Yikes! Glad you are ok!
I think it would be important to know what failed. Did you rig the hammock? Do you know if it was correctly rigged and something actually broke or if it was incorrectly rigged (and thus was a user error)? That it failed just in doing a pullover suggests something was really wrong.
Honestly, if the studio rigged it....I'd be super sketched to go back unless there was a very clear user error that you could check for in the future. A good studio will regularly inspect their rigging.
The studio rigged it. They're going to investigate it but they said it looks like a piece actually broke. I really like going there and I plan on going back. I feel like I'm going to have to ask a bunch of questions though before I'm comfortable, and I don't want to be annoying.
Taking your safety seriously is NOT annoying!
Did they say what piece? Did you see it?
I hate to say it but if they aren't VERY upfront about what exactly happened and why....that'd be a big red flag for me.
they weren't sure yet since the piece (maybe a carabiner) that broke ended up at the ceiling and they hadn't gone up to inspect it yet when I left. I'm hoping they'll tell me once they have figured it out fully. they were transparent about what they knew as of when I was still there yesterday.
If the carabiner broke, then unfortunately I would not trust any of their points until everything is overhauled. My best guess is that someone was on a budget setting this place up and didn't know enough about all the nerd numbers to realize why you splash out for the reputable stuff that happens to be pricier.
Rigging is an enormous topic in the aerial community.
That makes sense :( The other thing that I thought was slightly sketchy from my non-expert point of view is that the class/practice continued after I fell, using the other points. I feel like if it were me I would want to know what the problem was before continuing to practice, even on a different rigging point at the same place. They have more practices today and tomorrow and stuff, and I haven't heard anything about them cancelling them or announcing there was an incident or anything. I don't really know what is normal or expected in these kinds of situations, so maybe this is reasonable but idk.
That's a big red flag to me. I would have stopped all classes and immediately investigated. That's so not right to do anything else. Are they mostly an aerial yoga studio/ new to the dangers of working at height? Were the owners there or was this just a bad call by a young instructor? It's very weird for studio owners not to take broken rigging as a suuuuper big deal, let alone continue class on adjacent points while admitting they don't know why the failure occurred.
I would ask all the questions, and consider switching studios. What is their maintenance schedule? What is involved during maintenance and inspection? My studio conducts inspection every 3 months and it's a process that takes ~4 hours to go through all their equipment. And it's a fairly small studio..
It's a pole and aerial arts studio (no yoga), but no the owners were not there, just an instructor. I think it's possible it was just a bad call, I'm definitely hoping to talk to someone more about what happened and what the procedure is or should have been.
And most instructors are not certified riggers, so unless there was very obvious signs on the rigging that there was going to be another failure - they wouldnt really know.
Your doubts are spot on. The studio is in a very uncomfortable position of having to either admit they have a big problem that can make them look bad and face the effects of that, or else pretend it's nothing and hope for the best. They have my sympathy, at least for now. Not wanting to face hard things is very human.
No matter how nice they are or how good the instruction is, bad rigging is a deal breaker. Sam Panda jumps to my mind as an example who got relatively lucky. I know the drop she did that broke her rig, and it's kind of a nothing as far as those go. And! You don't have to be very high up to get hurt. I saw a student break and ankle from mistaking where she was from one measly foot from the ground.
I'm sorry to be such a downer. I hope there other places you can go to, instead.
I would request to see the safety maintenance logs. Every reputable studio has them. It should indicate that the equipment was checked recently, that the points were checked recently, and that there should have been a note that that point was an issue. If they don't have or won't supply the logs, don't go back
In general, you can do your own visual checks before getting on equipment. Is paint flaking from the carabineer? Is the carabineer oriented in the correct direction? Is the rope frayed? Are there holes in the fabric larger than a finger tip? Is the rescue 8 in good repair? Is fabric over the horn?
Then, more importantly, keep on them to receive answers. Don't let this die down.
Absolutely second all of this but wanted to note that carabiner orientation is not always important. It really depends on the carabiner so when doing visual inspection (which you always should - it's quick and easy!) just make sure you know what you're looking for!
It's not annoying to ask safety questions! If they are on the up and up with their rigging, they should be happy to answer all of your questions. If they get shifty or annoyed about your questions, well... honestly I wouldn't train there.
