{"id":37009,"date":"2021-09-28T17:19:44","date_gmt":"2021-09-28T17:19:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/?p=37009"},"modified":"2021-10-07T09:16:19","modified_gmt":"2021-10-07T09:16:19","slug":"7-protective-layers-part-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/7-protective-layers-part-two\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Protective Layers \u2013 Part Two"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Julian Barthel explains the final four layers in the Swiss Cheese Skydiving Incident model <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The seven protective layers in the Swiss Cheese Incident Model
Infograph by FlyinMynd<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Last week in Part 1<\/a>, I discussed the Swiss Cheese Model, and the seven protective layers in skydiving:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
  1. Mindset\/Attitude<\/li>
  2. Education<\/li>
  3. Regulation<\/li>
  4. Equipment<\/li>
  5. Environment<\/li>
  6. Human Factor<\/li>
  7. Community<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    I gave some detail on the first three layers \u2013 Mindset, Education and Regulation, please read part <\/a>1<\/a> now if you haven\u2019t already.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now let\u2019s consider the next four layers of protection:- Equipment, Environment, Human Factor and Community\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Layer 4: Equipment <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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    “It’s important to make yourself familiar with a wide range of equipment technologies”
    <\/strong>Image by Instructors Academy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


    The gear we choose to use for whatever discipline we practice, and how we treat it, directly influences our safety. Good skydiving gear is not cheap, but the initial investment pays off a hundredfold in peace of mind. We should consult reliable sources before purchasing and test the equipment so we know what we\u2019re buying and if it is a good fit for us.
     
    It should go without saying that proper gear maintenance is imperative, our life literally depends on it. Learning to pack ourselves, as tiresome as it might seem initially, gives us the ability to monitor our gear hands on and monitor wear on all parts. The direct contact with our gear dispels the fear of the unknown. I also highly encourage everyone to watch at least once how your reserve is packed. it is eye-opening, to say the least.

    Apart from the basic common mechanisms like the 3-Ring System or the RSL, we need to be familiar with technologies that serve similar purposes from different manufacturers, how they function, what the differences are, how they are installed, checked and operated correctly. Examples would be activation altitudes and speeds of different AAD types and manufacturers or MARD systems like UPT’s Skyhook and similar technologies from competing manufacturers.
     
    Regularly reviewing all our emergency procedures will give us the peace of mind to enjoy our skydives and have the correct muscle memory in place when we need it the most and there is no time to think. A great practice to familiarize with the feeling of your handles and the strength required to operate them is to practice live drills, pulling the handles when your reserve is due for repack and you drop your gear off at your rigger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    “Practice live drills, pulling the handles when your reserve is due for repack”<\/strong><\/em>
    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    As basic as it may seem, learning how to properly preflight our equipment and having a set routine to our gear checks at set points and altitudes during the jump preparation and plane ride as well as protecting our gear when moving during our ascent and climb out is a basic skill we need to practice religiously.
     
    Lastly, we should strive to scan the gear of everyone else on our load as second nature. We need to watch out for each other and make the safety of everyone around us a shared responsibility.
     <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    “We need to keep monitoring the changes of the weather during the day<\/em><\/strong>“
    Image by Rob Lloyd<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
    <\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Layer 5: Environment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n


     
    By familiarizing ourselves with the environment and weather conditions we can greatly reduce stress and risk of injury during our skydives.
     
    First and foremost, we should be familiar with the dropzone we plan to jump at:
     <\/p>\n\n\n\n