As aerialists, we tend to be naturally drawn to thrilling and adventurous activities. We find moving, twisting, and throwing our bodies through the air to be fun rather than frightening. However, it’s no secret that there can be risk and potential danger involved if these actions aren’t handled carefully. While practicing, you are essentially entrusting your safety and stability to the apparatus itself, and the way in which it was rigged. While installation and rigging should always be handled by a professional aerial rigger or engineer, it is up to you to ask questions, inspect the equipment, and protect yourself prior to practicing. Whether you are at a highly reputable studio, or on a portable rig in a friend’s backyard, follow these common sense steps to ensure a safe and worry free time.
Ask Questions!
No matter how trustworthy a studio may seem, it is always good to ask as many questions as possible before practicing there. Any studio should be happy to talk to you, and give you all of the information needed. While you do not need to know all the details of rigging, it is a good idea to have a basic understanding so that you can ask the right questions.
Important things to consider are:
- Who installed the rigging and when was the last time it was inspected?
- Structurally, what is the rigging point (steel beam, wooden beam)?
- What shock load and safety factor were used to calculate rigging requirements?
- When were the apparatuses purchased and how often are they inspected?
If you happen to be practicing on a portable rig, think about the following:
- Who is the manufacturer of the rig and where was it purchased?
- When was it purchased, and how has it been maintained?
- Does it still have all of the original parts including pins and cables if needed?
Inspect!
Once you have asked all the necessary questions to feel safe about practicing, then visually inspect the equipment before each use.
- Check to see that the hardware (carabiners, swivels, figure 8) and any pulleys systems are connected and in good condition.
- Open up the fabric and look for rips or tears.
- Make sure that there are no cracks or bends in any metal or wooden equipment.
- Check that all slings, ropes, and chains are solid and secure.
Protect!
After you have visually inspected the equipment, bring yourself back to ground level and look at the mats, as well as the teacher. No matter your experience level, you should always use a mat while practicing, and you should always practice under the supervision of an experienced instructor. If something happens to go wrong during your practice, your mat and instructor are your last line of defense to avoid injury.
- Do the mats look like they are in good condition, and thick enough to protect you if you fall?
- Is there a mat under every single apparatus?
- How long has the instructor been practicing/teaching for?
- Do they have experience with all of the apparatuses being used?
While all of this questioning and inspecting may seem like a lot, it is the best way to ensure that you have a safe experience while training. Always use your common sense to decide if the situation/studio is a good place for you to practice. Keep in mind that just because there is some risk involved with the Aerial Arts, doesn’t mean that you should ever willingly put yourself into a dangerous situation.