CWI Risk Assessment & Emergency Procedures 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A participant discloses a severe nut allergy during pre-session registration. Which risk management step is MOST appropriate?
- Ban all food from the facility for that session
- Record the allergy, confirm the participant carries an epinephrine auto-injector, and brief staff (Correct answer)
- Advise the participant they climb at their own risk
- Require the participant to sign an additional waiver only
Correct answer: Record the allergy, confirm the participant carries an epinephrine auto-injector, and brief staff
Documenting the allergy and ensuring the participant has an epinephrine auto-injector allows staff to respond effectively if anaphylaxis occurs.
Question 2: Which type of risk assessment is performed before a new activity or program is introduced to the climbing facility?
- Dynamic risk assessment
- Generic risk assessment
- Post-incident review
- Specific risk assessment (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Specific risk assessment
A specific risk assessment is tailored to a particular new activity, identifying unique hazards not covered by generic assessments.
Question 3: A student climber has fallen and is hanging unconscious in their harness. Which immediate concern does prolonged suspension present?
- Rope abrasion on the harness webbing
- Suspension trauma (harness hang syndrome) impairing blood circulation (Correct answer)
- Carabiner gate becoming inverted
- Rapid dehydration from elevated heart rate
Correct answer: Suspension trauma (harness hang syndrome) impairing blood circulation
Suspension trauma can cause loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest within minutes when blood pools in the legs while hanging motionless.
Question 4: After calling EMS for an injured climber, what information should the instructor be prepared to give the dispatcher?
- The climber's membership number and route grade
- Location, nature of injury, number of casualties, and access route for emergency services (Correct answer)
- Whether the climber had completed a waiver form
- The facility's annual inspection report number
Correct answer: Location, nature of injury, number of casualties, and access route for emergency services
Dispatchers need precise location, mechanism of injury, casualty count, and access details to send appropriate resources quickly.
Question 5: What is the recommended approach when a spectator (non-climber) enters the fall zone beneath an active climber?
- Call out to the climber to wait while you address the spectator
- Stop the climbing activity immediately and redirect the spectator before resuming (Correct answer)
- Allow the climb to finish since stopping mid-route is more dangerous
- Instruct the belayer to keep tension on the rope to prevent a fall
Correct answer: Stop the climbing activity immediately and redirect the spectator before resuming
The fall zone is a live hazard zone; all activity should pause until bystanders are clear to prevent a collision injury.
Question 6: Which document provides site-specific emergency protocols that all climbing wall staff must know?
- The manufacturer's equipment manual
- The Emergency Action Plan (EAP) (Correct answer)
- The facility marketing brochure
- The national CWI certification handbook
Correct answer: The Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
The Emergency Action Plan details facility-specific procedures for injuries, evacuation, fire, and communication with emergency services.
Question 7: A climber wearing a harness develops redness and hives on their skin beneath the harness after 20 minutes. The instructor suspects a latex allergy. What should occur?
- Apply water to the affected area and continue the session with a shorter duration
- Have the climber remove the harness, assess the reaction, and follow the facility's allergy protocol (Correct answer)
- Switch the climber to a different harness style and monitor
- Continue climbing as the reaction will subside with movement
Correct answer: Have the climber remove the harness, assess the reaction, and follow the facility's allergy protocol
A suspected allergic reaction requires removal of the irritant, assessment of severity, and activation of the allergy response protocol in case of anaphylaxis.
CWI Risk Assessment & Emergency Procedures 4
A participant discloses a severe nut allergy during pre-session registration.
Which risk management step is MOST appropriate?