Climbing Equipment Safety
Climbing safety equipment and techniques have come a long way from the early days of the sport. Back then, equipment often failed or was simply not available resulting in the lead climber’s motto of the time being “the leader must not fall!”
Modern equipment standards, which the BMC helped create and continues to be involved in evolving, ensure that safety equipment for climbers is better than it ever has been. Here we provide advice on how to get the most out of it and ensure it continues to provide the protection you and your climbing partners need.
READ: UIAA Equipment standards
Buying equipment safely
It’s always best to buy equipment from a trusted retailer such as BMC partner Cotswold Outdoors or your local climbing wall shop, but if you do purchase online heed the warnings from this article first:
Recalls
Occasionally, even the best manufacturer will get things wrong. Good manufacturers are quick and effective at alerting users about problems. The BMC have a list of latest recalls page that you can check:
Equipment inspections
Safety comes from understanding how our equipment works, knowing its limitations and from regularly checking it for damage and other problems. Help with how to do this can be found in the instructions attached to the equipment when new, and from manufacturers websites. The essential principle which keeps you safe is to combine a quick check at the start of every session with thorough inspections at least once per year but more often if you climb a lot.
How to check you camming devices
Climbing Gear Care and Maintenance Playlist
Do you know when to retire your climbing gear? Can you decide if any damage is dangerous or just cosmetic? Keep safe when climbing by making sure your equipment is up to the job, with the help of these equipment advice videos.
Useful advice from the BMC
Retiring equipment
Equipment should be retired from use if either it fails an inspection, or it has exceeded the lifetime given by the manufacturer. Information on lifetime is provided by the manufacturer and can be found online and on the equipment tag attached to new equipment.
Recycling equipment
The sad day will eventually come when a favourite rope, harness or other item must be retired from use. Fret not, it needn’t end its days in landfill. There are no many initiatives and grassroots operations making good use of old equipment.
BMC Old Gear Directory
Check out the BMC's recycling and reusing old gear directory, listing the many ways, brands and organisations who offer an 'afterlife' service for your gear.