Risk Managament
Monday, June 2nd, 2008
Protect and Survive…
In November 1988, the British Mountaineering Council Technical Committee organised a seminar staged for the trade and guides entitled, according to the brochure: ‘Protect and Survive.’ The purpose of the seminar, to a full house made-up of members from retailers, manufacturers, climbing centres and guides: ‘How to live with climbing gear.’ The photograph left, that accompanied the article, purports to show just how to ‘live’ with your gear.
What in fact the picture shows is a potential accident waiting to happen. If the two climbers shown, have given any thought at all to risk assessment then it gives a whole new meaning to – risk awareness and the acknowledgement of risk. Yes, they are wearing protective helmets but… This picture mirrors exactly the way in which Gerry Hedley (BMG client) was left, inadequately belayed to just one ice screw, ice axes not included in the belay, in the summer of 1990, just one year after this BMC / BMG / UIAGM / IFMGA Plas-y-Brenin sponsored ‘Protect and Survive’ seminar took place.
On the 12th of February, 2004, Lyndon Gill wrote: ‘I agree that there has been a fair amount of cronyism involved in professional guiding and instructing. There is still unfortunately some evidence of that around today especially related to the criticism levelled at amateur groups by certain professionals. Your approach does not help matters. No where does your website elaborate the risks of mountaineering.’ ?
The dangers inherent with mountains; mountaineering have been covered, done to death, over and over again and still, climbers will willingly add to those dangers: sit harnesses (a simple upper body sling) makes a safer variation, the none wearing of helmets, poor decision making in the face of bad weather, poor avalanche assessment etc., etc.
Risk Assessment 2006 style: Page 61 of the Daily Mail, Tuesday, April 4th, shows Sir Richard Branson being lowered down his Champs Elysees Megastore (in Paris) in a typical stunt to mark Virgin Mobile landing in France. The safety rope from which he is hanging is not ‘tied through’ his harness as per the manufacturer’s instructions. His insurance company would have quite rightly wriggled out of a compensation payout to Branson’s dependents if there had been an accident. Whoever the ‘qualified safety officer’ is who is lowering Sir Branson on ‘two karabiners’ merely clipped into the ‘belay loop’ of the harness, he is / has put his eminent client – at risk…
The two climbers pictured above, have belayed to just – one ice screw, an ice-screw that is not well placed. In an obvious winter mountaineering scene, including technical ice axes(possible additional belays) the peices of equipment can be plainly seen in the picture, have not been ‘placed’ and tied into the belay system. Just one year later, a BMG client, Gerry Hedley was left tied to a similar belay which failed when his guide fell.
Mr Gill continues: ‘As you point out the British Mountain Guides safety guarantees previous to 1997 were highly erroneous (the BMG still advertising: our members are competent in all aspects of client care). More so the fact the BMC (and High Mountain Sport sponsored by the BMC) published such advertisements. Misleading and dishonest in the highest degree. Cronyism at its worse.’ Mr Gill was responding to comments regarding the Scout’s movement. An accident in the climbing establishment is just that, an accident (in general) where as, an accident (Scout fall’s of path) in the Scout’s brought cries of derision from the climbing establishment, once again, paper qualifications raising their ugly head (more cash for the MLTB who’s popular advert: ‘Our courses will ensure that Jack & Jill come down the hill,’ was quite erroneous) because MLTB qualifications in fact ensure nothing.
Those who go to the mountains of their own free will must be free to court these risks. Those who are being introduced to mountaineering (of their own free will) must be safeguarded against accidents arising from exposure to risks that are beyond their experience to cope with. They should not be introduced to attitudes or practises that by overstating safety, restrict the enjoyment and challenge that climbing can bring. A fundamental element in climbing – is the presence of serious risk.
The risks that are being entertained in the picture above, are not being managed, full stop. Both of the ice-axes that are not in use (one discarded to one side and the other hanging from the harness of the lower climber) could have been placed into the ice and tied into the belayer – at least. And Mr Gill wants to discuss – risk assessment…
By far the worst aspect of risk assessment or should I say, the lack of it, is in the none wearing of safety helmets. Look at anything written and illustrated by the British Mountaineering Council; or by that ‘pillar of learning’ Plas-y-Brenin, and you will see prominence given to the none wearing of helmets. Just like the lady – left, they are apparently oblivious to (risk assessment) the dangers – above; the danger of head injuries during a fall or from falling rocks (the South Face of the Penon d’Ifach, Calpe, Spain is notorious for rock fall and dangerous rescues due to head injuries)
Talking to a, not so young climber, in Chamonix during the Summer of 2004 our conversation was about the huge row of stitches in the side of his head. He had taken a fall whilst climbing in the Auguille Rouge without a helmet. He said that he never thought about – until now. A very lucky climber who should have at least been brain damaged by such a blow to his unprotected head.