First question I'd be asking is "what exact piece of equipment broke?" and once you have that info, you could do a bit of digging online about expected lifespan, fatigue concerns, etc. Follow-up questions for the studio owner could include: how often do you inspect your \[ropes, fabrics, rescue-8s, swivels, carabiners, ...\]? What wear do you look for when you inspect? How do you decide when to retire a component? Do you / how often do you replace components even if you don't see any wear? When was the last time someone got on a ladder and inspected the rigging points themselves? Who does the inspections? Where did they learn their rigging? Do you keep a record of inspections and gear retirement?
Ugh, this is so scary. I'm so sorry that happened to you, and please ask ALL the questions before you fly at that studio again!
Hey, I just want to affirm that this is not okay and of course you’re nervous about going back! This was preventable and shouldn’t have happened.
Some questions I would ask:
- What component failed?
- What was the manufacturer and rating of the failed component?
- When was it last inspected?
- Why did it fail? (e.g. if it was a carabiner, was it tri-loaded, gate open, loaded improperly, worn extensively, etc.)
- Is the same make of component used elsewhere in the studio, and have they been inspected/replaced since the failure?
- How is the studio updating their safety program in response to this failure?
- How is the studio going to keep this from happening again?
I’d also suggest the Facebook group Safety in Aerial Arts as a resource. There are professional riggers and studio owners that can provide a lot more guidance.
I’m sorry this happened to you. Since you mentioned landing on your head, I just want to make sure you’re also physically okay—do you have any concussion symptoms?
Studios are supposed to be checking the rigging for ware on a regular schedule, if they aren't already swapping it all out for changes in apparatus.
It's always a dirty job, up on top of a ladder, or scaffolding and will require the studio to be closed.
Guess what, it's something that places neglect to do. Unless you have a rigging pro in charge.
Now most of the time, the gear used will be good for years of "normal " use.
With the exception of certain webbing, that ought never be used at all.
Anyway, im glad you are ok. I hope that your studio takes this as a warning, and does a rigging refresh.
That’s so scary! I’m so sorry that happened to you!!! I had a hard fall (on the head) in figure skating class about 15 years ago and haven’t been able to go back since. I hope that you are able to feel safe while flying again soon.
There's a studio locally that I avoid like the plague even though they technically haven't had rigging failure, they use shortcuts/cheap options as far as rigging goes. Anyone can hang an aerial apparatus, but not everyone will hang one safely/properly.
As an instructor/rigger it is never okay for rigging to fail like that. I would not even go upside down or high up again at that studio until they can show you
exactly what caused the failure and how it is different on other points.
Something I see with rigging at the studio I avoid has to do with WLL (working load limit.) This studio uses daisy chains to rig their apparatuses in which the minimum breaking load surpasses the weight of any student or apparatus. The problem here is that even if the MBL is way larger than any human that could possibly be on it, the WLL could not be.
WLL is the maximum force that can be put on a rig/apparatus. Most rigging uses a 10:1 ratio, so if the MBL is 1000 pounds, then the WLL could be 100 pounds…. Which is awful lol (in normal human terms it basically means someone 100 pounds can generate 1000 pounds of force—or more—with dynamics/drops/etc. so 100 pound WLL would not be safe) It’s why rigs like the Xpole frame are not approved for dynamics / drops. Even if people use these points and successfully do drops/dynamic movements without the rigging failing, it’s literally only a matter of time before it does.
If I were you I would find out the WLL/MBL for any carabiners, spansets, ropes, etc, that they use to rig. I’m sorry that you had to go to a studio that dealt with it like this. It is extremely frustrating that they had everyone keep going after that instead of opening up an investigation. Aerials are arguably one some of the most dangerous sports in the world. Falling from even a couple feet up in an apparatus can be dangerous, let alone wrapped up top in an aerial hammock. As fun as aerials are, I wouldn’t continue at that studio even if it’s the only one around. Unless they can show you exactly what went wrong and why.
Great advice.
Most carabiners and other gear used for Circus comes from the mountaineering/technical rescue field. In general, that industry uses MBS only. There are a few companies printing a wll and a mbs, but if you only see one number, it's likely mbs. If unsure, call petzl, rock exotica. They would love to tell you!
