Walltopia Group, a world leader in the climbing and adventure and leisure industries, has shared the dummy testing process for its One More Life safety mat in a new video.
The firm’s flooring solutions brand, Climbmat, has created a unique flooring type called One More Life (OML). This flooring has been proven to dramatically reduce the risk of serious harm in the event of a fall from heights between seven metres (23 feet) and 17 metres (56 feet).
In the case of a fall, OML absorbs a significant portion of the kinetic energy and reduces the deceleration force in an approach that is similar to car airbags.
Walltopia recently conducted a series of drop tests from a towering 17 metre (55 foot) climbing wall using a crash test dummy from the automotive industry named “Dummy-an”. It was found that with OML, Dummy-an had a very high chance of surviving, and the outcomes were far better than those from falls onto other commonly used flooring types.
High safety standards
Walltopia takes a comprehensive approach to safety and recommends that all providers of climbing activities above 3 metres adopt the highest possible safety precautions, to include equipment, training, supervision, checks, and maintenance.
A spokesperson from the firm explains: “Recognizing that the thrill of climbing comes with inherent risks, 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.”
Flooring plays a vital role if an accident occurs, yet there is no mandatory flooring regulation for climbing-based activities above five metres (16 feet) in the climbing industry.
“We feel it is our moral obligation to stress on the importance of adding proper matting for climbing-based attractions,” adds the firm.
OML’s crushable modules absorb far more energy than regular rope wall mats, which are designed for falls up to the first clip. In falls of up to three metres (10 feet), OML’s top layer safely absorbs the energy of multiple falls, and the mat will not be damaged. For falls from greater heights, from three to 17 metres (10 to 55 feet), the energy is absorbed by the mat’s bottom high-impact energy-absorbing layer. This bottom layer is a sacrifice module, and after a fall of over three metres must be inspected and crushed modules replaced.
In addition, the mat is available in a range of sizes and thicknesses and can be tailored to an attraction’s specific needs. A choice of vinyl or carpet finishes enables the flooring to integrate into any climbing wall design.
Flooring drop tests
Walltopia used standards from the car manufacturing industry to assess the impact of a fall onto different flooring in a series of drop tests. There are no common standards for rope climbing flooring, however, fall impact occurs at a speed which is comparable to a car crash. In this test, the dummy fell from 17 metres (55 feet) and hit the flooring at 65 km/h (40 mph).
Walltopia measured the maximum G-force exerted onto the crash test dummy. It compared this data to standards from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US, which states in a sudden impact, the chest deceleration on a human body that would cause severe injury or death in an average human is 65 G.
The results for OML came in below this threshold at 55 G, and well below the G-force exerted on the other flooring types.
Walltopia Group recently announced its new TREE COURSE, a towering obstacle course with a unique design. It has been developed to enhance the visitor experience and transform venues such as shopping malls, ski resorts, adventure parks, and others.
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