Past Webinar Recordings-Industry Practices & You

Video Transcription

Video Summary

CWA and Monument Sports Group hosted a webinar on the updated fourth edition of the Climbing Wall Industry Practices (IPs), emphasizing that gyms should review the entire document and compare it against their own policies, manuals, website language, and risk management plans. A major theme was liability: the IPs are a public baseline, and plaintiff attorneys can use them to challenge gyms that fall short.<br /><br />Key topics included clearer definitions of “guest” versus “participant,” the difference between “monitoring” and “supervision,” and the need for visitor agreements for everyone entering the facility, not just climbers. They also stressed strong signage in activity areas, staff training documentation, incident report procedures, and abuse prevention training.<br /><br />For bouldering, they discussed the rise in incidents and claims, the importance of adequate padding, and how route setting can affect risk. They also highlighted that professional certifications and video surveillance can strengthen a gym’s defense. Finally, they recommended participant accident insurance as a way to reduce out-of-pocket medical costs and potentially prevent lawsuits.

Asset Caption

The Member Education Series Webinars are exclusive webinars for members of the Climbing Wall Association featuring education-based content discussing important topics throughout the indoor climbing industry.

The CWA's recently released Industry Practices have implications for indoor climbing gyms. Learn about these and how they affect your business.

Keywords

Climbing Wall Industry Practices

liability

gym risk management

visitor agreements

staff training

bouldering safety

incident reports

signage

participant accident insurance