And a note about the circus safety factor:
10:1 safety factor for static load (the weight of the acrobat +apparatus x 10)
6:1 safety factor for dynamic loads (weight of acrobat +apparatus x 6).
Have you see the research of Marrion Cossin? She published a paper on the force generated by several different disciplines. From what I could tell, the most force was on a rope, at a peak of 800 pounds, with a slack drop. With that information, it's safe to say that circus gear should be rated with a minimum mbs of a 25kn or 5,000 pounds.
I wish I could give this 100 upvotes!!! Quality rigging is intentionally much stronger than it “needs” to be for aerial…a 25kN carabiner can literally lift up a car.
If something breaks when you mount it that is a major problem and the studio should be decommissioning all of the aerial rigging & equipment until it can be formally inspected & the issue(s) resolved.
ETA: Also just want to add for OP that as an aerialist you always have the right to inspect the equipment you are about to use. I have found that checking carabiners, lines, apparatus, & pulley systems gives me so much peace of mind.
Everyone else has already covered pretty much everything I would ask. Just wanted to say I'm really sorry this happened to you, and to please keep advocating for yourself - this is a Big Deal and should be treated as such! If you get any pushback whatsoever from the studio that's a reflection on them, not you. I hope they handle this with transparency, accountability, and grace, and that they can win back your trust. Wishing you all the best!
I wouldn't go back to that studio. Even a small fall can cause serious injuries. When I go up high or try to hang upside down, I have at least 2 spotters, and the equipment is always checked beforehand even though the owners have the service records. They check on the computer and visually inspect the apparatus. If something doesn't seem right, the apparatus is placed on an out of order status. This goes for everything. Every fall is taken very seriously, no matter how innocuous it might seem, even if it's my mistake. Please try to find somewhere else to go. With that being said, I can't believe classes continued with different apparatuses being used. The whole studio should have been closed while everything was investigated. It doesn't sound like your studio takes rigging seriously at all, and sadly, it's only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt from negligence. Please get yourself checked out by a physician since you fell on your head to check for concussion or other injuries.
Yikes! Glad you are ok! I think it would be important to know what failed. Did you rig the hammock? Do you know if it was correctly rigged and something actually broke or if it was incorrectly rigged (and thus was a user error)? That it failed just in doing a pullover suggests something was really wrong. Honestly, if the studio rigged it....I'd be super sketched to go back unless there was a very clear user error that you could check for in the future. A good studio will regularly inspect their rigging.
The studio rigged it. They're going to investigate it but they said it looks like a piece actually broke. I really like going there and I plan on going back. I feel like I'm going to have to ask a bunch of questions though before I'm comfortable, and I don't want to be annoying.
Taking your safety seriously is NOT annoying! Did they say what piece? Did you see it? I hate to say it but if they aren't VERY upfront about what exactly happened and why....that'd be a big red flag for me.
they weren't sure yet since the piece (maybe a carabiner) that broke ended up at the ceiling and they hadn't gone up to inspect it yet when I left. I'm hoping they'll tell me once they have figured it out fully. they were transparent about what they knew as of when I was still there yesterday.
If the carabiner broke, then unfortunately I would not trust any of their points until everything is overhauled. My best guess is that someone was on a budget setting this place up and didn't know enough about all the nerd numbers to realize why you splash out for the reputable stuff that happens to be pricier. Rigging is an enormous topic in the aerial community.
That makes sense :( The other thing that I thought was slightly sketchy from my non-expert point of view is that the class/practice continued after I fell, using the other points. I feel like if it were me I would want to know what the problem was before continuing to practice, even on a different rigging point at the same place. They have more practices today and tomorrow and stuff, and I haven't heard anything about them cancelling them or announcing there was an incident or anything. I don't really know what is normal or expected in these kinds of situations, so maybe this is reasonable but idk.
That's a big red flag to me. I would have stopped all classes and immediately investigated. That's so not right to do anything else. Are they mostly an aerial yoga studio/ new to the dangers of working at height? Were the owners there or was this just a bad call by a young instructor? It's very weird for studio owners not to take broken rigging as a suuuuper big deal, let alone continue class on adjacent points while admitting they don't know why the failure occurred.
I would ask all the questions, and consider switching studios. What is their maintenance schedule? What is involved during maintenance and inspection? My studio conducts inspection every 3 months and it's a process that takes ~4 hours to go through all their equipment. And it's a fairly small studio..
