TECH SKILLS
“GEAR WILL WEAR OUT WITH USE, WHICH IS TO BE EXPECTED.”
›HOW TO:
TO LOOK AFTER D
Have you just been handed the key to your club’s dusty club gear cupboard? Don’t panic – BMC gear guru Dan Middleton is here to help sort it out.
oes your club own equipment for loaning out to members? Does it include safety gear such as ropes, harnesses and helmets? Who looks after it and checks that this gear is safe to use? If that person is you – or your club needs someone and that person might be you – then don’t panic. There is plenty of advice and information, from both the BMC and manufacturers, to help you out.
Take an inventory
First, start off by recording the items which the club owns to help you keep track of
things. You’ll want to know if things go missing or need replacement. Ideally you’ll know when each item was bought and at which point it needs retiring because of its age. You can fi nd some sample record sheets online in our Club Guidance: Equipment notes.
Plan regular inspections In industry, safety gear typically must be checked thoroughly at least once every six months. That’s not a bad interval to strive for as a club. It’s important that the person, or people, doing the checking know what
90 | 70TH ANNIVERSARY | FOR BRITISH CLIMBING AND WALKING SINCE 1944
to look for and are able to make the right decisions about whether to retire an item because of some damage or defect. If this sounds daunting, it doesn’t need to be – check out our online advice guides and the new videos on BMC TV. Make a written record of your inspection as this is a way of showing that the club has been meeting its responsibilities.
Good habits die hard
Get into the habit of quickly checking any gear before you use it. Look and feel for any obvious problems, some typical
PHOTO: A. SMITTON.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100