In mid-April, the UIAA Safety Committee gathered at the main annual meeting in Chamonix, France.
A variety of event programs were held, including internal UIAA Safety Committee meetings, plenary meetings involving UIAA safety labels, hosting UIAA safety label manufacturers and independently accredited laboratories, working group meetings dedicated to specific topics, and workshops on bolting, and two insightful public meetings.
In addition, the UIAA Safety Committee celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. In fact, UIAA has set safety standards since the early 1960s and has been working on safety topics since the 1930s, but 1975 marked the merger of rope and obstacle methods and created what is commonly known today as “Safecom.”
Nearly 100 delegates attended the various meetings including UIAA President Peter Muir, UIAA General Secretary and former SafeCom President Amit Chowdhury, UIAA CEO Andre Von Rotz, 14 members of the UIAA Safety Commission (as well as ten joining online), over 30 delegates from equipment manufacturers, representing them from accredited laboratories as well as honorary and former members of the UIAA Safety Commission, experts from the UIAA member association (FFCAM, France; SAC, Switzerland), environmental experts and parabolas from France, Italy and Switzerland; re-laying organization; and personnel from two members of the UIAA observer – the International Slack Line Association (ISA) and the International Alpine Rescue Commission (ICAR).
In addition to providing new standards and making progress in research and development for others, these conferences provide important opportunities for stakeholders to discuss current trends, innovations and issues in the industry.
UIAA standard update
Two highlights of the week were confirmation of the approval of two new UIAA safety standards:
UIAA 108 Static Rope, New Standard for Ropes with Very Low Elongation
This marks the culmination of widespread work, establishing standards for static strength, elongation limits and compatibility requirements with descending devices. A key component of the new UIAA 108 Static Rope Standard is to meet the specific needs of glacier crossing, rescue operations, speleology and Canyoning, that is, low elongation is crucial information. The standard introduces new mechanical testing, including static strength with and without knotting, elongation limit (maximum 2.5%), and compatibility requirements with partner equipment. This compatibility requirement represents a significant security improvement by stating that the manufacturer specifies at least one compatible device for safe use.
UIAA 171 passes Ferrata Building Standard
UIAA standards passed Ferrata Construction (UIAA 171) were approved. The standard will extend existing guidelines with formalized load calculations, construction specifications and mandatory equipment certification. This standard is intended as a global reference, especially outside the EU.
Revisions to the following existing standards have been approved: UIAA 101 (dynamic rope), UIAA 106 (helmet), UIAA 123 (rock anchor), UIAA 130 (load sharing device), UIAA 152 (ICE tool).
In terms of UIAA 123 Rock Anchor
Updates include a clearer definition of the manufacturer and sub-supplier of raw materials, mandatory ISO 9001 certification, and enhanced quality control requirements, including welding process supervision. These updates are intended to align with international norms and ensure traceability and material compliance not included in small, high-quality manufacturers.
In terms of UIAA 106 helmet
One of the cornerstones of the revised standards is the improvement of the front, back and sides that prevent impact. It has been tested at an angle of 10° from previous levels.
New and revised standards will be published on the UIAA website when appropriate. After this process is completed, a news story will be released.
New UIAA Lab
UIAA approved the certification of the new safety standards testing laboratory and conducted its first test in North America. this ACT Laboratory Testing standards will begin soon. UIAA has now gained accredited laboratories in Asia, Europe and North America. Complete details about all test labs here.
Other topics discussed in the plenary meeting
Other topics discussed during the plenary session include:
Mountain accidents in Japan
This introduction based on Japanese accident data shows a noteworthy trend: after an almost normal distribution curve, climbers have a concentrated trend among climbers aged 40-80. This discovery opens avenues for targeted secure messaging and training programs based on exposures of specific ages.
Webbing Degradation: UV Study of ISA
Representatives of the International Slack Line Association (ISA) presented the findings from two studies. These studies focused on UV degradation in polyamides and polyester fibers. Data show that continuous degradation in polyamide materials and the behavior of polyester is more stable, with humidity and temperature cycles being the aggravating factors. Ongoing field testing is being conducted at locations including the Jungfraujoch and Bern areas. Concerns about the use of aging equipment have attracted attention because of the high cost of technical textiles in some countries.
The panel discusses the potential for quality changes between batches of the same material and emphasizes the importance of strong manufacturer quality control. Some participants suggested attracting webbing manufacturers to future tests and standards discussions.
