Training week comes and goes, and then it's Assessment and/or Evaluation Day. There is no room for major errors, but sometimes mistakes are made, an error in judgement, or forgetting a piece of information from the past week, but it happens.
Nobody enjoys the feeling of failure. It's a deflating moment, and we rally behind our trainees to try to support and succeed on the assessment/evaluation day so you don't have to experience it. But we're here for you, whether it happens or not.
Since it does happen though, we're making lemonade out of lemons. We've logged every single one of the past discrepancies, and out of 119 reasons for failure, we've grouped and categorized the top 3 reasons. Why? To highlight the most common discrepancies, and to prepare you for Level 2.
Unconventional Technique/Not proficient in task
While this 'reason' is a generalization, it highlights how specific certain techniques and maneuvers can be. Like any skill, it must be practiced correctly several times in order for it to be locked in.
With that said, however, there are different ways of performing maneuvers. What is taught in training may not necessarily be the same as how it is done on-site, and technicians end up mixing up the techniques used on-site vs. what they are doing in their training week. Because of this, it is VERY IMPORTANT to ask questions and understand why techniques are being taught a certain way. We encourage people to be open-minded and curious as the material taught in our courses has proven to be the most helpful for students in the past.
In addition, the skills may not be independently assessed. Evaluators and Assessors may request several skills in one movement, to demonstrate comprehension and competency - foundational safety skills.
Casualty on 1 point
This may seem obvious, but your casualty MUST also be attached to 2 points! As a Level 2, you are building on all the skills in level 1, and then some. The main difference here is you are training to rescue another person. Your priority is to get the person safely out of position to another location. It may be an obvious element, and you may not think you'll forget. Just remember you are being evaluated on how you react and perform under stressful conditions.
Incorrect use of Backup Device
Your backup device is an important element of your safety. Although we hope you never have to rely on it, competent usage and understanding are necessary for your work safety. Your backup device must always be in the correct position in relation to the position of the technician, for yourself and your casualty. Again, your casualty requires the same treatment as you.
Examples of Incorrect use of Backup Device:
- loaded backup
- low backup device
- backup device in rescue near ground
Practice Makes Progress
It's not going to be perfect. We don't strive for perfection, but what we do prioritize is safety. Preventing the preventable is the goal, and progression toward safety is about repetition, redundancy, and yes, practice. Your training week is all new material. The best foundation you can provide for yourself is to be completely competent in every L1 skill so that you are not using valuable time to learn L1 skills you haven't used in a while. Refresher courses are a great way to dissect your strengths and weaknesses and to see where you may need more practice in some areas.
When you register for your week of training, you get a free refresher day ahead of that week! Use it wisely! And good luck with your upgrade, we're here for your rope access journey!
