Caving Safety

This is the bit where we tell you about all the scary and/or dangerous things in caves!

Let's start at the beginning - Caves are formed by flowing water, carving out the rock. Obviously water is not quite as strong as rock, so it cheats by reacting with carbon dioxide to create a very, very weak carbonic acid (orange juice is far more acidic!). This assists in the carving procedure, and also produces lots of pretty formations. Still, it takes a very long time so make something big enough to fit a person in - about 15,000 years for the caves in Yorkshire.

As you can imagine, having been there for such a long time they aren't going anywhere in a hurry! So the chance of a big rock hitting you on the head is remote. However the majority of the caves we visit are still 'active', which means there is still flowing water in them, slowly carving out new cave. This is a real risk, and we treat it very seriously. Water levels can be as changeable as the weather outside, but can also suddenly react to weather conditions from up to a week before. This is why we keep a careful eye on the weather at all times and plan our trips accordingly. So if you are in a cave and see the water rising please tell someone!

Caving can easily become a strenuous sport. Generally because you are going downhill on the way in, following the water. On the way out you not only have to now go uphill, but you also have to fight the weight of the water. However caving is a very safety conscious sport and everybody looks out for, and helps, everybody else.

There are a few invisible risks which you should know about before going underground.

Radon - Radon is a radioactive gas which occurs naturally everywhere. However, you find it in larger concentrations in some caves, especially in the Peak District. This is simply because it is a heavy gas and so it sinks into the caves which are (duh) underground. Generally caves with active water (which is most of them) don't have high levels of Radon because it is literally washed out of there by the flowing air dragged along by the water, but even the caves that have higher concentrations don't involve a large risk - it's about the same level of radiation as a few x-rays.

Weil's Disease - Weil's Disease is passed into watercourses from rat piddle and is quite common with people who canoe or row in canals or inner city rivers. Don't worry, there are no rats down caves, but a lot of farms do have rats, and there are quite a few farms in caving regions. Inevitably some of the 'run off' from the farms may eventually end up in a cave. Having said this, Weil's Disease is very rare and shouldn't be a substantial worry.

The organism enters the body via breaks in the skin such as cuts, blisters and abrasions, or through the lining of the nose, throat or alimentary tract. The incubation period is 7-13 days and the disease starts with a fever, muscular aches and pains, loss of appetite and vomiting with prostration. Subsequent bruising of the skin, sore eyes, nose bleeds and jaundice may occur. The fever lasts about 5 days and may be followed by significant deterioration.

Weil's Disease is easily cured, usually with a course of antibiotics. However if you leave it untreated you can die! So if you get any symptoms 7-13 days after being caving then tell your doctor and they'll check you out. Then they will inform you that if you that if you go caving, of course you will have bruises, and surely you expect to vomit if you drink that much!

Safety underground

Everybody knows that caves are dangerous places. However if you go in there prepared and equipped for the trip ahead then it should be an enjoyable experience. The following is an extract from the try caving website. It is a bit cheesy, but it lays out exactly what you need to think about both before and during your caving trip.

Always include experienced cavers in the party.
Pick a cave or pothole within everyone's capabilities.
Leave a note of your trip with the latest time of return with a responsible person, otherwise known as a call out, and check in on exit.
Ask local experts for advice and act on it.
Never cave alone.
Take notice of the local weather forecast and ground conditions of the previous few days. Flooding can happen very quickly and violently.
One reliable headlamp for each person, and maybe spare batteries - without light you are lost.
Boots, helmets and warm clothes are essential.
Emergency lights, food and first aid kit should always be taken.
See that ropes, ladders and belays are inspected and rigged properly before hanging your life on them.
Accidents underground are always easy, rescue is difficult, sometimes impossible.
Falls, loose boulders, rising water and hypothermia cause most accidents.
Exit takes more effort than entry - plan with the return in mind.

All of the points above are really important, however one of them in particular is paramount for the safety of the group. Leaving a note or 'call out' for your trip is something that must be done. If you have an accident in a cave and/or nobody in your group can get out, then someone needs to know where to find you. It's not like getting lost or injured on a hill, where somebody might walk, drive or fly past. If you are in a cave it may be months or even years before someone goes in there again!

How to leave a call out

Get someone responsible - Find a friend who is trustworthy to leave it with and make sure they are contactable whilst you are underground.
Give them your latest exit time - Estimate the duration of your trip and add a reasonable amount of time for faffing around.
Give them the number of people on the trip - Tell your friend how many people are on the trip. If you are driving to the cave then also give them the registration number of the car, and its make and colour.
Give them the name of the cave - Tell your friend which cave and which area you are going to. Make sure they get the correct name and write it down. Some caves have very similar names but are very far apart! If you are going into a very large cave decide which bit you are going to and tell them that too.
Don't go to a different cave without telling them - If you decide to go to a different cave then make sure to tell your friend, otherwise what is the point in leaving a call out?
When you exit the cave contact your friend - Once you are out contact your friend and tell them you are all out. That way they don't panic when it gets to your call out time.

What to do if your friends don't ring

If you are the trustworthy person and your friends have not contacted you half an hour before their call out time then:

Try to contact them - They might have forgotten to contact you in their haste to get to the pub. If you are close to the cave then go to see if they are around!

If they still have not contacted you by their call out time, then there is only one option:

Call cave rescue - You do this by ringing 999 and asking for the police. Once you are through ask for Cave Rescue and give them all the information you can.

If the following actions are also possible then:

Stay with your phone and ensure it has signal – Your phone is the only link you have with Cave Rescue and is necessary for any later communication.
Send someone to the cave entrance – Also possible to go yourself if this doesn't contradict the above. A nearby friend will get to the cave much faster than Cave Rescue as they don't have to get organised and kitted up. They will also have a phone on them, which the cavers probably won't and so can either cancel or update the call out immediately if they find anyone.
Stay calm – Most call outs are due to underestimating the length of a trip, rather than due to any accident or danger.