Good morning Cavers!
The Houston grotto is in the process of revamping a very old constitution and updating grotto policies, and 'loaner gear' is an issue we're currently discussing. Rather than embark on a ton of research and re-invent the wheel, I wanted to reach out to the Texas caving community for input. What are the liability issues around loaning grotto-owned cave gear to grotto members? For example, if I as a grotto officer loaned a piece of grotto-owned vertical equipment to member of my grotto, and that equipment failed and the member injured themselves in some way, could our grotto be held responsible? Would signed waivers absolve our grotto of all responsibility? Does the NSS have some sort of insurance that covers grottos in worst-case scenarios? How do you other Texas grottos mitigate risk when/if you loan out gear? DO you ever loan out seat harnesses, etc? Has your grotto ever been put in a situation where you were potentially liable for any injury? If so, is there any advice you would give another grotto when laying out equipment guidelines? Thanks for the input in advance! Mallory Mayeux Greater Houston Grotto Secretary