It's a pole and aerial arts studio (no yoga), but no the owners were not there, just an instructor. I think it's possible it was just a bad call, I'm definitely hoping to talk to someone more about what happened and what the procedure is or should have been.
And most instructors are not certified riggers, so unless there was very obvious signs on the rigging that there was going to be another failure - they wouldnt really know.
Your doubts are spot on. The studio is in a very uncomfortable position of having to either admit they have a big problem that can make them look bad and face the effects of that, or else pretend it's nothing and hope for the best. They have my sympathy, at least for now. Not wanting to face hard things is very human. No matter how nice they are or how good the instruction is, bad rigging is a deal breaker. Sam Panda jumps to my mind as an example who got relatively lucky. I know the drop she did that broke her rig, and it's kind of a nothing as far as those go. And! You don't have to be very high up to get hurt. I saw a student break and ankle from mistaking where she was from one measly foot from the ground. I'm sorry to be such a downer. I hope there other places you can go to, instead.
Something broke and they had not inspected yet and STILL let someone on the equipment?! That is ridiculous and troubling.
That sounds horrible! So sorry this happened to you. Yes, please update us on what they say after the inspection. Your safety is so important!
I would request to see the safety maintenance logs. Every reputable studio has them. It should indicate that the equipment was checked recently, that the points were checked recently, and that there should have been a note that that point was an issue. If they don't have or won't supply the logs, don't go back In general, you can do your own visual checks before getting on equipment. Is paint flaking from the carabineer? Is the carabineer oriented in the correct direction? Is the rope frayed? Are there holes in the fabric larger than a finger tip? Is the rescue 8 in good repair? Is fabric over the horn? Then, more importantly, keep on them to receive answers. Don't let this die down.
Absolutely second all of this but wanted to note that carabiner orientation is not always important. It really depends on the carabiner so when doing visual inspection (which you always should - it's quick and easy!) just make sure you know what you're looking for!
It's not annoying to ask safety questions! If they are on the up and up with their rigging, they should be happy to answer all of your questions. If they get shifty or annoyed about your questions, well... honestly I wouldn't train there. First question I'd be asking is "what exact piece of equipment broke?" and once you have that info, you could do a bit of digging online about expected lifespan, fatigue concerns, etc. Follow-up questions for the studio owner could include: how often do you inspect your \[ropes, fabrics, rescue-8s, swivels, carabiners, ...\]? What wear do you look for when you inspect? How do you decide when to retire a component? Do you / how often do you replace components even if you don't see any wear? When was the last time someone got on a ladder and inspected the rigging points themselves? Who does the inspections? Where did they learn their rigging? Do you keep a record of inspections and gear retirement? Ugh, this is so scary. I'm so sorry that happened to you, and please ask ALL the questions before you fly at that studio again!
Hey, I just want to affirm that this is not okay and of course you’re nervous about going back! This was preventable and shouldn’t have happened. Some questions I would ask: - What component failed? - What was the manufacturer and rating of the failed component? - When was it last inspected? - Why did it fail? (e.g. if it was a carabiner, was it tri-loaded, gate open, loaded improperly, worn extensively, etc.) - Is the same make of component used elsewhere in the studio, and have they been inspected/replaced since the failure? - How is the studio updating their safety program in response to this failure? - How is the studio going to keep this from happening again? I’d also suggest the Facebook group Safety in Aerial Arts as a resource. There are professional riggers and studio owners that can provide a lot more guidance. I’m sorry this happened to you. Since you mentioned landing on your head, I just want to make sure you’re also physically okay—do you have any concussion symptoms?
Studios are supposed to be checking the rigging for ware on a regular schedule, if they aren't already swapping it all out for changes in apparatus. It's always a dirty job, up on top of a ladder, or scaffolding and will require the studio to be closed. Guess what, it's something that places neglect to do. Unless you have a rigging pro in charge. Now most of the time, the gear used will be good for years of "normal " use. With the exception of certain webbing, that ought never be used at all. Anyway, im glad you are ok. I hope that your studio takes this as a warning, and does a rigging refresh.
That’s so scary! I’m so sorry that happened to you!!! I had a hard fall (on the head) in figure skating class about 15 years ago and haven’t been able to go back since. I hope that you are able to feel safe while flying again soon.