UIAA Accident Working Group
Stein Tronstad (Norwegian representative of the UIAA Management Committee) presents the work of the inter-committee Accident Database Working Group. The group has classified 13 national databases (now in UIAA Website) and is analyzing reporting practices with the aim of developing UIAA accident reporting guidelines. They also published findings based on the data, such as the latest papers on rope cutting and car binding accidents. Future goals include integrating data from UIAA ice climbing competitions and expanding into avalanche-related events. A question is raised about why some countries have thrived while others believe that adoption of limited data is raised.
Working Group
The UIAA SAFECOM Working Group participates in the following topics:
- Rope cutting resistance
- Canyon safety belt
- helmet
- Accelerate ice climbing protection
- Avalanche airbag
- Headlights
- Brake Assistant Equipment
- Protective equipment for fast ice climbing
The purpose is that the work carried out by the above-mentioned working group will lead to the update of some existing standards and new standards in the coming years.
Open and evening meetings
Highlights of the week include two public events under the “UIAA SAFECOM World Congress” on Tuesday, April 15 and Wednesday evening, April 16. These were in close collaboration with Ensm, French skiing and mountaineering (Ecole Nationale des des de Montagne) and were held at the headquarters of Ensa (Ecole Nationale de Ski et d’Alpinisme).
The topic is:
Climbing Mailing and Equipment Innovation: A Common Evolution?
Speaker: Michel Beal, CEO, Denis Pivot, Chair of Camp/CEN Committee, Director of Petzl, Alain Maurice, Jean-Franck Charlet, Ensa’s Jean-Franck Charlet, former UIAA SAFECOM President and former UIAA SAFECOM Honorary Member
UIAA and EN standards history, research, updates and future developments
Speakers: Denis Pivot, Chair of Camp/CEN Committee, Jean-Franck Charlet, Professor Ensa, former UIAA SAFECOM President and Honorary Member of SAFECOM, Marco Bonaiti, Marco Bonaiti, CEO Kong, Julia Janotte, Dav (Alpine Club, Germany) (Alpine Club, Germany) Sicherheitforschung (Safety Research Center/DAV)
These events are well received by the public and representatives and offer a rare opportunity to listen to many driving forces, even legends of the world of climbing and climbing safely. The two nights were led by Clemetine Junique, Ensm, and UIAA Safety Committee Chairman Lionel Kiener.
Bolt workshop
Another important milestone is the hosting of the UIAA Bolt Workshop. Two members of the UIAA Safety Committee, Fred Campos and Per Forsberg have introduced the extensive work of UIAA in Rock Anchors, Bolts and Corrosion over the past decade. Information has been merged here. Donations also come from the organization of re-laying projects in France and Switzerland.
In early May, a special episode of UIAA’s safety committee members podcast The topic of bolts made mountain sounds.
In addition, UIAA has collaborated with the German Alpine Club (DAV) to write the English version of the latter’s Bolt Fixation Guide. More details to follow. This guide can be downloaded here.
A week’s thoughts
“In 1932, UIAA was founded in Chamonix, so it was appropriate for UIAA to return to the location of its creation. This was a successful event that perfectly demonstrated people’s commitment to safety, climbing, and their skills and abilities.”
Peter Muir, President of UIAA
“It is impressive and very important to bring together over 60 people from various federations, manufacturers and laboratories. We are a global platform to share knowledge and practices from different countries.”
Lionel Kiener, Chairman of UIAA Safety Committee
“At the Bolting workshop, we provided a lot of information on available equipment, testing standards, and general background information on the bolts and materials required when selecting the right equipment.”
Per Forsberg, UIAA Safety Commission/Svenska Klätterförbundet (Sweden)
“During the Bolting workshop, we focused on cohabiting between climbing and nature conversations and how to avoid conflict. It was interesting to hear the perspectives of other organizations and Alpine clubs, how they worked together to find solutions and get together.”
Lucie Wiget, Swiss Alpine Club
“This is the busiest SafeCom meeting I’ve ever seen. The face-to-face conversations with manufacturers are great. The dialogues and ideas formed can help us build connections and drive UIAA and BMC’s work, what my family union does.”
UIAA Safety Committee/UK Mountaineering Commission Nick Galpin
“I’ve been active in many working groups, setting standards and being part of the team. It’s great to create standards that don’t kill innovation and get input from manufacturers, end users and certified agencies. It’s a very rewarding meeting.”
Michael McClurg, Trango
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UIAA thanks all delegates for participating in the week-long very successful event, as well as Ensm/Ensa for attending their event and FFCAM and Millet’s support.
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