Steeplejack

Steeplejacking has come a long way since Fred Dibnah first introduced it to the nation. There are just as many industrial and historic structures that need maintaining or demolishing – chimneys, churches, cooling towers and bridges to name a few – but the techniques have moved on.

Our trainees are taught by the experts how to establish safe access to these staggeringly tall structures. It’s a daunting task! Unlike scaffolders, steeplejacks not only create the access but carry out the work at height, often dangling in a bosun’s seat, cradle or working with ropes and harnesses – not a job for the faint-hearted. It takes enormous strength too. Hauling 10ft, 40lb ladder sections skyward and fixing to the last section – often at heights of up to 700ft – is a huge shock to our born lay-abouts.

As well as the adrenalin rush of working at height, our trainees have the chance to pick up valuable manual skills like painting and building maintenance and to gain two health and safety certificates. But will they rise to the challenge or fall back into their old ways?