CLIMBING WALL POLICY
and RISK ASSESSMENT
2016-17
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Liz Davies
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CW Policy
02
12 07 2016
Health and Safety Policy
Association of British Climbing Walls documents
Advice from Technical Advisor Dan McKinley
12 08 2017
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Staff Handbook
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01
02
Date
12 08 2016
23 08 16
Date:
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Amended and updated from last year
Revised in light of comments from JCE
Author
Liz Davies
Liz Davies
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CLIMBING WALL POLICY
and RISK ASSESSMENT 2016-17
INTRODUCTION
At Bradford Academy we value the contribution that extra-curricular learning can have to our learners. They
widen the learning experience and promote greater independence. They can improve the learner’s affiliation
to the Academy and generate more positive relationships with other learners and adults. It is the responsibility
of all members of staff to secure the affirmation, formation and achievement of every learner in a safe
environment.
The use of the Academy’s climbing wall will require good planning and attention to detail around safety in
order to ensure the sessions are fun and safe for those taking part. This policy will outline the policy and
procedures to enable climbing sessions to take place safely.
The climbing wall can be used by all learners in the Academy. Through learning to climb they learn to belay
(safeguard) each other and work as a team. This builds up their confidence as they overcome any fear of
climbing to a height and as they take responsibility for the safety for another person when belaying and
lowering them; in turn this leads to an increase in their self-esteem. They develop trust and empathy for each
other and learn to encourage others to succeed as they support each other to climb to the top. It also enables
them to solve problems – which hold to use and how. They develop their oral skills through instructing each
other and offering help and advice. Physically they learn how their body works on a different type of physical
challenge; they learn that girls can succeed just as well as boys as strength is not the key element of success.
They learn different movement techniques which develop their gross motor skills.
POLICY STATEMENT
This policy is part of Bradford Academy’s overall Health and Safety Policy. It applies to all involved in taking
climbing session from governors to volunteer staff.
This policy is written within the context of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Management of Health
and Safety at Work Regulations, 1992 and the National Guidance from the Outdoor Education Advisory Panel
(OEAP): “Guidance for the Management of Outdoor Learning, Off-Site Visits and Learning outside the
Classroom”. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 places a duty on employers that they must supply their
employees with the information necessary to carry out their duties safely.
The Academy will update its policies and practices annually in line with the latest recommendations
ratified by an external agency.
The systems, guidelines and responsibilities featured in this document are designed to help the Principal,
Governors and staff ensure that learners stay safe and enjoy climbing sessions and also aim to give clarity
and assuage concerns that may be expressed by parents and carers.
BMC Participation Statement
“The BMC recognises that climbing & mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death.
Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own
involvement”.
This must be pointed out in an appropriate way to learners, parents and carers when obtaining permission for
their child to participate in a climbing activity. They must also be told that staff involved in leading climbing
sessions are trained and will demonstrate high levels of safety awareness. The Academy recognises that
those leading the activity must be aware there is a higher duty of care on them when running sessions for
young learners as they are not mature enough to understand fully those risks or be responsible for their own
involvement. However the awareness of the dangers of the activity must be made clear to all participants (of
all ages) in an age appropriate manner to enable them to be able to develop their own awareness of risk and
develop their responsibility in managing them themselves and with each other.
POLICY PURPOSE
1. To ensure all climbing sessions are safe, purposeful and appropriate to meet educational needs of learners
taking part.
2. To ensure that every learner has the opportunity to benefit from opportunities to experience a climbing
session.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
A Climbing Wall Designated Person (CWDP) should be nominated with overall responsibility for the climbing
wall. This person should have the qualifications (SPA/SPSA as a minimum) and the experience to understand
the risks involved, safety procedures requires and the development necessary to enable it to be used safely
and successfully. They should
 Set up the procedures necessary to maintain the safety of the wall
 Ensure staff are trained and have the necessary level of competence to lead groups.
 Ensure the equipment is safe and secure and used appropriately
 Develop the routes to enable a variety of levels of challenge.
Overall responsibility for the Climbing Wall for 2016 -17 is Liz Davies (SPSA)
The technical consultant we have previously used is Dan McKinlay (MIC) of McKinlay Mountaineering
(http://www.mckinlaymountaineering.com/). We will continue to use him as required.
Climbing Leader
All sessions should be supervised by a member of staff who has been given Site Specific Training and has a
valid assessment or is a holder of the Single Pitch Award (SPA – previously SPSA) and be on the Academy’s
register of Climbing Wall Leaders (Appendix 1).
The climbing Leader
 must be accountable, competent and confident to lead the climbing session
 has overall responsibility for supervision and conduct of the activity
 must ensure that all activities involved with taking learners climbing sessions comply with the
procedures outlined in this document.
 must ensure climbers are supervised at all times during a session.
 must ensure a first aid kit is easily accessible and have the basic knowledge of how to deal with
potential injuries.
 must carry out a visual inspection at the beginning of each session to identify any obvious hazards and
that the karabiner at the top is closed.
 must inspect ropes prior to each use looking for any abnormalities or fuzzy areas, strong deformities,
(stiffness, nicks and sponginess), damage to the sheath or if the core is showing, damage associated
with a chemical agent or heat abrasion or friction. If in found or in doubt the equipment must be
isolated and brought to the attention of the CWDP.
