CWI Risk Assessment & Emergency Procedures 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which factor MOST increases the severity of a ground fall from top-rope climbing?
- The climber weighing more than the belayer
- Excess slack in the belay system causing a longer fall (Correct answer)
- The route being overhanging rather than vertical
- The climber wearing a full-body harness
Correct answer: Excess slack in the belay system causing a longer fall
Excess slack is the primary cause of increased fall distance in top-rope systems, directly increasing injury risk.
Question 2: A climber is stuck mid-route and cannot descend. The instructor determines a lowering rescue is safest. What must be verified BEFORE lowering?
- The climber's shoe type is appropriate for the descent
- The rope is long enough to reach the ground and the belay device is correctly loaded (Correct answer)
- The route difficulty matches the climber's grade
- The wall's insurance policy covers rescue operations
Correct answer: The rope is long enough to reach the ground and the belay device is correctly loaded
Confirming sufficient rope length and correct device loading prevents the rope end from passing through the device mid-lower.
Question 3: In the event of a fire alarm at an indoor climbing wall, what should an instructor do with climbers who are currently on the wall?
- Instruct them to continue climbing until they reach the top, then descend normally
- Lower or descend all climbers immediately before evacuating (Correct answer)
- Evacuate ground-level climbers first and return for those on the wall
- Keep climbers on the wall until the alarm is confirmed as real
Correct answer: Lower or descend all climbers immediately before evacuating
All climbers must be brought safely to the ground before evacuation so no one is left suspended during an emergency egress.
Question 4: What is the purpose of a 'near-miss' reporting system at a climbing facility?
- To assign blame to staff for safety failures
- To identify hazards and improve procedures before an actual injury occurs (Correct answer)
- To satisfy legal liability requirements only
- To track climber competency levels
Correct answer: To identify hazards and improve procedures before an actual injury occurs
Near-miss reporting captures hazard information that enables proactive risk reduction before a serious incident happens.
Question 5: A climber is showing signs of shock after a fall: pale skin, rapid breathing, and confusion. The instructor's PRIORITY is to:
- Give the climber water and have them sit upright
- Keep the climber warm, horizontal, and call EMS immediately (Correct answer)
- Administer over-the-counter pain medication
- Ask the climber to walk to the reception area
Correct answer: Keep the climber warm, horizontal, and call EMS immediately
Shock requires immediate EMS activation, keeping the casualty warm and lying flat to maintain blood flow to vital organs.
Question 6: Which of the following best defines a hazard in the context of climbing wall safety?
- The likelihood that an incident will cause serious injury
- Something with the potential to cause harm (Correct answer)
- A documented incident that has already occurred
- The physical difficulty rating of a climbing route
Correct answer: Something with the potential to cause harm
A hazard is defined as any source, situation, or act with potential to cause harm, distinct from risk (likelihood × severity).
Question 7: An instructor notices a student belayer repeatedly taking their brake hand off the rope. After two verbal corrections the behavior continues. What should the instructor do?
- Allow the student to continue with closer supervision
- Remove the student from the belay station and suspend their belay privilege until retraining (Correct answer)
- Have the student belay on easier routes only
- Document the behavior and address it at the end of the session
Correct answer: Remove the student from the belay station and suspend their belay privilege until retraining
Persistent unsafe belaying is an immediate hazard to the climber; the belayer must be removed until competency is demonstrated.
CWI Risk Assessment & Emergency Procedures 3
Which factor MOST increases the severity of a ground fall from top-rope climbing?