Ally Munro Looks Back on 35 Years With CAN 

When a colleague has been part of the CAN team for over 35 years, they know more than ‘just the ropes’. Ally Munro, CAN’s longest serving field Technician, and current Level 3 Rope Access Supervisor, is a true example of what commitment looks like. Ally got to “know the ropes” back in August 1989 when he started his rope access journey at CAN. We caught up with Ally to hear more about his 35-year career at CAN and the milestones he’s achieved along the way.

 

The Early Days

Looking back to the early days of his career when he was first introduced to CAN and the concept of Rope Access offshore, Ally shared:

“I had previously worked for drilling and construction companies offshore, but my winters were spent teaching skiing. During a trip on Cormorant Alpha, I was chatting with a guy called Dave Cummings, who was also a mountain guide and worked for both CAN and the ski patrol in the Cairngorms. He recognised me from some treatment he provided for a suspected broken neck after I attempted a particularly ambitious backflip that went very wrong (I have more sense these days)! We chatted about climbing; I was a relative novice in comparison, but he passed my CV on to CAN who subsequently interviewed me and offered me a job.”

“After a day’s training course on the ropes, a day practicing in the warehouse and a 40-minute assessment later, I was off to the Conoco Murchison painting the exterior of the accommodation 180 feet over the North Sea.”

“I was very lucky as my first team leader offshore was the legend that was Freddie Malcolm, a prolific local climber and rope access pioneer and more so, a true gentleman who “taught me the ropes” (pun intended this time)!”

 

CAN Career

Ally has shown continuous commitment throughout his career at CAN, building on his knowledge and skills, successfully transitioning between roles and completing numerous training courses along the way that added to his skillset and value as a CAN team member and leader. Giving us an insight into a day in his life at work, Ally said: 

“Throughout my 35 years at CAN, I have fulfilled many different roles, ranging from working with CAN’s Base NDT team at their Aberdeen HQ, onshore work on dams and pipelines for Scottish and Southern Electricity in some of the most picturesque locations in Scotland, running CAN’s in-house IRATA approved Rope Access training courses, and much, much more offshore as a Level 3 Rope Access Supervisor within various Inspection, Trades and ANDT teams.

“My main role these days is as a Rad Assist and Level 3 Rope Access Supervisor which, on the whole, I enjoy. My nightly duties, as it most often the case with Rad duties, consists of sorting out permits and isolations, helping the radiographer with barriers and equipment, setting up ropes where required and searching for the test points with isometric and P&ID drawings”.

Working offshore has many positive aspects, however Ally says it is the people who make it.

“What do I enjoy about my job? The “banter” is a big plus point, work is only as good as the people you work with. I would like to think I get on with the majority of the people I work with. Time off and the financial rewards are also a large part of the incentives for the offshore lifestyle”.

 

Offshore Lifestyle

“Offshore has changed dramatically over the last 40 years. To give an example, communication with home back then was a 10-minute timeslot on the phone once a week, and if no one was in it was hard luck. We had to either join the back of the queue for another try, or try again at the same time the following week. Now if the internet goes down everyone is up in arms.”

“The safety side of offshore has improved immensely, the “stop the job” ethos has been a big step forward, empowering the workforce to speak up when they have concerns”.

 

Rope Access 

With 35 years of experience, Ally has witnessed advancements within the field firsthand:

“Rope access-wise there have been great improvements with equipment as it has become more mainstream. I still like to keep any systems I set up as simple as possible, so it doesn’t distract from the actual work being done.”

“I recently had a pal ask me if I could help his son get a job in Rope Access/NDT. I had to think ‘was this worth doing?’, I decided yes, even with the oil industry being challenged with environmental and political issues there are still opportunities for someone who puts the effort in. Oil and Gas, though challenging, is an avenue of future work for anyone starting out and with renewables opportunities emerging we have future opportunities too”.

 

Looking Ahead

When asked what’s next in his career at CAN, he said: 

“I do not know what the next few years will bring but I would like to do my Level 3 Rope Access Assessment one more time in 2027, but age does take its toll. 35 years with CAN completed, 40 years here I come!

When Ally is not on the ropes, he enjoys being on the road, exploring new places. 

“Away from work, I converted a van a couple of years ago and my better half and I love getting away to the North West Coast of Scotland with the dogs in tow, finding some lovely pubs and restaurants and enjoying some of the more remote areas of Scotland.”

Ending our chat, Ally said, “Thank you to everyone I continue to work alongside”.

 

Thank you to Ally Munro for sharing some of his 35 years of experience, we appreciate your passion, dedication and commitment to your role and the team here at CAN. 
 

Ally Munro pictured with Group Director, Adam Byrne