Caving Risk Assessment Grid
John Gookin
I use this caving risk assessment grid in teaching caving. It helps me talk to other instructors about
what sorts of caves, or passages, are appropriate for different levels of students. It especially helps me be
proactive about letting students go into a passage or new cave without instructor supervision. I realize that
my peers in the NSS use informal mentors more than formal instructors, but the same principles apply. I
would appreciate any comments or suggestions that might help make the grid more useful.
Safe
Moderately Safe
Hazardous
Very Hazardous
General
no apparent objective
hazards; untrained
people with common
sense should be fine
nonlethal hazards
present; untrained
people need some
supervision
some obvious but
avoidable fatal
objective hazards;
untrained people need
constant supervision
Remoteness
easy access for rescue
cave and/or passage
access challenging for
rescue
fatal objective hazards
must be negotiated
with technical expertise
and cannot be avoided;
untrained people
inappropriate
rescue would be very
risky and extremely
difficult
Cave Climate
comfortable to rest in
Ropework
none
“chilly” due to
temperature, humidity,
water, ice, and/or wind
handlines needed,
anchors obvious
Free climbs
less than 10 feet
Water
Loose rock
avoidable, impossible for less than 5 feet deep,
a healthy adult to drown above 50 degrees F,
slow moving
none to little
easily avoidable
over 5 feet deep or under ropes required in current SCUBA gear required
50 degrees F or fast
or below 40 degrees F
moving, noisy
dangerous
difficult to avoid
unavoidable
Flooding
none
only seasonal
Disease
none
minor hazard
Bad Air
none
nonlethal CO2 causes
shortness of breath
Ice
none
easily avoidable,
risk of injury
Maze
easy routefinding, small
caves, linear passage
development, obvious
direction indication from
streams, etc.
smooth solid floor, no ice
or sharp rock
experienced, trained for
conditions, able to selfrescue, healthy, rested
and alert
possible to get lost,
less than 1 mile long,
some directional cues
from streams, airflow
seasonal or with 10 year
storms
significant presence must
be assessed and
negotiated carefully
CO2 or other bad air
causes level of
consciousness problems
must be negotiated
carefully, passable with
normal caving gear
easy to get lost,
less than 3 miles total,
directional cues not
always available or
reliable
hanging floors
Lava Tubes
Caver
less than 15 feet
sharp rock hazard
Extremely Hazardous
high level of technical
expertise, perfect
teamwork, and
consistent attention to
detail needed to avoid
fatal errors
rescue access very
rescue impossible before
difficult
expiration due to location
or environmental
conditions
“cold”, difficult to rest in very cold without wetsuit uncomfortably cold even
the cave without getting or other insulating layers with wetsuit or other
chilled
insulation
simple vertical ropework, anchors complicated,
more than 20 drops on
anchors obvious, one or multiple drops, mixed
route, ropework requires
two drops only, drops
conditions, or drops over complicated maneuvers,
less than 400 feet deep 400 feet deep
drops over 1,000 feet
more than 15 feet
more than 30 feet
more than 60 feet
inexperienced, but
inexperienced, untrained
trained and properly
for special conditions,
equipped, supervised by stressed, or fatigued
experienced cavers
annually with big storms
regularly with storms
hazardous areas which
must be avoided
unavoidable, bio-hazard
precautions required
bad air makes non-SCBA SCBA and vertical gear
caving unsafe
used together
ice tools, crampons
needed, occasional
icefall, difficult to avoid
easy to get lost, over 3
miles total, few cues for
direction, boneyard or
other non-linear passage
development
hanging floors and ice
frequent icefall,
unavoidable
level of consciousness
compromises show in
poor alertness, balance,
or coordination
tunnel vision due to
fatique or stress
American Caving Accidents, NSS News, December 1997 Part 2
extensive boneyard or
non-linear passage, easy
to get lost, no directional
cues from streams,
airflow, etc.
active volcanism in area