AFC Safety Protocols & Risk Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A participant begins coughing and reports difficulty breathing mid-class while on the apparatus. What is the correct protocol?
- Have them finish the current skill and then descend
- Immediately assist them to descend safely and assess their condition on the ground (Correct answer)
- Increase pacing to see if the symptom resolves with warmth
- Advise them to breathe through their nose and continue
Correct answer: Immediately assist them to descend safely and assess their condition on the ground
Any respiratory distress while on apparatus requires immediate, safe descent and ground-level assessment, as airway compromise can deteriorate rapidly.
Question 2: What is the primary risk of allowing students to wear jewelry during aerial fitness classes?
- Jewelry can scratch the apparatus finish
- Rings, bracelets, and necklaces can catch on hardware causing degloving injuries or entanglement (Correct answer)
- Jewelry distracts other students
- It is a liability issue only for the studio owner
Correct answer: Rings, bracelets, and necklaces can catch on hardware causing degloving injuries or entanglement
Jewelry can snag on carabiners or fabric, causing serious degloving or entanglement injuries, making a no-jewelry policy essential.
Question 3: In aerial fitness, what does 'spotting' primarily refer to?
- Checking fabric for stains
- An instructor physically supporting or guiding a student to prevent falls or incorrect alignment (Correct answer)
- Identifying the best camera angle for documentation
- Marking the studio floor with tape
Correct answer: An instructor physically supporting or guiding a student to prevent falls or incorrect alignment
Spotting is the hands-on technique instructors use to guide, support, or catch students during skill execution to reduce injury risk.
Question 4: A participant complains of numbness in their hands after a prolonged hang. What is the most likely cause and correct response?
- Dehydration; give them water and continue
- Nerve compression or circulation restriction; descend immediately, assess, and modify the grip or technique (Correct answer)
- Muscle soreness; normal for beginners, continue
- Cold studio temperature; raise the thermostat and resume
Correct answer: Nerve compression or circulation restriction; descend immediately, assess, and modify the grip or technique
Numbness during hanging indicates potential nerve compression or vascular occlusion and requires immediate descent, assessment, and technique modification.
Question 5: Which of the following conditions should result in immediate class cancellation or postponement for outdoor aerial practice?
- Mild cloud cover
- Temperatures above 60°F
- Lightning within 10 miles or high winds exceeding safe apparatus limits (Correct answer)
- Moderate humidity
Correct answer: Lightning within 10 miles or high winds exceeding safe apparatus limits
Lightning and high winds create immediate life safety hazards for outdoor aerial practice and require cancellation until conditions are safe.
Question 6: What is the safest footwear guidance for students in an aerial fitness class?
- Running shoes with good ankle support
- Bare feet or fitted grip socks; no loose footwear that can snag (Correct answer)
- Flip-flops for easy removal if needed
- Steel-toed boots for foot protection
Correct answer: Bare feet or fitted grip socks; no loose footwear that can snag
Bare feet or fitted grip socks allow proper feedback and prevent loose material from catching on rigging; open or loose footwear is a snag hazard.
Question 7: Which of the following represents a hierarchy of controls applied to aerial fitness risk management, from most to least preferred?
- PPE → Administrative controls → Engineering controls → Elimination
- Elimination → Engineering controls → Administrative controls → PPE (Correct answer)
- Administrative controls → PPE → Elimination → Substitution
- PPE → Elimination → Substitution → Engineering controls
Correct answer: Elimination → Engineering controls → Administrative controls → PPE
The hierarchy of controls prioritizes Elimination, then Engineering controls, Administrative controls, and finally PPE as the last line of defense.
AFC Safety Protocols & Risk Management 3
A participant begins coughing and reports difficulty breathing mid-class while on the apparatus.
What is the correct protocol?