CWI Risk Assessment & Emergency Procedures 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A risk matrix is used to evaluate hazards by combining which two variables?
- Route difficulty and climber experience
- Likelihood and severity (Correct answer)
- Equipment age and inspection frequency
- Instructor qualifications and group size
Correct answer: Likelihood and severity
A risk matrix plots likelihood (probability of harm) against severity (consequences) to prioritize hazard controls.
Question 2: During a youth session, a 10-year-old slips on the approach path to the wall and strikes their head on the floor. The child is conscious but crying. What is the instructor's FIRST priority?
- Contact the child's parent or guardian
- Assess the child's level of consciousness and look for signs of concussion (Correct answer)
- Complete an incident report form
- Move the child to a comfortable seating area
Correct answer: Assess the child's level of consciousness and look for signs of concussion
Immediate clinical assessment for concussion signs (confusion, unequal pupils, nausea) must precede administrative steps when a head impact occurs.
Question 3: Which hierarchy of control is considered MOST effective when managing hazards at a climbing wall?
- Administrative controls such as staff briefings and signage
- Personal protective equipment such as helmets
- Elimination of the hazard entirely (Correct answer)
- Substitution of a less dangerous alternative
Correct answer: Elimination of the hazard entirely
The hierarchy of controls ranks elimination as the most effective measure because it removes the hazard completely rather than managing exposure to it.
Question 4: A climber at the top of a lead route cannot be lowered because the rope is stuck in the quickdraw. The safest resolution requires the instructor to:
- Instruct the climber to unclip from the quickdraw and down-climb
- Follow established rescue protocols, potentially involving a top-belay rescue by qualified staff (Correct answer)
- Have another climber ascend alongside to free the stuck rope
- Tell the climber to pull the rope through and self-lower
Correct answer: Follow established rescue protocols, potentially involving a top-belay rescue by qualified staff
Stuck-rope rescues require trained staff following rehearsed protocols; improvised solutions by the climber or bystanders increase risk.
Question 5: What is the purpose of a pre-session equipment check in a supervised climbing lesson?
- To confirm the group has paid their session fees
- To identify defective or incorrectly fitted equipment before any climbing begins (Correct answer)
- To record which harnesses were borrowed by which climbers
- To demonstrate equipment to new climbers as part of orientation
Correct answer: To identify defective or incorrectly fitted equipment before any climbing begins
Pre-session checks catch faulty buckles, worn belay devices, and misfitted harnesses before they can contribute to an incident.
Question 6: An instructor witnesses a mild rope-access near-miss where a student's figure-eight knot was not fully dressed. What is the correct follow-up beyond immediate correction?
- No further action is needed since the incident did not result in injury
- Document the near-miss and review knot-tying instruction to prevent recurrence (Correct answer)
- Permanently revoke the student's climbing privilege
- Report the event only if it happens a second time
Correct answer: Document the near-miss and review knot-tying instruction to prevent recurrence
Near-miss documentation triggers a review of instructional methods and identifies whether systemic training gaps need addressing.
Question 7: A climber becomes too fatigued to complete a route and cannot hold on. In an auto-belay session, what is the expected outcome and what must an instructor verify afterward?
- The auto-belay will hold the climber indefinitely; check that it is still attached
- The auto-belay will lower the climber at a controlled rate; verify the device retracts fully and inspect for damage (Correct answer)
- The auto-belay will lock completely; the instructor must manually lower the climber
- The auto-belay will release tension; the climber must down-climb the remaining distance
Correct answer: The auto-belay will lower the climber at a controlled rate; verify the device retracts fully and inspect for damage
Auto-belay devices are designed to lower climbers smoothly; after each use the device should be inspected to confirm full retraction and absence of damage.
CWI Risk Assessment & Emergency Procedures 5
A risk matrix is used to evaluate hazards by combining which two variables?