Editing Caving (section)

== Safety ==
[[Image:Caving3.jpg|thumb|right|A caver begins rope descent of a vertical shaft using an abseil rack.]]
{{See also|Cave rescue}}
Caves can be dangerous places; hypothermia, [[falling (accident)|falling]], [[flooding]], falling rocks and physical [[Fatigue (medical)|exhaustion]] are the main risks. Rescuing people from underground is difficult and time-consuming, and requires special skills, training, and equipment. Full-scale cave rescues often involve the efforts of dozens of rescue workers (often other long-time cavers who have participated in specialized courses, as normal rescue staff are not sufficiently experienced in cave environments), who may themselves be put in jeopardy in effecting the rescue. This said, caving is not necessarily a high-risk sport (especially if it does not involve difficult climbs or diving). As in all physical sports, knowing one's limitations is key.

Caving in warmer climates carries the risk of contracting [[histoplasmosis]], a fungal infection that is contracted from bird or bat droppings. It can cause [[pneumonia]] and can disseminate in the body to cause continued infections.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Stenn|first=Frederick|title=Cave Disease or Speleonosis|journal=Archives of Internal Medicine|year=1960|volume=105|issue=2|pages=181–183|doi=10.1001/archinte.1960.00270140003001|pmid=13834312}}</ref>

In many parts of the world, [[leptospirosis]], a type of bacterial infection spread by animals including rats,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/leptospirosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx |quote=Leptospirosis is a type of bacterial infection spread by animals. It's caused by a strain of bacteria called leptospira. In 90% of cases, leptospirosis only causes mild flu-like symptoms, such as a headache, chills and muscle pain. However, in some cases the infection is more severe and can cause life-threatening problems, including organ failure and internal bleeding. In its most severe form, leptospirosis is also known as Weil's disease. |title=Leptospirosis |website=NHS |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003143507/http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/leptospirosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx |archive-date= Oct 3, 2017 }}</ref> is a distinct threat. The presence of rat urine in rainwater or precipitation that enters the cave's water system is the primary vector of infection. Complications are uncommon, but can be serious.
These safety risks while caving can be minimized by using a number of techniques:

*Checking that there is no danger of flooding during the expedition. Rainwater funneled underground can flood a cave very quickly, trapping people in cut-off passages and [[drowning]] them. In the UK, drowning accounts for almost half of all caving fatalities (see [[List of UK caving fatalities]]).
*Using teams of several cavers, preferably at least four. If an injury occurs, one caver stays with the injured person while the other two go out for help, providing assistance to each other on their way out.
*Notifying people outside the cave as to the intended return time. After an appropriate delay without a return, these will then organize a search party (usually made up by other cavers trained in [[cave rescue]]s, as even professional emergency personnel are unlikely to have the skills to effect a rescue in difficult conditions).
*Use of [[Headlamp (outdoor)|helmet-mounted lights]] (hands-free) with extra batteries. American cavers recommend a minimum of three independent sources of light per person,<ref>{{cite book|section=What to Bring: Lights|title=A Guide to Responsible Caving|publisher=[[National Speleological Society]]|year=2016|page=11|url=https://caves.org/brochure/Guide_to_Resp_Caving_2016.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418030325/http://caves.org/brochure/Guide_to_Resp_Caving_2016.pdf|archive-date=2016-04-18|url-status=dead}}</ref> but two lights is common practice among European cavers.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}} 
*Sturdy clothing and footwear, as well as a [[helmet]], are necessary to reduce the impact of abrasions, falls, and falling objects. Synthetic fibers and woolens, which dry quickly, shed water, and are warm when wet, are vastly preferred to cotton materials, which retain water and increase the risk of hypothermia. It is also helpful to have several layers of clothing, which can be shed (and stored in the pack) or added as needed. In watery cave passages, [[polypropylene]] thermal underwear or wetsuits may be required to avoid [[hypothermia]].
*Cave passages look different from different directions. In long or complex caves, even experienced cavers can become lost. To reduce the risk of becoming lost, it is necessary to memorize the appearance of key navigational points in the cave as they are passed by the exploring party. Each member of a cave party shares responsibility for being able to remember the route out of the cave. In some caves it may be acceptable to mark a small number of key junctions with small stacks or "cairns" of rocks, or to leave a non-permanent mark such as high-visibility [[flagging (tape)|flagging tape]] tied to a projection.
*[[Pit cave|Vertical caving]] uses ladders or single rope technique (SRT) to avoid the need for climbing passages that are too difficult. SRT is a complex skill and requires proper training and well-maintained equipment. Some drops that are [[Abseiling|abseiled]] down may be as deep as several hundred meters (for example [[Harwoods Hole]]).