Assistant Leader
The assistant leader should have the skills and competence to support the climbing leader. Being competent
requires that they can demonstrate, as far as is necessary, the ability to meet the responsibilities specifically
allocated to them.
Other staff and Volunteers
All Academy staff and adult volunteers assisting with supervision on any session should be briefed with the
key details of this policy as it applies to them. The leader should ensure that the requirements of the risk
assessment, risk control procedures and safe systems are followed. They will ensure that once the session
has started, where any previously unforeseen hazards or risks are identified they are brought to the attention
of the Activity Leader. Staff should also feedback information to the Leader to enable a review of the session
to be completed.
Learners
The Activity leader should advise the Learners of their responsibility to themselves and others. It is good
practice to involve the learners in the planning, assessing and managing risk and evaluating the activity.
Learners must be briefed appropriately and understand that they must:
•
•
•
not take unnecessary risks
follow the instructions of the climbing leader and other supervisors
dress and behave sensibly and safely
A learner whose behaviour may put him/herself or others at risk may be stopped from participating in the
activity.
PROCEDURES
The climbing wall is situated in the primary PE hall which is fully timetabled during the day; booking must be
done via the Primary Office to ensure that the wall is available before any session can be planned. In the
event that a session is desired to take place when the hall is in use then the organiser must liaise with NJN in
order to ascertain if this is possible.
All learners must have written permission from their parent/carer. Letters to parents must include the following
statement: “Climbing can be a dangerous activity and result in injury. The Academy takes all necessary
precautions to ensure the safety of all participants in a session on the climbing wall. Sessions are supervised
by a trained member of staff and their son/daughter should follow their instructions. If they fail to follow
instructions and put themselves or others into a position of danger they will be unable to take part for the
remainder of that session”. Letters should normally be sent out by Student Services (Secondary) or Primary
office (Primary) and the replies collated on the spreadsheet kept in the above area. Paper copies should be
retained in a folder in Student Services/Primary Office.
All participants must be registered for each session; the registration document is kept with the equipment in
the store.
As part of the induction process the supervising member of staff must ensure that they inform participants that:
“The Academy takes all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of all participants, and that they should
follow the instructions of the lead member of staff otherwise they will not be able to participate in the session”.
 Only those actively participating in a climbing activity (climbing or belaying) should be on the blue mat.
Observers should be standing on the area around but not on the mat.
 Helmets should be worn by learners at all times when on the blue matting.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
Most sessions will take place during or just after the school day. For any serious incident the normal
procedures apply: to seek immediate on-site first aid and request an ambulance be summoned if necessary. If
a serious incident takes place in sessions out of Academy hours summon help immediately by telephoning
999 (or asking security to do so) and seek/administer first aid. A first aid kit is kept in the medical room.
Contact a member of SLT and inform them.
The Academy’s accident reporting procedure complies with the requirements of the Reporting of Injuries,
Disease and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995. Whenever an accident occurs to any person during
a climbing session, an Incident Report Form should be completed as soon as possible, giving all relevant
detail and given to the Designated Person, who will undertake an investigation and report back to the
Principal. The objective of the investigation will be to establish the circumstances of the accident, not to
apportion blame. This may include seeking statements from witnesses to the accident and preparing reports
DANGEROUS OCCURRENCE PROCEDURES
A dangerous occurrence can be defined as a "near miss" or more correctly a "near hit" where the incident has
the potential to cause serious personal injury, has caused property damage or has the potential to cause
property damage. It is important that equipment or objects relating to the incident must be left in situ at the
time of the incident unless it would be unsafe to do so. The investigative and reporting procedure is exactly
the same as for accidents.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
The Academy Climbing Structure – was designated and built to the European standard BS 12572: 2007 by
Entre-Prises on 27th June 2012.
The wall stands between 4 - 5 m height vertically from the floor to the highest point. Shock absorbing matting
is provided at the base of the wall.
MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION of CLIMBING WALL
The wall was inspected on 2nd August 2016 by Mark Crewdson and Jack Metcafe from Entre-prises (UK) Ltd
http://www.ep-uk.com/ and a certificate of inspection was issued showing all was in order. This will be re-done
in July 2017 and the certificate posted next to the wall.
All maintenance, inspection and safety procedures shall be overseen by the designated person and must be
recorded in the record book (kept by LDS). This must be done every half term as a minimum, (unless the wall
has not been used that half term). This would be revised in the event that the wall starts having constant use.