The number of climbers killed whilst falling, tripping or slipping whilst crossing glaciers is on the increase (is appearing more in print). A simple stumble, tumble can become a fatality if the unprotected head comes into contact with blocks of ice or rock scattered around on glaciers. In the early 90′s, a well known Chamonix guide died this way and according to BBC news (2004), a Frenchman died in the southern French Alps when he slipped while crossing a glacier and hit his head on a block of ice.
One of the latest attempts at risk management, is printed in the October, 2004, issue of High Mountain (a BMC sponsored magazine): ‘Off the wall, Ten ways to increase the margin (I presume, the margin of safety).’ I have to presume it means, the margin of safety, because the massive four page article by Andy Kilpatrick (who also supports the use of the British Death Knot when abseiling) is accompanies by three large, colour photographs showing climbers and their seconds (in most danger from loose, rock fall) not wearing head protection; helmets. The anomally is, that the article concludes thus: ‘I recently heard of a guy who fell one and a half metres and cracked the back of his head on the ground. He wasn’t wearing a helmet and even though he fell such a short distance he unfortunately died. Don’t just wear a helmet because your worried about rockfall. More people die due to their heads hitting something than something hitting their heads and on long run-out routes there is a distinct possibility of doing that. (finishing with the final put-off) So ends the lecture.’?
http://www.risktaking.co.uk/references.htm a website about – mental health…
Since 2004, The British Health & Safety Executive (HSE) have had problems with, lets call them, the Adventure Activities Establishment (AAE) (AALA, BMG, MLTB, BMC etc., etc. The problems stems from an EC Directive (usually the above organisations grab with open arms EC Directives – well certainly when it came to grabbing PyB, North Wales in 1996) that wants to introduce more rigourace, working at heights safety rules, applying it to the AAE has apparently, brought forth a storm of protest: http://www.hse.gov.uk/consult/condocs/cd204.htm I wonder why?
The Adventure Activities Industry Advisory Committee, mentioned in the HES consultation above, (on which sat a number of Outdoor Pursuit illuminates) was eventually abandoned by the HSE – for some reason…
Climbing Equipment.
In the news today, the famous American climber, Todd Skinner has been killed in an abseiling accident. For decades famous; well known climbers with extensive experience of the inherent danger in climbing have likewise, been killed in abseiling accidents. During abseiling, all of the equipment is stressed. Abseiling is in fact the only time that equipment is stressed regularly (there are other climbing manoeuvres where equipment is stressed – crevasse rescue etc). It is therefore essential that every precaution is taken – beforehand.
For years I have been teaching, showing clients simple tips that can be introduced into their safety chain. In the case of abseiling, everyone except the ‘last man’ down gets an additional safety rope – tied through; around the harness as per the manufacturer’s instruction’s – not the belay / abseil loop. The last man down can arrange / introduce several additional safety features for himself. The simplest is to tie a sling around his waist, finish it with a reef-knot and introduce a screw-gate karabiner. This second karabiner is clipped into the abseil devise along with the normal karabiner attached to his climbing harness to the abseil devise.
The next to last man down, can, whilst he is descending, place running belays into which, he clips the ‘safety rope’ attached to him. On reaching the bottom or the next belay stance down, he takes up a belay stance and brings down all of the slack rope. As the last man abseils down, taking off each running belay as he reaches it, the belayer below, takes in the slack rope through a belay-plate. In the event of a fall, for whatever reason, the last man will be caught in a ‘leader fall’ on the next running belay down. A simple nylon sling worn head & shoulder diagonally around, across his body and clipped into his harness will ensure (because climbers have died falling out of harnesses) that should he turn upside down, he will not slip out of his ‘sit-harness’.
The rope cutting episode in the debacle, Touching the Void: Apparently, rope cutting is allowable if the would-be rescuer is incompetent. Even though, an injured man was rescued successfully from a deep, virtually bottomless, vertically sided, Mount McKinley crevasse along with his heavily laden sledge suspended in the crevasse above him (hanging above him – from which he is suspended – 1995) by Dennis Morrod. The alternative – just cut the rope. Apparently, this is quite acceptable…
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