Tech skills: Should I wear a helmet?

BMC Technical Officer Dan Middleton takes a look at the reasons not to wear a climbing helmet.

It had been a glorious afternoon, climbing on the immaculate, rough rock of Black Crag. As I drove down Wrynose Pass afterwards, I noticed drivers coming the other way seemed to be staring at me. And we had almost reached Ambleside when I realised why - I was still wearing my climbing helmet. As I removed it, my passenger finally cracked up. He’d been struggling to control himself, wondering when I’d notice that it was still on my head.

There’s certainly no doubt that modern climbing helmets are now so light and unobtrusive, that we can forget that we’re wearing them. This is the intention, and these features have now become a primary selling point. Adverts highlight the low weight, stylish looks and comfort of these modern helmets, a far cry from some of their heavy and poorly ventilated predecessors. Is there really any reason not to wear one any more? I’m sure we’re all used to lectures on the risks of not wearing a helmet, but let’s flip things over - are there arguments against wearing a helmet?

Rotational brain injury

One reason given for not wearing a helmet is that they can actually cause greater injury to the brain. Some studies show that a helmet can cause a rotational brain injury. The friction between the outer surface of the helmet and whatever surface it contacts during a collision is thought to cause these injuries. The rotational effect is greater because the helmet projects away from the head; in effect there is greater leverage the bigger the helmet is.

To counter this, some motorcycle helmets are now manufactured with a soft outside covering which tears off during impact. If rotational brain injury was a major problem for helmet-wearing climbers, the effects could be at least partly reduced by helmet design. But the consensus of healthcare experts and researchers indicates that for climbers this is not a common occurrence, and even if it was, is outweighed by the protection provided against other forms of brain and head injury.

Strangulation

There has been at least one incident where a climbing helmet has caused asphyxiation, although this happened on a ropes course rather than rock climbing. There have also been several near misses reported by cavers getting hung up by their helmet. The problem is well known, with the standard for industrial site helmets stipulating a low force to release any chinstrap.

However the chinstrap on a climbing helmet needs to be strong enough to withstand a large force. Otherwise, in a fall the helmet would simply become detached after the initial impact, and then offer no subsequent protection. On balance, the chance of strangulation when climbing is minimal. It might be worth leaving the helmet behind for those squeeze chimneys at Stanage though…

Increased risk taking

There’s an argument that better safety equipment leads to increased risk taking. The theory is that the climber will feel less vulnerable because of the perceived protection afforded by their helmet. This feeling of increased safety causes the helmeted climber to take more chances; either of falling or of being hit by stonefall. One could argue that the limited protection afforded by climbing helmets means that they are then at greater risk of injury than if they weren’t wearing a helmet. Lack of statistical evidence makes it impossible to prove or disprove this theory. But you do wonder when you see people soloing with helmets on.

Helmets don’t offer enough protection

It’s a fact that helmets only offer limited protection. A bombproof helmet would be easy to make, but much more difficult to wear. Both the EN and UIAA standards for mountaineering helmets offer maximum protection to the crown or top of the head. Stone fall is most likely to hit this part of the helmet. The requirements for side, front and rear impacts are much lower, but in a fall you are equally likely to have an impact in any of these areas.

In the UK, statistically you are unlikely to be hit by stone fall when climbing. Much more likely is that you’ll fall, with the head the second most likely injury site after the lower legs. This leads to a strong argument for improving the off-centre impact protection of helmets, at least for rock climbing as opposed to mountaineering.

Final thoughts

Analysis of fatalities attended by Mountain Rescue shows that those wearing helmets generally died from injuries other than those to the head, in stark contrast to those not wearing helmets. And what about the many accidents where the rescue services are not called? In the event of a life-threatening fall ending up as a broken helmet and a bruised ego, it is unlikely that this would be reported. There is a large body of anecdotal evidence, which suggests that many climbers have had lucky escapes from serious injury as a result of wearing a helmet.

In conclusion, climbers should be aware of the protection that helmets can and cannot provide. To wear one or not is usually a personal decision, based on the circumstances. Far better to think for yourself as to why you might choose to wear one on a particular route, than to blindly wear one assuming it will protect you from all risks.

And in the event of the worst happening, it may just stack the odds in your favour - just don’t forget to take it off at the end of the day.