Continuing professional development
- Wind energy: from turbines to grid integration
- Introduction to net zero
- Managing fatigue
- Ethics for the corrosion professional
Questions about my training or the work?
Get in touch and I'll be glad to talk it through.
Get in touch