Report on accident at Høyt under taket in Moss, 20 February 2025
FIN report 25/119
On 20 February 2025, a 12-year-old boy fell from a climbing course in a high ropes park in Moss. The boy sustained serious injuries as a result of the fall. The cause of the accident was that the safety lanyard had been attached to the climbing harness at an incorrect point. The incorrect attachment was not detected during the climb, and it has not been possible to establish when the error occurred. The high ropes park offers several types of climbing activities. Climbing courses designed for children and young people with limited risk awareness use one type of safety system, while more traditional wall climbing uses another form of belay. The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA)’s investigations have found that switching between different safety systems can represent a vulnerability. Transitioning between different climbing activities within the same area therefore requires a high degree of assistance and supervision of the climbers.
During climbing, guests wear a climbing harness fitted with a safety lanyard, which is connected to a wire to protect them from falling. After the accident, the transverse strap beneath the lower tie-in loop on the harness was found to be open. This supports the conclusion that the safety lanyard had been attached to this strap rather than to the harness’s strong central loop. When the boy weighted the harness, the buckle on the transverse strap most likely opened, causing the harness to detach from the safety lanyard, and he fell 7.5 metres. NSIA found no technical faults in the equipment.
The investigation shows that several factors may have contributed to the accident. The climbing centre offered multiple climbing activities using different safety systems, and guests were able to switch freely between them. The rules required staff to manage the disconnection and reconnection of the safety lanyard, but the tools needed to do this were available on the counter.
As there were few staff on duty, and they were also responsible for several other tasks, unwanted waiting times could arise. For the type of climbing harness used, the central loop was the only correct attachment point, but this was not obvious to inexperienced users, and the risk of incorrect attachment had neither been risk assessed nor included in the training provided to guests. The climbing centre assumed that children under the age of 13 would be under continuous supervision, but neither guardians nor staff noticed that the safety lanyard had been incorrectly attached.
Following the accident, NSIA issues three safety recommendations. These are directed at the training of guests with limited experience and risk awareness, and at the risk assessments forming the basis for decisions regarding staffing levels and the organisation of activities at the climbing centre.
Rambergåsen climbing trail. Photo: NSIA
Published 13.05.2026
Safety recommendation
Safety Recommendation Amusement Devices No. 2026/01T
On 20 February 2025, a 12-year-old child fell from a climbing course at the indoor climbing centre Høyt Under Taket Moss AS and was seriously injured. The accident occurred because the safety lanyard supporting the child was not attached to the central belay loop of the climbing harness, but to another loop not designed to be load bearing. When the child’s weight was applied to the harness, it detached from the safety lanyard.
The climbing centre is one of several centres operated by Høyt Under Taket AS, where activities are based on a shared risk assessment template. The risk of incorrect attachment to climbing harnesses was not addressed in this template and therefore did not form the basis for guest guidance. The guidance should take into account that adults accompanying children may have limited climbing experience and therefore require clear and targeted information on safety critical aspects.
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority recommends that the Norwegian Railway Authority ensure that Høyt Under Taket AS addresses the risk of incorrect attachment in its guest guidance, with particular focus on children and adults responsible for supervising children during climbing activities.
Safety Recommendation Amusement Devices No. 2026/02T
On 20 February 2025, a 12-year-old child fell from a climbing course at the indoor climbing centre Høyt Under Taket Moss AS and was seriously injured. The accident occurred because the safety lanyard was not attached to the central belay loop of the climbing harness, but to another loop not intended for load bearing.
Guests were not permitted to attach or remove the safety lanyard without assistance from an employee, but the climbing centre nevertheless experienced that this occurred regularly. The risk of incorrect attachment was not incorporated into the centre’s risk assessment and was therefore neither evaluated nor managed.
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority recommends that the Norwegian Railway Authority ensure that Høyt Under Taket AS reviews and updates its risk assessments, using recognised methods, for all its climbing centres. The assessments should address how different activities within a centre affect one another, including the risk of safety lanyards being attached to an incorrect point on climbing harnesses.
Safety Recommendation Amusement Devices No. 2026/03T
On 20 February 2025, a 12-year-old child fell from a climbing course at the indoor climbing centre Høyt Under Taket Moss AS and was seriously injured. The accident occurred because the safety lanyard was attached to an incorrect, non load bearing point on the climbing harness.
The child had spent several hours at the climbing centre and alternated between different types of climbing activities, which required the safety lanyard to be repeatedly attached and removed. It has not been clarified when or by whom the lanyard was incorrectly attached, and neither guardians nor employees detected the error beforehand. For much of the day, only one employee was on duty, responsible for guest guidance, supervision, and routine operational tasks.
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority recommends that the Norwegian Railway Authority request Høyt Under Taket AS to account for how it ensures that staffing levels at its climbing centres are sufficient to supervise guests adequately and to maintain preparedness in situations requiring rescue or emergency intervention by employees.
Facts
| Location | Høyt under taket, Moss |
| Occurrence date | 20.02.2025 |
| Type of occurrence | Accident |
| Amusement device type | Climbing park |