Use of the Climbing wall at Pendle Vale College. Method statement and risk assessment

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1 Use of the Climbing wall at Pendle Vale College Method statement and risk assessment Updated June 2015

2 Using the Climbing Wall The climbing wall is to be used only under supervision from member of staff who is a trained climbing supervisor. The named climbing supervisor will have been specifically assessed to lead sessions on THIS WALL. The procedures contained in this document should not be deviated from this method statement applies to the specific situation, groups and equipment of the wall at Pendle Vale College. This statement should be used in conjunction with the manufacturers technical notices on using equipment and the climbing risk assessment, both attached as appendices to this document. Setting up the wall Mats should be lowered prior to the session and ropes put up using the trace strings. Ropes should not be left in situ to prevent UV damage or unsupervised use of the wall. If trace strings become detached, this should not be rectified during a session. Trace strings can be replaced by ladder access this will need to be carried out by a suitable member of the site team. At the end of the session, the ropes should be removed, all equipment stowed safely and the mats replaced and secured on the face of the wall to prevent unsupervised use.

3 Method statement for climbing 1. Helmets should be worn at all times while on the blue mats, fitted securely as per the manufacturers instructions. Helmets should be worn with the chinstrap fastened. Helmets should be tight enough so that there is no movement of the helmet when the head is shaken from side to side. The supervisor should check the fitting of the helmets and should brief groups to keep a check on each other s helmets. At Pendle Vale, we have 2 types of Petzl helmets white (smaller sizes) and red (larger sizes). 2. Students will be asked to work in groups of 3 on the wall. These groups are not to be changed during the session. Clear roles should be given to each member of the group climber, belay and belay assistant. The group should rotate to allow each member a chance to do each job and each job should be given a clear briefing as per the details below. 3. At the start of the session, harnesses should be issued and participants briefed on their safe use as per the manufacturers instructions. These should be fastened at the waist and by tightening the leg loops. They should checked using the thumb test by the member of staff at both the waist and leg (thumb should JUST fit through) see photographs. It is appropriate for students/participants to check each others harnesses following this briefing but the climbing supervisor should also visually check the tightness of the harnesses prior to climbing. This check may be verbal and visual for example can you show me the thumb test on your harness please?

4 Knots The knot used to tie climbers in is a figure of eight with the loose rope tied off above the knot. This should be tied through the front loop in the harness. No other method of attachment or knot should be used. It may be appropriate, depending on the experience of the group, to allow students to learn to tie this knot however, the knot should always be checked by the supervisor prior to climbing. Figure of eight knot with loose rope tied off

5 Belaying Students may be trained to belay as appropriate and at the discretion of the supervisor. Belaying should always be carried out using the procedure detailed here. The belay device is called a Gri-Gri. The rope should run through the Gri-Gri in a straight line from the climber as shown. The Gri-Gri should be used in conjunction with the technical advice, found in appendix 1. Gri- Gri belay device 1 hand ALWAYS on this rope, pointing down. The 3rd non- climbing participant should hold the slack with both hands. It is important to note that the Gri-Gri is an assisted belay device. It only works effectively if the live rope is held below the device as shown in the picture above and in the technical advice in appendix 1. In a group of 3, the 3rd participant s role is to hold the rope securely as a fail-safe. The cam on the Gri-Gri (black lever) is for reducing friction when lowering where students are trained to belay each other, they should be briefed that the cam is not to be touched. Lowering should only be done by the supervisor see notes below. All karabiners should be screwed shut securely and checked using the squeeze test to ensure that the gate will not open. Karabiner screwed shut and squeeze tested

6 In some cases, where the belayer is significantly smaller than the climber, the third person can be attached to the belayer to provide extra ballast. This should be done using a sling. The sling is looped through the main belt of the harness of the belayer and attached to the third person using a screw-gate karabiner which should be screwed shut. Lowering off the wall When a climber reaches the maximum height they wish to climb to, they will need to be lowered. This needs to be done in conjunction with the guidance in appendix 1. Lowering is done by allowing slack to pass through the Gri-Gri by using the cam release lever (black lever). The lever is not a mechanism for lowering the live rope must always be controlled by gripping with the second hand. When lowering, the supervisor will need to keep control of the live rope by gripping it securely and allowing it to pass slowly through the hand while releasing the cam lever with the other hand. The rope will cause friction as it passes through the hand so lowering should be done slowly and in a controlled way. When lowering, the climber should be asked to sit back in their harness, put their hands on the knot and place their feet flat on the wall. As slack is allowed out, they will walk down the wall slowly. The lowerer should talk to the climber to ensure they are happy with the rate of decent. Generally, for new climbers, they should have a practice at lowering at the start of their climb, when they have reached the red line. Details of procedures where there are issues with lowering can be found in the risk assessment in appendix 2. Climbing procedure 1. All loose clothing, watches and jewellery to be removed 2. PE kit or equivalent and fastened trainers to be worn 3. Climb in groups of 3 (1 climber, 1 belay, 1 holding slack rope) 4. Helmets worn at all times 5. Full safety check carried out before each climb no-one climbs until fully checked. 6. Only the supervisor to lower students NO ONE ELSE TOUCHES THE BLACK LEVER ON THE GRI- GRI. 7. Climb using the coloured holds only no touching the metal hooks or loops. 8. All climbers are expected to stay for the full session, and assist with the collecting and putting away of equipment. Bouldering Bouldering (climbing without ropes) is only allowed with hands up to the red line. HELMETS MUST STILL BE WORN. Numbers The maximum number ropes per supervisor is 3, dependent on the age, experience and ability of the group. In some cases, less than 3 ropes would be more appropriate.

7 Training and assessment 1. Climber training for supervisors (staff and students) is provided by external technical advisors with a qualification of MIA or equivalent. Climbing leaders are expected to use the wall regularly to keep their experience current. 2. Any climbing leader who has not used the wall for a period of more than 3 months will need to attend a refresher session. The refresher session will be supervised by Matt Renshaw and will involve a check of the basic procedures outlined above. Climbing supervisors who have not used the wall for longer than this period will need to have a refresher course from the external technical advisor. 3. All climbing supervisors will need to keep a record of their use of the wall and will be subject to reassessment following advice from the technical advisor. 4. The technical advisor will provide a site specific statement of competence for the specific use of this wall and these procedures. 5. A record of the refresher sessions, and all trained climbers, will be kept centrally. Equipment and maintenance The climbing wall is subject to an annual site inspection by the manufacturer. A record of this is kept centrally. Equipment should be regularly checked, at the start of sessions, by the climbing supervisor, and problems identified as follows: Obvious signs of wear on the rope (fraying, flattening, lumps or bumps) Signs of wear to harnesses (fraying, damage to buckles) Cracks to helmets Damage to helmet straps Signs of wear on the Gri-Gri or karabiners (grooving or smoothing) If wear is noticed, this should be reported to Matt Renshaw and the equipment in question taken out of use. A decision on the continued use of the equipment will then be made, having sought advice from the technical adviser (for instance by the ing of photographs) if appropriate. Inclusivity and safeguarding young people Climbing should be an inclusive activity. The wall is set up with an accessible route on the far left side this has closely spaced holds. As part of the climbing session, it will be necessary for adult supervisors to check participants helmets and harnesses. This may require physical contact adults should make sure participants are happy for any checks to take place before approaching a participant. In some cases, it may be appropriate for adults to perform visual checks as detailed above.

8 Appendix 1 manufacturer s advice on using a Gri Gri

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