Safety Guide

Let's face it, exploring old derelict buildings is not the safest hobby. The only way to be 100% safe is to stay at home but that's no fun. There are certain ways you can minimise the risk of injury or worse if you do go out exploring. These are a few rules of thumb I try to employ...but please use your own common sense (and don’t sue me if you break your leg).

- Fire damage: It's generally best to stay out of parts of a building that have been affected by fire, especially if it is above ground level. Just because floorboards do not look charred does not mean that those supports are still in good condition. I learnt this first-hand.
- Clothing: If you're climbing through broken windows and flooring with random nails sticking up, you will want to protect yourself. I always wear thick leather gloves and work boots. Heavy clothing will help a little also.
- Flooring/Stairs: I consider this the biggest danger if you are anywhere above ground-level. Signs of dangerous flooring (apart from the obvious cases of sections being suddenly missing or fire-damaged) are buldges, slight movement underfoot and areas under gaps in the roof where water has been getting in. If (or likely, when) you put your foot down and you realise the floor might not be safe, always step back and find another way - whatever is at the other side of that room it can't be worth breaking your back over!
- Lighting: If I am only able to bring one piece of kit with me on an explore it has to be a good, bright torch. All of the other advice is pointless if you cannot see clearly where you are going. Spare batteries are also wise as you do not want to be stuck feeling your way out if they drain. I usually bring my main torch, a head torch and a small backup torch to make sure I'm covered.
- Climbing: Whether climbing a cliff or a crane, the first rule is only climb up routes you know you can safely downclimb. Might sound obvious, but it is easy to get carried away trying to quickly get to where you want to be only to get yourself stuck into a dangerous downclimb.
- Asbestos: This stuff is no joke. There is a good chance that asbestos fibers will be airborne at any given abandonment. If you suspect the site might have asbestos, a bargain-basement dust mask is going to do nothing to protect you. I always use a FFP3 graded filter mask (about £5 from B&Q), although this still only offers limited protection. Asbestos is a silent killer and although you might not notice the effects for decades, it is a killer and will catch up with you if you don’t take precautions.
- Chemicals: You can never be completely sure what horrendous pile of toxic biohazard you have got onto your hands and clothes in some of these buildings. I always pack sanitizing hand gel and wipes to clean myself with after getting out of a site.