This is the seventeenth report of the Safety Committee and the fourth in conjunction with the Alpine Club of Canada. Data from accidents that occurred in 1962 and not previously reported have been included in the tabular material. An accident from this group is included in detail because it demonstrates the importance of wearing a hard hat. This basic principle cannot be over emphasized especially for those engaged in climbing cliffs. In order to ensure that individuals wear adequate head gear the following standards are reprinted from the American Standard Safety Code.1

STANDARDS – HARD HATS

Shell: The shell shall be dome-shaped of one-piece seamless construction, with smooth, hard surfaces. Where reinforcing ribs are used, they shall be so designed as to deflect a falling object.

Headband: Unless otherwise specified, the headband shall be genuine vegetable-tanned leather, full grain and soft, or artificial leather conforming to Type II, Class 3 of Federal Specifications CCC-C-418. The headband should be smoothly finished on the surface that will contact the head.

Crown Straps: Crown straps shall be of closely woven webbing or suitable material with high tensile strength and a low total elongation.

Accessories: Accessories shall be suitable for the intended purpose. All accessories shall be made of suitable materials and shall show good workmanship.

Chin Strap: Unless otherwise specified, the chin strap shall be closely woven webbing, genuine leather, or elastic cotton webbing combination.

Detailed Requirements

Shell: The shell shall have a continuous brim as an integral extension of the dome; with the hat held in a horizontal position, the brim shall slope downward; the width of the brim shall be not less than 1¼ inches and not more than 3 inches measured from the inside edge of the shell.

Headband: The headband may be adjustable, or nonadjustable. If adjustable, it shall cover the size range of commercial hat sizes 6? through 7?. If nonadjustable, it shall be furnished in the specified head size. The surface of the headband in contact with the wearer’s head shall be not less than 1¼ inches in width. Any padding or stiffener strips used shall be secured to the leather or artificial leather of the headband.

Crown Straps: Crown straps may be adjustable or nonadjustable. These straps when properly laced or assembled shall form a cradle for supporting the hat or cap on the wearer’s head. The crown straps shall be designed to permit a clearance between the top of the wearer’s head and the shell of not less than 1¼ inches.

Chin Strap: The adjustable chin strap shall be made of not more than two pieces of webbing, leather, or elastic cotton webbing combination not less than ½ inch in width and not less than 16 inches in length, excluding the attachments to the hat or cap. The means for adjusting the chin strap

shall assure a secure hold of the hat or cap on the wearer’s head and quick removal of the hat or cap by releasing the strap. The chin strap shall also be adjustable for wearing at the back of the head. The webbing shall have no frayed or loose edges that may unravel. Leather, if used in the chin strap, shall be of suitable thickness, full grained, and smoothly finished on the surface that will be in contact with the chin. All metal parts shall be free from sharp or rough edges or projections. Rivet heads shall be smooth.

Impact Resistance

Class A Hats: When mounted on a standard head form, as described in Federal Specification GGG-H-142, with a crown clearance of 1½ inches, the hat or cap shall not transmit an average force of more than 850 pounds from the impact of an 8-pound spherical steel ball approximately 3.8 inches in diameter dropped onto the center of the crown from a height of 5 feet. The force transmitted shall be determined by mounting the standard head form on a Brinell hardness penetrator apparatus as described in Specification GGG-H-142. The impression bar shall be of a metal having a predetermined Brinell hardness of 18-30 as measured with a 500-kilogram load and a 10 millimeter ball, in accordance with the procedures of American Society for Testing Materials Specification E10- 54T.

Penetration Resistance: Hats and caps of all classes shall be neither dented nor pierced for more than % inch, nor shall the shell be pushed down so as to touch the standard head form, nor shall the crown straps pull out or break, when mounted as specified in the above paragraph and subjected to a 1-pound hardened steel plumb bob with a point having an included angle of 36 degrees dropped squarely onto the center of the crown from a height of 10 feet.

Painting: Caution should be exercised in painting any hat or cap shell as some paints reduce dieletric protection, attack and soften the shell material, and thus reduce impact protection. The manufacturer shall be consulted with regard to the choice of paints for a particular hat or cap.

Purchasers of hard hats for climbing should make sure that the hats meet these minimum requirements. These standards were established for the industrial use of hard hats but are quite appropriate for mountaineering use.

