The high-flying job that's not for the faint-hearted

Francois Botha was going about his daily business when suddenly a military fighter jet flashed by.

"I swear I could see the whites of the eyes of the pilot," he says.

"Then all of a sudden the sound hit us. It was almost too close for comfort."

The close encounter was a reminder that anything can happen when you are working on ropes 165ft (50m) up a communications tower in a remote area of south-west Scotland.

Looking back Francois thinks the jet may have been 20m or 30m (98ft) higher than him but it was a shock for it to be so close.

"I think he was just showing off how low he could fly," he says.

Francois is well aware of the dangers of working at height.

He moved into rope access almost 20 years ago after a spell as a field guide in South Africa.

The 42-year-old says he is sceptical about anyone who says they have no fear when they put their equipment on for the first time and look over the edge of a 20-storey building.

He says: "Even after all these years of me working at height and climbing, I still have that inherent fear of falling - I just don't want to do it.

"What makes me a bit more relaxed is that I know that any project I am working on has been meticulously planned, I know the equipment has been inspected and is in good working condition."

Paul Smith is also no stranger to danger.

He was a sniper section commander in the Black Watch, serving in Iraq, Kosovo and Bosnia, before setting his sights on a new career.

These days, Paul can be found dangling on ropes from the top of structures such as the Forth Road Bridge, the Kelpies or Edinburgh's St Giles Cathedral.

The 35-year-old industrial coatings specialist says his work is less dangerous than people might think.

"Ultimately it looks like a very dangerous job but we take the precautions and the measures to eliminate that," he says.

"In my own mind I am confident that I am not going to fall or anything risky is ever going to happen.

"Having said that, accidents do happen so complacency is something we pay very much attention to."

Paul, who works for Edinburgh-based firm SG Access, is what is known as a "Level 3" technician.

This is the highest qualification available from the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (Irata).

The international body was formed in the late 1980s to tackle maintenance challenges in the offshore oil and gas industry.

Nowadays you will find technicians - the vast majority of whom are men - working at height on structures such as office buildings, tenements, wind turbines, masts and bridges.

Their tasks can vary widely - from washing windows to carrying out repairs and maintenance or even installing lights or cladding on buildings.

Last year Irata reported three deaths among its 475 member companies worldwide - two of which involved falls and one a sudden rockfall.

Paul says his previous role as a sniper has helped him stay safe in his new career.

"When we are in stressful situations, some attributes from my former career pay a dividend," he says.

"Maybe it's the way I conduct myself, the way I see my jobs in rope access as a military precision-type thing.

"I like to carry out things to the letter and make sure they are conducted properly."

According to Paul, his favourite structure to work on is the Forth Road Bridge.

He says: "In rope access the views are always beautiful but I love the outright exposure to all of the elements on the Forth Road Bridge - you can't hide from anything - it just tests everything about you."

Paul's boss, Calum MacDonald, says it is a rewarding industry to work in, despite the challenges.

He says: "We work hard to get hard jobs done well, and that is very satisfying, but we also have the privilege of going where most others can't, seeing what most others don't, and doing what most others won't.

"That's not a bad thing to be able to say about your day job."

Source: Irata International

Francois, who works for Inverkeithing-based company Web Rigging Services, has previously worked on Tower Bridge in London and The Louvre Abu Dhabi museum.

He says extreme temperatures or high winds often pose the biggest challenges for technicians and rope access companies.

He adds: "From what I have seen the North Sea is by far the most adverse environment, weather-wise.

"Sometimes you can't get out on to a rig because there's a storm or you can be pretty much stuck inside a tea shack for a few days at a time."

Francois has one piece of advice for anyone who is thinking about working in rope access.

"Don't ever stop respecting gravity - it's always switched on, unlike electricity or a light," he says.

"If you disrespect it, it's going to bite you some time or another."

All images are subject to copyright