hi everyone

been cleaning and restoring wells for many years.
Ive now taken over from my father as he has retired and have found myself needing and wanting help with both health and safety training and also equipment.
i have found we dont have any qualifications which i should at least have a few(i think) and also not enough equipment.
as you may have guessed there isnt any well forums so my first point of call is here as i guess its kind of the same.

Making a wild assumption that you use ropes to descend and ascend wells...

In the commercial sector rope access is generally governed (and training defined) by the "Industrial Rope Access Trade Association" www.irata.org

I would imagine your insurance (?) would stipulate IRATA training?

We're a non-commercial club so we're outside that remit.

Rope access equipment is of course widely available and in many instances commercial and non-commercial equipment is the same.

Perhaps you can give a bit more information about how you go about your work at present - i.e. do you work off ropes at all?

General Health and Safety issues are standard and apply across the board, just Risk Assess and go from there. www.hse.gov.uk/ would be the place to go for information / advice.

If its hands on help/technical advice you want, regarding 'going underground' feel free to ask any specific questions and i'm sure we'll all waffle on with loads of practical 'amateur' 'advice'.

we do but dont work off ropes. depends if a metal rope is classed the same. we use a full rescue harness, tripod, fall arrest and hand winch system.
I do not climb but would love to learn for me personally out of work. i climb the walls at my local indoor club but do not use ropes etc to decend or ascend.
thanks for your reply and links. its one of those things..... you work for someone for so long not worrying about insurance, training etc but when you own the business and find there was none in place its a shock.
would like to get on top of it before it gets too much.
im guessing ill be needing
working at heights,
confined spaces training too.

yes, sounds about right. www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg401.pdf will give brief info. and is completely relevant to above and below ground. Must include rescue plans etc.

Confined spaces training, gas meters etc included.

Coshh for any chemicals, linings etc etc.

Possibly Loler (lifting regs)

www.hse.gov.uk/business/index.htm would be a great start.

Also to browse www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/leaflets.htm and pick out anything you think relevant.

thank you thats brill and will certainly get me started on the path of 21st century working .

away from work talk is there such a place which teaches people how to absail, climb and use ropes etc? ive tried absailing coarses but dont get much from google.

also is there any good reviews on the petzl vertex vent helmet?

pass.

ok, for LEISURE, depending where in the country you are:

For learning to rock climb search as below - or an indoor climbing wall would be a good start. The type of abseiling used in general climbing is different to SRT (see below).

www.google.co.uk/search?q=abseil+climbin...iw=1360&bih=681&bs=1

If you want to learn SRT (Single rope technique) which is what we use to go up and down ropes in caves/mines. Search google for SRT etc and go from there. Caving clubs in your area would be the ones to join to get in to that.

And for the commercial equivalent of SRT (Its similar but no longer single rope as it uses a second safety rope) you would be into the commercial IRATA training area.

If you are interested in starting rock climbing, www.ukclimbing.com is a very active forum.

Hi
your work in wells as you have said you are lowered down on a wire winch on tripod, you will fall under a CSO 3 cert for working in confined spaces, this is a 1 day course covering gas detection,oxygen levels,manual winch operation and rescue, you will then need insurance to cover youfor the work and your CSO cert will be accepted by the insurer,

regaerds mick

should have thought to get mick to advise in the first place! nice one mick.