Movable elements
 During every route-setting bolt-on hold fixing should be checked by the route setter. If any looseness
or wear is noted in the fixing, or any cracks appear in climbing wall material around the hold then the
hold should be removed and the fixing point prevented to be used. It should be noted in the record
book and brought to the attention of CWDP.
Bolt-On Holds
 Bolt-On holds should be inspected every half term or at each route set, for any signs of cracking or
damage. If any cracks or damages areas are found the hold should be discarded. In addition they
should be checked to see if they have worked loose using the 6mm Allen Key which is kept in the
equipment cupboard solely for this purpose and should not be removed. A torque wrench or extension
to an Allen key should not be used.
 Tightening and changing positions of holds should only be undertaken by a competent member of staff
who must ensure that the bolt is not over tightened.
 If holds become clogged with chalk, dirt or rubber then they can be cleaned using soapy water and a
stiff brush.
Protection Points
 The closure mechanism should be regularly lubricated with WD40
 A thorough visual and manual inspection should be carried out every half term for tightness, wear,
deformation or corrosion. If there is any movement of the fixed components they must be tightened.
 Any corrosion beyond expected levels or other signs of weakness should be reported to the CWDP
then Entre-Prise UK. These routes should then not be used until they are inspected (repaired if
necessary) and passed as safe.
Safety surface
 There is 50mm articulated matting fitted to the wall. This and its fixings should be inspected every half
term.
 It should be vacuumed regularly and any tears reported to the CWDP then Entre-Prise UK.
Annual safety inspection
 This is required to be done annually, in the summer break. The certificate is to be displayed by the
wall.
MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION of CLIMBING EQUIPMENT
Normal lifespan of the ropes, slings and harnesses is normally 5 years. Ropes must be left in situ and secured
behind the matting when not in use. Any damage to any of the items must be reported to the CWDP and the
item removed from use. Inspection of equipment should be done on a half termly basis unless the wall is not
used during the period in between.


Ropes: must be inspected looking for any abnormalities or fuzzy areas, strong deformities, (stiffness,
nicks and sponginess), damage to the sheath or if the core is showing, damage associated with a
chemical agent or heat abrasion or friction.
Harnesses: look for wear or damage to any of the weight bearing areas. Buckles should be examined
for sings of cracking or burring and stitching inspected to ensure that it is complete.




Slings: look for damage to fibres of the sling, any abnormalities or damage to stitching, discoloration of
textiles.
Helmets: should be inspected for cracks or deep scratches, as these are plastic ones they are able to
be used after minor impacts.
Karabiners: They can be used indefinitely as long as they are not damaged and function properly.
Check that
o the gate moves correctly
o the locking barrels wind and unwind on the screwgates
o there is no grooving present
o there are no burrs or sharp areas
o there is no corrosion present.
Belay devices
o Gri Gri: check for damage to handle, parts. Wear on contact areas, grooving of camming
mechanism, burrs on rub joints.
o Other belay devices: grooving on wear points, burring or sharp edges, wires attached and
intact.
RISK ASSESSMENT FOR THE CLIMBING WALL
This risk assessment applies in particular to the climbing wall and traverse walls. It sits within the normal risk
assessment that applies within the Academy for the area within which the climbing wall is situated.
Hazards
Control measures to be applied
Injury from fall from
height
•
•
•
•
Close supervision by trained and authorised staff to monitor safe belay techniques
Only roped climbing allowed up the wall, traversing within a height related limit
depending on age of people using it.
Helmet worn, appropriate knot used
Appropriate use of spotting techniques when traversing
Injury from falling
objects
•
•
•
•
Helmet worn when on blue matting
Climbers to remove items from pockets
Effective group management and briefing
Only climbers on blue matting
Injury due to
equipment failure
•
•
•
Ensure correct fitting and use of harnesses
The condition of all equipment to be assessed prior to use, suspect items removed
from service.
Regular checks to equipment and holds
Other Site users
•
•
Access to immediate area denied during session
Benches placed to discourage viewers moving too close
Holds spinning/
breaking
•
•
•
•
Condition of holds, monitored, on a regular basis.
Helmets worn all times within climbing area
Good group management and briefing
Holds removed from wall or re-secured once discovered loose.
Muscle / Joint
injuries
•
•
•
•
Use appropriate climbing specific warm-up activities
Good coaching of climbing principles
Recognition of over-use injuries, session managed with rests and recovery time
Cognisance taken of age of learner and length of time of session
Injuries relating to
Hair tangling in
devices, /Watches/
phones/Jewellery/
keys/ Piercings
•
•
•
•
Hair should be tied back if over shoulder length
All watches, rings, earrings should be removed
Phones, keys etc. should be removed from pockets
Belly button piercings are required to be removed
Appendix 1:
Register of Climbing Wall Leaders as at 08 07 2016
Name
Liz Davies
Joanne Collington
Qualification
SPSA
Site Specific (Expiry Sep 2015)
Status
Staff
Staff
Date qualification gained
15 05 1994
05 09 2014