UIAA Safety Commission advice for canyoners

The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) has issued a safety alert regarding canyoning harnesses. The alert comes after three harnesses of unrelated brands and models broke in recent years, fortunately without causing any serious injuries.

UIAA SafeCom, the UIAA's Safety Commission, conducted tensile tests on canyoning harnesses that had been used for professional collective use for four years. The results showed that the resistance of some harnesses had dropped severely, in some cases to 10% of the standard value.

The UIAA is concerned that this could be a major safety issue and is calling for further research into the aging process of canyoning harnesses. In the meantime, the UIAA recommends that canyoners inspect their harnesses regularly and replace them if they are showing signs of wear or damage.

For more information visit the UIAA website