FROSTBITE

Another problem that deserves mention is frost bite. The recent experiences on Mt. McKinley, Dr. Mills’ research on the subject and Bradford Washburn’s articles emphasize this hazard.2

William E. Davis has recorded the following experiences with climbers in the Mt. McKinley area.

“It seems impossible to impress climbers with the continuing and overwhelming dangers of frostbite: we have tried cajoling, threatening, and all techniques in between when we see improper boots.

In support of this we offer the following data:

In the climbing seasons of 1961, ’62, and ’63 there were a total of 114 climbers on the high peaks within the park (primarily McKinley & Foraker).

of the 114 climbers, 16 (14%) were hospitalized with frostbite; and of the 16 hospitalized, 12 had frostbitten feet.

(in addition to these hospitalized cases, there were probably two or three others with frostbite who should have received hospital care but did not seek it.)

The following data relate the types of boots worn by these climbers with the prevalence of frostbitten feet.

TABLE I

Type of boot worn

number of climbers wearing

No. of climbers Frostbitten

frostbitten per cent























1. Military Korean Boot

67

0

0



2. Civilian Korean Boot

13

5

33



3. Leather mountaineering boot (without protection or with poor protection)

6



5

83



4. Double boot (includes some insulated styles and regular climbing boot with heavy-duty overboot)

23

2*

7

































* Regular climbing boots became wet at low altitude and were not sufficiently dried.

These data speak for themselves and point to the need for adequate foot gear. Climbing in the McKinley area or in most of Alaska in the summer can be the equivalent of winter climbing in more southerly latitudes (North of the equator) in the winter.

Dr. William J. Mills is active in research on this problem. He is willing to provide a free physical inspection to all who volunteer. This is a special examination and not a routine physical examination required by the Park authorities. From such studies we hope to learn more concerning the causal factors in frostbite. If you plan to climb in this area contact Dr. Mills and help him collect these data so important to mountaineers.”

ACCLIMATIZATION – ALTITUDE

Further attention must be directed to proper acclimatization to altitude. High altitude pulmonary edema is a real phenomenon and was probably mis-diagnosed in the past as pneumonia. An expedition to the Andes last year undoubtedly had such a case. It resulted from their limited time schedule and their impatience to get high quickly. Any expedition to the Andes or similarly high mountains must include in their planning sufficient time to allow for adjustment to the stresses of altitude or more appropriately hypoxia (lower Oxygen pressure). If the approach is made gradually with rest periods of a day or so at 10,000, 15,000, and 18,000 feet most of these cases will be prevented. Time will be saved and there will be more pleasure from the experience. A hasty and impromptu rescue is a time consuming and demoralizing experience, and may have tragic consequences.

RESCUES

The committee has reports on two accidents; one that is not included in the report. Both have important points to emphasize. In one a boy had a minor fall and was struck over his lower ribs. There was no apparent injury and he came home unaided. He later showed signs of internal injury and at operation he had ruptured his kidney. Thus severe blows or injury to the lower ribs may rupture an internal organ such as liver, spleen or kidney. Such individuals should be watched carefully for signs of internal bleeding.

In the other accident the victim sustained multiple fractures of his limbs and was evacuated poorly immobilized but in no serious pain and perfectly conscious. He died suddenly in hospital apparently due to a fat embolus. This emphasizes the importance of good immobilization of broken limbs in order to minimize this possibility.

References:

American Standard Safety Code for head, eye, and respiratory protection

Z 2 1-1959. Approved November 1959.

Washburn, B. Frostbite – N.E.J.M. 266, 974-989, 1962.

American Alpine Club Journal, 13, 1-26, 1962.

Safety Committee, American Alpine Club, 1963

Benjamin G. Ferris, Jr., Chairman

Weston, Massachusetts



William L. Putnam

Springfield, Massachusetts



Arnold Wexler

Washington. D.C



Harold Walton

Boulder, Colorado



Wilbur Arnold

Beulah, Colorado



Thomas O. Nevison

Albuquerque, New Mexico



Ross Petrie

Portland. Oregon



Frank C. Fickeisen

Seattle, Washington



David Harrah

Riverside, California



William Siri

Berkeley, California



William Davis

Anchorage, Alaska



Alpine Club of Canada



Paddy Sherman

Victoria, British Columbia



Equipment Testing



George Austin

Portland, Oregon