Why you should always go to a reputable outlet when buying climbing equipment and how to spot potentially dangerous equipment.
Having worked in the outdoor pursuits industry for close to 13 years now we have seen a myriad of changes and regulations that have made our industry safer. However regardless of all these measures, we still see and hear of people unknowingly (and sometimes knowingly) buying and climbing with suspect and sometimes, outright dangerous equipment. So how and why does it happen? Well as we all notice the purse strings get tighter and tighter, people still want to go out and enjoy their sport. Which means people will start looking for cost effective ways to pursuing their sport, sometimes overlooking any safety concerns... "I mean this harness looks like the harness centres use, right?"
There are those that are not aware of regulatory bodies and certification that governs the quality control of our safety equipment and through no fault of their own are duped by what appear to be legitimate pieces of safety equipment.
... and then there are those who just don't care "It's not that dangerous... It's only indoor climbing!" - and yes that was actually said to me as an instructor at a local wall when I informed a father that the harnesses that he had bought weren't going to be allowed and offered him free hire of centre harnesses.
Regardless of the reason for buying suspect equipment, people are putting themselves and others at risk. So how do you reduce the risk of accidently buying something dangerous? Well here our advice...
Tip #1 - Buy climbing equipment from REPUTABLE Outlets.
And no this doesn't mean Amazon! In fact, stay away from Amazon! A lot of the safety equipment on amazon is what it's described as and most of it isn't rated either, but we'll get on to ratings and certification later.
So who are the reputable outdoor retailers? Well in the UK we are lucky enough to have quite a few, such as:
Tip #2 - Buy equipment made by well known manufactures.
Lowe Alpine
DMM
Wild Country
Black Diamond
Petzl
Tenaya
Mammut
Beal
Edelweiss
Edelrid
Psychi
Tendon
Camp
Grivel
Ocun
These are all well known manufactures of outdoor equipment. If you don't recognise the name of the manufacture, or the equipment sold doesn't state who its made by; then think again about buying it.
Tip #3 - Check its certification
As most of us have done and should keep doing, is looking at all those numbers and markings on your equipment. Those numbers and markings have special meanings though and are one tool in checking if your equipment is safe for what your going to be using it for.
So what do they mean?
Well the EN numbers state the European Norm standard that something has to meet for a particular use. For example all climbing harnesses sold in the EU must conform to EN 12277.
There are two different regulations most items of this specialisation will meet, either;
Mountaineering (Adventure)
or
Industrial use.
With the requirements for adventure equipment often being higher than those required for industrial use. Which means your arborist harness may be perfect when your lopping down trees, but it probably isn't going to be suitable for lead climbing.
There are also UIAA markings. These mean that an item has also been approved for use by UIAA. The UIAA standards are broadly similar, but slightly more stringent than the EN standards. You can check the UIAA standards and how they test equipment here: https://theuiaa.org/safety/safety-standards/
"But my Amazon bought harness only has a CE mark?"
A CE number is a requirement that the manufacturer has set for that product and therefore only products that have met that requirement get the manufacturers CE mark.
"So my amazon bought harness is safe?"
Well not necessarily. Because the CE mark is only a quality requirement set by the manufacturer, it doesn't mean that the item has been assessed to the same standards as those with EN and UIAA numbers. Therefore we strongly recommend that items with only CE numbers should not be used for PPE.
Where do you find these numbers? They should be found on the labelling sewn into the harness and shouldn't removed. As you can see, the EN and UIAA numbers are all present and are clearly printed.
If anything looks amiss, then double check via the manufacturers website!
Tip #4 - Check the manufacturers website!
Any reputable manufacturer of your climbing equipment will have a website. Does it look legit? Do all the links work? Can you contact someone about your product?
If you can, check your item's serial number! Why? Because that little number will tell you everything about your piece of equipment! A fantastic example of this checking facility can be found with the Petzl website here: https://www.petzl.com/INT/en/Sport/FAQ/how-can-i-find-out-the-age-of-my-petzl-ppe which breaks down the serial number and tells the consumer what information can be gained from it.
Tip #5 - Play it safe!
If you're still unsure then get advice from the staff at your local climbing wall and go and speak to an instore sales rep at your local Outdoor equipment outlet. Don't be lured in online by the deal that's too good to be true.