One More Life Safety Mat – Climbing Higher with Safety and Innovation
Every activity that is set to happen above the ground brings the inherent risk of falling. It’s the law of physics.
At Walltopia, we understand that gravity is an undeniable force. We recognize that the thrill of climbing comes with inherent risks. So we have taken significant strides to not only minimize the chances of human error but also to mitigate the severity of incidents should they occur. We can’t eliminate the risk of falls, but we can significantly reduce the impact and ensure a safe and enjoyable climbing experience for everyone. Knowing this, as a leading climbing wall manufacturer, we have worked consistently in two directions when it comes to safety:
1) to decrease the risk of human mistakes
2) to decrease the severity of the accident if such occurs.
When it comes to task number one, we rely on the products of our partners at Safety Engineering who offer a wide range of safety gear essentials and personal protection equipment.
When it comes to the unfortunate case of an accident, the flooring plays the critical role. In the climbing industry there is no mandatory flooring regulation for climbing-based activities above 5 m / 16 ft. However we feel it is our moral obligation to stress on the importance of adding proper matting for climbing-based attractions.
Introducing the One More Life Safety Mat: Innovation Meets Safety
Our brand for flooring solutions, Climbmat, is the only one that has developed a special type of flooring – One More Life. It is proven to significantly decrease the risk of severe injury in the event of a fall from heights between 7 m / 23 ft and 17 m / 56 ft. It is a testament to our belief in going beyond the minimum safety requirements. Climbmat designed One more life to work similar to the airbags in cars. Its role is to absorb a big part of the kinetic energy and decrease the deceleration force in the event of a fall. Regular rope wall mats are designed to take falls up to the first clip while the crushable modules of OML offer a lot more energy absorption.
With the help of Dummy-an – our crash test dummy from the automotive industry – we recently performed a series of drop tests from the top of the climbing wall at 55 ft at Walltopia HQ. Despite the huge height of 17 m/55 ft Dummy-an had very high chances of survival! We compared the data for the impact force during the falls to the different limits set by highway traffic administrations in the EU and the US. And the results of the drop tests showed that the numbers we got are below the threshold line from the highway administration.
How One More Life Works
Up to 3 m / 10 ft
- The top low impact energy absorbing layer safely absorbs the energy of multiple falls from up to 3 m. In the event of a fall from less than 3m, One More Life will sustain no damage.
From 3 to 17m (10 to 55 ft)
- The bottom high impact energy absorbing layer is a sacrifice module that safely absorbs the energy of falls from heights greater than 3m and up to 7m. The crushed modules need to be replaced. In the event of a fall from more than 3m, the high impact energy absorbing modules of One More Life must be inspected for damage and the crushed modules must be replaced.
Fall from 17m /55 Ft on Three Different Types of Flooring
The chart above shows the results of our crash test dummy drop tests. While there is no common standard for rope climbing flooring, we followed the standards set by the car manufacturing industry because the impact on the human body in the event of a fall is comparable to a car crash. For example, in the case of falling from 17 m / 56 ft, a person will hit the ground with 65 km/h or 40 mph. So according to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) standard for a sudden impact the chest deceleration on a human body that would cause severe injury or death is 65 g’s for an average human.
We compared our One More Life product with one of the most commonly used surfaces for indoor top-rope and lead climbing walls – a combination of a carpet-bonded closed foam material and open cell foam. The graph represents the maximum G-force exhibited by the chest of our crash tests dummy when falling over different surfaces.
So you can see in the chart the first bar that shows the typical deceleration rate for a human torso falling on One More Life mat from a height of 17 m. The maximum value is 55 g’s. This is below the severe injury threshold of 65 g’s, set by NHTSA. The results when falling directly on concreate and the carpet-bonded type flooring (13 cm thickness) are much worse than in the case of One More Life mat. In fact, they are much over the 65 g’s severe injury threshold set by NHTSA.
What makes the One More Life mat stand out
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- Superior impact absorption: The mat utilizes advanced technology to absorb impact energy effectively. It significantly reduces the risk of serious injuries in case of a fall.
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- Durable and long-lasting: The modular structure allows for partial replacement in the event of a fall from more than 3m / 10ft, when the high impact energy absorbing modules will be crushed.
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- Variety of sizes and thicknesses: The mat is available in various sizes and thicknesses. It can be customized to fit the specific needs of your climbing space and wall height.
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- Aesthetically pleasing: The mat comes in vinyl or carpet, just like any climbing flooring. It allows you to integrate it seamlessly into your climbing wall design without compromising on aesthetics.
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Beyond the Mat: A Comprehensive Approach to Safety
Regardless of what particular type or brand of impact flooring you choose, Walltopia highly recommends that all climbing gyms and amusement centers offering activities above 3m take responsibility to provide their customers the highest possible safety precautions. In this way climbing and other activities at height can only bring positive emotions to all visitors.
While safety mats play a crucial role in mitigating fall impact, safety is a comprehensive approach at Walltopia. Through our partners Safety Engineering we offer safety gear essentials and innovative safety products to further mitigate the risks of human error:
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- Belay points and top anchors for lead and top rope climbing: highly durable, thoughtfully made to avoid friction of the ropes and draws with the wall surface and purposefully created for heavy gym use
- Self Belay: innovative climbing connector preventing wrong clipping in and undesired detachment optimizing operations
- Smart Gate: fully automated audible and visual alarm for unclipped climbers on autobelay climbing lines.
- Autobelays: we have chosen to work with two of the topmost brands – Trublue and Perfect Descent.
- Personal protection equipment: climbing harnesses, carabiners and belay devices by top brands in the climbing industry.
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Additionally, we would like to emphasize on the importance of:
- Proper training: learning proper climbing techniques and belaying procedures is crucial for preventing accidents.
- Proper supervision: make sure your gym has a well-working and respected supervisor system for all visitors.
- Regular equipment checks: inspecting equipment for wear and tear regularly and comply to manufacturer’s requirements.
- Regular Maintenance: make sure you follow the requirements of manufacturers. Send your safety equipment for maintenance before the end date for this. Regularly inspect the wall with professionals to make sure that all joints and nuts are properly attached and tightened.
Let’s build a safe and fun environment for climbing and active entertainment!