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General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Climbing Gym Safety 6-Nov-2009 At 9:20:23 PM julian.A

Message

On 4/11/2009 jacq wrote:
>I was wondering who is responsible for the safety of the users in a climbing
>gym - I guess the employees are covered by OH&S, but what does one do when
>there is obviously unsafe equipment/facilities in gym, you draw them to
>the managers attention, and they are not dealt with? Any ideas?

Over the past few years I have been involved with a number of cases involving incidents/accidents on Climbing Walls, Ropes Courses, and Flying foxes.

"I was wondering who is responsible for the safety of the users in a climbing gym"

Short Answer - The climbing gym is responsible, and liable for the safety of users of that facility. The facility takes on a "Duty of Care" to the user once they allow them access to the site.

Forget about the user having a responsibility (beyond following the rules of the facility, which were taught and tested during an induction to the gym)- most of us are not structural engineers, or climbing wall manufacturers, or riggers etc. We are entitled to use the climbing wall with the understanding that it is safely built, maintained, equipped, and managed (in accordance with relevent Industry standards, codes of practice, and AS etc). That's why we pay our money to use it.

Perhaps contact an industry representative body and ask them to contact the management - if the request came from one of these it might prompt them to act.
There are a few organisations who try and fill this role. eg -ORIC in NSW (Outdoor Recreation Industry Council), Australian Camps Association (based in VIC), Australian Gyms Association, Sportclimbing Australia.