You’re viewing a part of RED, the Risk Evaluation Database. Please visit the main page for more information or to see the complete index.
All the risks below are possibilities of the listed activity. They are listed in no particular order. Please do not consider it to be exhaustive or use it as your sole determining factor when it comes to your safety. Some risk possibilities must nearly always be considered; a few of these can be found in the second tab below. Additionally, please note that the list below does not account for acts of intentional malice or for every complicating medical condition. Possible mitigation strategies or more information sometimes appear under risks when given. These should not be considered solutions that bring a risk to 0%, nor should they be considered the only possible solutions or information. Likewise, lack of a mitigation strategy or research being listed does not mean none exists.
Rope bondage is a highly-specialized skill with many of its own specific and nuanced risks, and this does not intend to apply to rope alone. Please the Rope Incident Report group on Fetlife for many other possibilities linked to their specific causes and discussed in detail.
Loss of circulation and tingling
“Rope burn” or skin abrasions
Ligature marks (can lead to temporary or permanent discoloration or scarring)
Headache
Damage to nerves in the arm (“wrist drop”, can be temporary or permanent)
Cumulative nerve damage over time
Breathing difficulties from ribcage compressjon
Shoulder issues (incl. torn muscles, dislocation) from strappado ties, sustained wrist elevation, sustained reverse prayer hands or TK positions
Neck rope: all issues seen in breath play
Postural asphyxia (inability to breathe caused by position, most commonly face-down positions e.g. hog ties)
Increased risk with higher BMIs or when additional weight is added on top of bottom
Allergic reactions to oils used in conditioning rope
Concussion; paralysis, poss. due to line-breakage or hard point failure and hitting the ground at force
Handling falls: do not move someone who falls. Do not remove bindings unless you are confident they are causing more harm/can be removed without moving them. Keep them lying down even if they are talking and can move all extremities. Immediate 911 call is warranted for falls from over three feet, falls straight onto the head, lack of consciousness or confusion, and immediate onset of spinal injury signs (neck pain, numbness, paralysis, incontinence, severe pain)
Tripping hazards, reduced balance, and related fractures, concussions, and other injuries
Failure of equipment (hard point)
Diabetic foot injuries from circulation changes or nerve impingement
Shoulder/wrist damage on part of top due to wide or repetitive movements
Spinal disc issues due to bodily pressure and gravity, particularly in full inversion
Vasovagal reactions
Inversion-specific
All risks on the general tab, and also:
Chronic acid reflux from having stomach acid drip down throat repeatedly
Retina detachment
bigger risk if very near-sighted
Increased risk of bleeds, strokes, brain aneurysms bursting due to slowed heart-rate and increased blood pressure
more so if you have high blood pressure/hypertension or a heart problem, or are taking blood thinners.
Inner ear problems and nosebleeds due to increased pressure
Flares of osteroporosis or herniated disks due to spine elongation
Risks/possibilities to always consider include (but are not limited to):
Psychological trauma, which can be unexpected and long-lasting
A resulting lack of ability to communicate (incl. safewords)
Pre-existing conditions or triggers not being disclosed, therefore increasing other risks without the other party’s knowledge
Equipment failure and the risks therein, both of structural elements (e.g., furniture, hard points) and toys (i.e., risks resulting from the toy breaking and associated jagged edges, shattered glass, etc)
Medical and legal misadventures
If there’s an emergency, who will get this person to the ER? Do you know their first and last name(/how to get to their ID if not) if they’re unconscious? Does any party want/need a cover story, particularly if the answer to the consent-to-assault question is “no”? Has everyone agreed on one that is as close to the truth as possible (medical professionals need what fully happened)?
Can you consent to assault in your state (assault in this case = near any kind of pain purposefully inflicted on a person)? If not, is the person facilitating the experience prepared to accept consequences if a worst-case scenario happens?
Thoughts and reactions of overhearers/onlookers, both kinky and non
Increased danger that comes from the prevalence of whiteness in Fetlife and popular media kinky pictures, leading warning signs and various medical conditions unnoticed on darker skin
To learn how this might appear, please see Mind the Gap here.
Allergies
Fungal/Staph infections from shared equipment
Shock
Fainting from pain, dehydration, shock, prolonged standing etc. and hitting head/bone/nerve
Panic attacks and related symptoms incl. shaking (dangerous especially with sharps) and inability to communicate
Financial responsibility
There’s a very expensive world of possibilities between “nothing went wrong” and “death”; when folks cannot take time off work, complications from play lead to loss of income for some, and job loss for others (or increase of severity of injury/trauma due to lack of ability to rest)
Changes/decreases to ability to heal even if experienced before due to natural aging and wear on the body
Death