UKC

As part of my foundation degree course we are required to do a research report. I am looking at whether helmets increase risk when using an auto belay system at artificial climbing walls and towers, as i have found a few incidents of helmets being caught on holds while lowering the climber off an auto belay system. I was wondering if 1) i could get some peoples opinions on the use of helmets in indoor centres and with auto belay devices. 2) If anyone knows of incidents that have happened and any details on them.
Thank you to anyone taking time to post.
Iain

In reply to Rock_Monk3y:


Risk? If people wear helmets which get caught on holds during lowering, they're just too close to the wall. I don't think I've ever seen this happen at any of the 3 walls I've used which have auto-belays.

In reply to Rock_Monk3y:

Any wall I've been to with auto-belays have a sign up saying not to wear a helmet, for this reason. So I would assume that a) incidents have happened, and b) don't any more.....

In reply to Fraser:


It depends on the angle of the wall as well.

Secondly you don't have much of a choice as to how close you are to the wall when being lowered. As much as I'd like to be lowered 2 metres away from the wall - the autobelay refuses to co-operate.

In reply to Rock_Monk3y:

http://bfy.tw/3izy

In reply to Fraser:
From what i have found it doesn't seem to happen often but what i am trying to put forward is wearing the helmet adds an extra thing that can cause injury or worse also whether this outweighs the risk of head injuries from falling objects.

In reply to SenzuBean:

True. The auto-belay walls I've seen are all very close to vertical and the idea is to walk your feet down the wall, just as you would if your belayer was lowering you. It's usually when noobs just dangle and drop that they bump into the wall.

In reply to Rock_Monk3y:

Falling objects above you on a climbing wall? Something has gone wrong if this is the case!

Our wall does not allow helmets on autobelays for the reasons you state. Although you always teach users to come down properly with feet out, there are always times when people get it wrong and come down awkwardly. This can result in a bash to the head. I have never seen this bash to the head cause real injury. If they are able to bash a head, they are able to catch a helmet, which really could cause injury! We do not helmet groups at all unless there is specific reason to.

The other risk that helmets can add in, and I have seen happen, is kids fiddling with the helmet to the point that it is no longer tight and falls off onto those below! This is probably less common in a climbing wall setting where they are more focussed on what they are doing, I saw it happen on an aerial assault course which was above a shopping centre.

In reply to Rock_Monk3y:

I was involved in an incident using auto-belays with helmets.

A qualified instructor was running an ad hoc session on a mobile climbing tower (turn up & pay a few £ for some climbs). A kid (maybe 9yrs old) was having a go. He was wearing a helmet and had already done a few up and downs, he got a bit cocky on one descent and was bouncing around a bit, he slipped and went side on to the wall as he descended (rather than feet on wall).
The helmet edge got caught up on a hold and he was left hanging from his helmet strap in some distress, half way up the wall.

Luckily he managed to free himself, just as I was preparing to solo up the wall to 'rescue' him. (Obviously not the safest rescue to attempt but definitely the quickest in this situation). The only injury was a nasty burn on his neck from the strap but could have been a lot worse.

There were a number of 'Learning points' to this incident around the use of such walls, rescue procedures, what holds to fit etc, but the biggest one was around not wearing helmets.

Let me know if you want any more info.

In reply to Rock_Monk3y:

In reply to girlymonkey:


At Ratho the aerial adventure walkway passes almost directly above the auto-belays, and I've once been standing on the arena floor when suddenly a trainer landed right next to me from someone on the walkway. It's probably a very rare occurrence but it can happen.

From 30m up it gives you a bit of a shock!

In reply to Rock_Monk3y:

I have to say this sounds like a very strange thing to research. In the first place its so rare to see anyone on an indoor wall wearing a helmet let alone when on autobelay. In a lead fall its just possible to bash one's head but its extremely rare. On an autobelay I can't see how you would do it with any force. And the risk of falling objects is just the same as being any building.

The kind of accident you describe must be really rare too, a freak event I'd have thought. And I imagine the cause would be from people mucking about, doing something foolish, rather than the helmet itself.

In reply to Rock_Monk3y:

Contact Nate McMullan at Climbing Wall Services an experienced wall Technical Advisor. He has done some research on accidents in walls and may be willing to share some information: https://www.climbingwallservices.com

In reply to AlH:

Thanks for that will get in touch and see what he says.

As for everyone elses responses thank you very much your help has been greatly appreciated.

In reply to djwilse:

Thanks for the response. If you are happy to provide details of the occurrence please feel free to email me on bel14002991@bridgwater.ac.uk

Thank You