Mike Fischesser, designer, builder and trainer for zip lines, ropes courses, climbing attractions and interactive playgrounds throughout the country, and an operator of a facility in Morganton, NC, has a long history in the field of safety management in outdoor education.

Determining the quality and safety of the zip line facility you are planning on going to is important. Industry expert Fischesser suggests the following to consider prior to participating:

Harness System: There are a few varieties of harnesses used throughout the industry, most being a sit harness or full-body harness. All types must always have the waist belt above the iliac crest (hip bones). Unfortunately, because of the current style of lower riding pants, a lot of staff won't pull the waist belt up that high, and they wear the waist belt below the hipbones. This can cause the harness to completely slip off in an invert situation. Make sure staff is wearing the harness correctly.

Full-body harnesses are best for accommodating guests who come in all shapes and sizes. If a pulley jams or a guest doesn't fully arrive on a zip, they may have to hang for a while before being rescued. A full body harness is more comfortable and supportive and will lessen the possibility of the "harness hang syndrome" in a long hanging situation where serious medical problems can arise from restricting blood flow (usually in the case of an unconscious participant).

Braking System: A lot of zip line accidents occur during the braking process. Hand braking is when staff and guests control their zip speed with their own hand(s) on the cable behind the pulley(s). Hand braking is fun and typically safe. Unfortunately, the occasional guest (and a recent serious injury with a builder) may not do the procedure correctly and slam into the pole, tree or cliff at the far end.

Another braking technique that has eliminated a lot of accidents occurring is the "Peter Panl" landings. Once the zip is coming to an end, the line actually begins to ascend, which naturally slows down the zip participant. The participant completely comes to a stop by placing his or her legs onto the landing pad and "tip toe" to a complete stop. "Most professional builders and designers are using hand braking and it is absolutely an awesome technique on the longer zips (greater than 200 feet), when done correctly," explains Fischesser. His company installs Peter Pan-type landings.

Additionally, hand braking requires that the participant be close enough to the cable to reach it, therefore long hair is a concern and can be entangled in the moving pulley. If someone is scared and over grips the cable to slow down during hand braking, it can result in injury to the shoulder assembly or a complete dislocation. Even though they are taught not to, sometimes a guest will grab the cable in front of the moving pulley and receive lacerations (on an ungloved hand) to the fingers. "This is another reason why our designs have the participants hanging well below the pulleys to avoid these problems," continues Mike.

Cable Diameter: The old standard was 3/8" diameter, 7x19 strand, GAC, but now, most professional companies are using ½" diameter or greater.

Staff: Another major safety concern is: THE HUMAN ERROR FACTOR (HEF). Zip Line companies should be "hyper-vigilant' to insure that we are using the very best practices in terms of staff selection and training. The worst possible human error on a zip line canopy tour or zip adventure park would be for a staff member to incorrectly or not attach the guest to the safety cable or zip cable resulting in serious injury or death.

Fischesser firmly believes that everyone, guides and guests, should be attached to the safety or zip cable with two independent attachment points originating from two distinct and separate places on a full body harness, so that if one attachment fails (or is not clipped on), the other still serves as a primary life support point.

Many view Mike as one of the leading pioneers and industry expert of outdoor adventure programs and ropes course safety in the U.S. Before becoming involved in the zip line industry, he worked at the N.C. Outward Bound School and Outward Bound U.S.A. for over 18 years where he developed many safety standards and innovations. In 1989, he founded Alpine Towers. There are over 500 Alpine Towers in operation today. He also helped to start the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT) in 1988. His company, Beanstalk Builders, installs zip lines along with other interactive attractions such as ropes courses, climbing towers and adventure parks. More and more organizations are contacting Beanstalk Builders due to their strict standards for zip line safety. Recent clients include Red Ore Zip Tour, Red Mountain Park, Birmingham, AL; Ghost Town Zip Lines, Ghost Town in the Sky, Maggie Valley, NC; Beanstalk Journey, Catawba Meadows Park, Morganton, NC; Harpers Ferry Canopy Tour, River Riders, Harpers Ferry, WV; and Ace Adventures Resort, Oak Hill, WV.

Not only did Beanstalk Builders installed Beanstalk Zip Lines in Morganton, NC, they currently operate it. "We feel strongly that the design, build and safety practices must be built in to every Beanstalk project," explains Mike. "You as a potential guest have the responsibility to educate yourself, similar to sending your child to a summer camp, so you can ask the proper questions."

Here are some possible questions to ask:

1. Is the zip business or builder a member of a credible, recognized national organization?

2. Ask for their Annual Safety Report.

3. Do they use poles, tree or steel structures? If trees, did an arborist guarantee "no significant hollow cavities"?

4. Did they use a structural engineer?

5. Do they know the statistics of accidents an incidents on their course?

6. What is their method of insuring that guests will not slam into a tree or pole at the end of a zip?

7. Ask them to explain their criteria for staff and training design.

8. Do they use a full body harness or a sit harness?

9. How many attachments are there to the cable?

10. Does their course have a lightning protection system? If not, why not?

Beanstalk Journey's Zip Lines consist of an exhilarating network of fifteen interconnected islands in the sky. Zippers are transported from one tree house to the next by a series of sky bridges and multiple zip lines. Participants can challenge their climbing skills on the 32-foot Beanstalk Climbing Tower and play right above, on the giant Spider's Climbing Web.

(Image provided by Flickr user GoGap.)

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