Air quality in climbing gyms

Lena chita wrote:

I don't remember dead critters behind the walls... must have been the inch-thick layer of dust that concealed them.

I was always afraid to poke around the dust when looking for holds behind those walls. There was a month long stretch when the usual testosterone and beanie smell of the bouldering cave was overwhelmed by stench of something dead, or, perhaps, failure.

So thankful that my home gym has gigantic industrial doors and windows that allow plenty of fresh air and light in. Also the staff does a really good job of cleaning as far as climbing gyms go. 

Chimney Dyl wrote: I tested the air quality of an indoor skate park in college for particulate matter. Skate parks have a similar issue with fine urethane dust coming off wheels but I found that the dust particles are too large to cause any damage to your lungs. Essentially the dust gets caught in your nose hairs and the mucous lining your esophagus before making it to your lungs. For a person with a healthy respiratory system there should be no issues other than some gross boogers.

I don't think urethane dust is similar to the climbing chalk in size, is it? 

Jaren Watson wrote:

God help us all if an army like that ever forms and turns against us.

That would really suck

Jaren Watson wrote:

God help us all if an army like that ever forms and turns against us.

I found out what weapon they would be wielding.

i'm so glad i've never encountered a kid who has discovered this product.  who the hell invented this ?!

J Squared wrote:

I found out what weapon they would be wielding.

https://www.amazon.com/Lanard-Chalk-Bombs-6-Pack/dp/B018NXVBDA

i'm so glad i've never encountered a kid who has discovered this product.  who the hell invented this ?!

I wish I had discovered this as a kid. Between smoke bombs, bottle rockets, and Wolf Packs, I had many a fantastic summer. 

stolo wrote:

That would really suck

Calm down! To defeat an army of Roomba, all you have to do is to climb some stairs.

Of course, given the average waist line in the US, many will still perish. Survival of the fittest?

aikibujin wrote:

Calm down! To defeat an army of Roomba, all you have to do is to climb some stairs.

Of course, given the average waist line in the US, many will still perish. Survival of the fittest?

I, for one, Welcome our new Roomba Overlords

J Squared wrote:

I found out what weapon they would be wielding.

https://www.amazon.com/Lanard-Chalk-Bombs-6-Pack/dp/B018NXVBDA

i'm so glad i've never encountered a kid who has discovered this product.  who the hell invented this ?!

Uh you can get non colored ones from BD...

Has no one every thrown their chalk ball at someone or a route to mark a hold that is just out of reach?

Jaren Watson wrote:

God help us all if an army like that ever forms and turns against us.

You know if Simpsons predicted it it's going to happen

https://i.gifer.com/J6ME.gif

Mitch Friedemanwrote: @TheSpot

I completely agree. I work mainly at The Spot Boulder and the amount of chalk I inhale.... I know my lungs are not ok. Plus, I already have asthma. I have been coughing a lot more recently. We recently have had to clean the gyms ourselves (we fired the cleaning crew) and we are told to blow the chalk off of things. So much chalk get into the air. I also have to use an air blower to blow out the vacuums because they overheat from the chalk. And oh my god... even though I do that outside, I inhale too much. A lot of other employees are experiencing the same thing. Don't even get me started on the backstock/closet areas.... they are so bad.

Hannah Jaehnwrote:

I completely agree. I work mainly at The Spot Boulder and the amount of chalk I inhale.... I know my lungs are not ok. Plus, I already have asthma. I have been coughing a lot more recently. We recently have had to clean the gyms ourselves (we fired the cleaning crew) and we are told to blow the chalk off of things. So much chalk get into the air. I also have to use an air blower to blow out the vacuums because they overheat from the chalk. And oh my god... even though I do that outside, I inhale too much. A lot of other employees are experiencing the same thing. Don't even get me started on the backstock/closet areas.... they are so bad.

Are you in the US? You can file an anonymous complaint with OSHA. You have a right to a safe and healthy workplace, and if there is a significant environmental issue your employer may be required to provide respirators or other PPE.

The industry trade association (whatever it is) could use an industrial hygienist to conduct a study, though of course there are as many different gym configurations and ventilation systems as there are gyms.  Apparently there is one study that found that surprising concentrations of toxic constituents are released from shoes- similar to concentrations on busy streets or highways from tires.  Exacerbated by scraping shoes along the wall, so my bad footwork isn't just my problem, I'm also poisoning my neighbor on the green route.  

Katherine Awrote:

Are you in the US? You can file an anonymous complaint with OSHA. You have a right to a safe and healthy workplace, and if there is a significant environmental issue your employer may be required to provide respirators or other PPE.

Beautiful! Thank you! I was wondering if this would be apart of OSHA!

I notice air quality gets bad fast when the gym skips regular vacuuming and does not run the vents hard. You can check this yourself by looking at how often they clean the mats and how strong the airflow feels near the walls. Good gyms keep the fans moving and wipe the holds more often.

You think air quality is a problem now?

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/201097003/next-gen-climbing-brush-from-the-future-for-your-project

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/202071931/the-most-over-engineered-climbing-brush

Lena chitawrote: Well, the gym I had started climbing in, the floor surface was shredded tire rubber in the bouldering pit, and pea gravel (the lowest quality) in the toprope wall section. the pea gravel was covered with tarps, that, at one point, had been stretched over the gravel and nailed to the walls and the barrier that kept the gravel in on the outside... but have gotten torn up long before I joined. Vacuuming any surface was obviously impossible, but the chalk dust was the least of it, given the floor surfaces.

I remember having black boogers coming out of my nose after each climbing session.

Pretty sure OSHA wouldn't allow conditions like that in a workplace.

So, compared that that, any gym with gymnastic mats for the floor surface, and vacuum-cleaner wielding employees who come by and vacuum and spilled chalk quickly... is a heaven of fresh air and wholesomeness. 

That sounds like a wild experience — definitely not something you'd expect from a climbing gym today. It's crazy how much the environment affects the whole session, from breathing to how safe the falls feel. Makes you appreciate the gyms that actually maintain their flooring and keep the chalk under control. Fresh mats and regular cleaning really do make all the difference.

^^^What a heart warming bot — on — bot interaction