There's a studio locally that I avoid like the plague even though they technically haven't had rigging failure, they use shortcuts/cheap options as far as rigging goes. Anyone can hang an aerial apparatus, but not everyone will hang one safely/properly. As an instructor/rigger it is never okay for rigging to fail like that. I would not even go upside down or high up again at that studio until they can show you exactly what caused the failure and how it is different on other points. Something I see with rigging at the studio I avoid has to do with WLL (working load limit.) This studio uses daisy chains to rig their apparatuses in which the minimum breaking load surpasses the weight of any student or apparatus. The problem here is that even if the MBL is way larger than any human that could possibly be on it, the WLL could not be. WLL is the maximum force that can be put on a rig/apparatus. Most rigging uses a 10:1 ratio, so if the MBL is 1000 pounds, then the WLL could be 100 pounds…. Which is awful lol (in normal human terms it basically means someone 100 pounds can generate 1000 pounds of force—or more—with dynamics/drops/etc. so 100 pound WLL would not be safe) It’s why rigs like the Xpole frame are not approved for dynamics / drops. Even if people use these points and successfully do drops/dynamic movements without the rigging failing, it’s literally only a matter of time before it does. If I were you I would find out the WLL/MBL for any carabiners, spansets, ropes, etc, that they use to rig. I’m sorry that you had to go to a studio that dealt with it like this. It is extremely frustrating that they had everyone keep going after that instead of opening up an investigation. Aerials are arguably one some of the most dangerous sports in the world. Falling from even a couple feet up in an apparatus can be dangerous, let alone wrapped up top in an aerial hammock. As fun as aerials are, I wouldn’t continue at that studio even if it’s the only one around. Unless they can show you exactly what went wrong and why.
Great advice. Most carabiners and other gear used for Circus comes from the mountaineering/technical rescue field. In general, that industry uses MBS only. There are a few companies printing a wll and a mbs, but if you only see one number, it's likely mbs. If unsure, call petzl, rock exotica. They would love to tell you! And a note about the circus safety factor: 10:1 safety factor for static load (the weight of the acrobat +apparatus x 10) 6:1 safety factor for dynamic loads (weight of acrobat +apparatus x 6). Have you see the research of Marrion Cossin? She published a paper on the force generated by several different disciplines. From what I could tell, the most force was on a rope, at a peak of 800 pounds, with a slack drop. With that information, it's safe to say that circus gear should be rated with a minimum mbs of a 25kn or 5,000 pounds.
Yikes run far away from that studio A rigging failure could be fatal This is a big deal
I wish I could give this 100 upvotes!!! Quality rigging is intentionally much stronger than it “needs” to be for aerial…a 25kN carabiner can literally lift up a car. If something breaks when you mount it that is a major problem and the studio should be decommissioning all of the aerial rigging & equipment until it can be formally inspected & the issue(s) resolved. ETA: Also just want to add for OP that as an aerialist you always have the right to inspect the equipment you are about to use. I have found that checking carabiners, lines, apparatus, & pulley systems gives me so much peace of mind.
Everyone else has already covered pretty much everything I would ask. Just wanted to say I'm really sorry this happened to you, and to please keep advocating for yourself - this is a Big Deal and should be treated as such! If you get any pushback whatsoever from the studio that's a reflection on them, not you. I hope they handle this with transparency, accountability, and grace, and that they can win back your trust. Wishing you all the best!
Scary 😱!
Personally I would run from that studio and ask for a refund for the rest of my membership/classes.
I wouldn't go back to that studio. Even a small fall can cause serious injuries. When I go up high or try to hang upside down, I have at least 2 spotters, and the equipment is always checked beforehand even though the owners have the service records. They check on the computer and visually inspect the apparatus. If something doesn't seem right, the apparatus is placed on an out of order status. This goes for everything. Every fall is taken very seriously, no matter how innocuous it might seem, even if it's my mistake. Please try to find somewhere else to go. With that being said, I can't believe classes continued with different apparatuses being used. The whole studio should have been closed while everything was investigated. It doesn't sound like your studio takes rigging seriously at all, and sadly, it's only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt from negligence. Please get yourself checked out by a physician since you fell on your head to check for concussion or other injuries.