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St Peters Gym accident 25-Sep-2016 At 1:44:41 PM Happywanderer

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An interesting question...

The climbing gym does have an obligation to ensure that patrons of the facility are 'competent'.

NSW WHS legislation does not offer up any info on how to actually train and assess (or just 'assess').

One could look to the 'Adventure Activity standards' for NSW - but it is very loosely written with little substance and no teeth. Here is an example (from VIC) - very similar in all States:
Link: http://outdoorsvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/AAS_Edition2_Artificial_Climbing_Structures.pdf
//////////////////// Refer clause 3.2 ////////////////////

You will note the very loose wording...the only partial substance is that it states that:
"Participants acting as non-anchored belayers must undertake additional assessment and consideration must be given to relative weights (belayer, climber and equipment) "

In other words, it is left to the gym proprietor to devise their own in-house training and assessment system.

Therefore, the quality (and thoroughness) of the training and assessment scheme is entirely dependent upon how well it is written and how well it is actually implemented and then enforced.

One must also consider that gym staff cant possibly be everywhere at all times - this would be an impossible burden.

As I stated previously, whenever humans are part of the safety chain - it is inevitable that incidents will occur. Try as we might to root out all possible causes and find all possible cures - accidents still happen.

Some take the view that the only real solution is to remove humans from the equation.

The problem with that solution is that it contradicts the very essence of human adventure and risk-taking. By definition, lead climbing is a multi-person experience - it requires (at the least) a lead climber and a belay person. Absolute trust and confidence is held with the appointed belay person.

For the proprietor of a gym, it is technically difficult to design an assessment system that is 100% foolproof. However, that should not stop the said proprietor from trying to make it as foolproof as possible.

My personal view is that the assessment system must include deliberate 'staged' events that are designed to test the belay persons response under real-time circumstances. Of course, this requires the lead climber to be backed-up by a separate top-rope (just in case things go south). It requires the lead climber to be well trained - and well rehearsed in staging a set of circumstances to try to deliberately 'catch the belay person asleep at the wheel'. There must be multiple attempts to test the belay persons competence - one attempt is insufficient. Obviously, for this to be a successful assessment - it requires highly trained assessors.

In truth, few climbing gyms operate to this high standard in their assessment process. Note that this is NOT a specific criticism of Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym assessment methods. It is simply a general observation of the entire artificial climbing surfaces industry in Australia.