How many hours you need to progress, what counts, and who signs it off.
Your IRATA logbook is the record that gets you up the levels. Every hour on the ropes, logged and signed off, counts towards your next assessment, and a clean logbook is what proves you are ready. This guide explains how many hours you need, what counts, who signs it off, and how it all ties into revalidation.
From the day you pass Level 1, your logbook is your personal record of rope access experience: the hours you work, the tasks and techniques you use, and where. IRATA assessors want to see it at every level, and it has to add up, so keep it from day one rather than reconstructing it the week before an assessment.
Moving up a level takes both time and hours. As a guide under the current IRATA scheme:
| Progression | Minimum hours | Minimum time at level |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 to Level 2 | 1,000 hours | 12 months as Level 1 |
| Level 2 to Level 3 | 1,000 hours | 12 months as Level 2 |
So each step needs roughly a thousand logged hours and at least a year at your current level, whichever takes longer. Always check the current requirements with IRATA or your training company before you book an assessment.
Log the time you actually spend working on the ropes: rigging, rope access manoeuvres and the tasks you carry out at height. Travel, standby, toolbox talks and ground work do not count towards your rope access hours. Be honest and specific; padded hours unravel fast when an assessor reads the detail.
Your entries need to be verifiable. In practice an IRATA Level 3, usually your supervisor, countersigns your logbook to confirm the hours and tasks are genuine. Get it signed off regularly rather than in one lump, because a logbook that is current and countersigned is the one that stands up at assessment.
A useful entry records the date, the site or job, the hours on the ropes, the tasks and techniques you used, your IRATA number, and a space for the Level 3 sign-off. The more specific the detail, the more it shows genuine, varied experience rather than the same job repeated.
An IRATA certificate is valid for three years. To stay current you revalidate by reassessment before it expires, and a well-kept logbook supports that just as it supports moving up a level. Cowstail keeps your tickets and their revalidation dates in one place, with a reminder before each one is due, so nothing lapses. See Cowstail for Level 1 techs.
Guidance, not the rulebook. This is a general summary and the IRATA scheme can change. Always check the current requirements in the IRATA Training, Assessment and Certification Scheme (TACS) or with your training company before an assessment.
Under the current IRATA scheme, a minimum of 1,000 hours of rope access experience and at least 12 months as a Level 1, whichever takes longer. Check the latest requirements before you book.
Yes. It is a minimum of 1,000 hours and at least 12 months as a Level 2. Each step up takes both hours and time at your current level.
Time actually spent working on the ropes: rigging, manoeuvres and tasks at height. Travel, standby and ground work do not count. Log the tasks and techniques, not just the hours.
An IRATA Level 3, usually your supervisor, countersigns your entries to confirm they are genuine. Get it done regularly, because assessors want a current, verifiable logbook.
Every three years, by reassessment before it expires. A well-kept logbook supports revalidation the same way it supports moving up a level.
Yes. Keep it current rather than reconstructing it before an assessment. A logbook filled in as you work is more accurate and far easier to get countersigned.
Related: your first 90 days as an L1, what L1 techs earn, Cowstail for L1.