The recent “accident” at Bear Mountain ski area (BMSA) when a small child slipped off a snow covered lift chair, under an unsecured safety bar and dangled before falling, spotlights a number of unaddressed safety management problems at California ski areas.
Safety is not by accident!
Safety requires disciplined systematic management, including a documented plan that details safety standards and procedures as well employee training and monitoring to assure compliance. Like most California resorts, BMSA may not have all of these elements in place.
Resorts should disclose whatever safety plans they may have and document compliance with their standards and procedures. Resorts should also disclose accident and injury statistics! Currently resorts have no oversight or transparency requirements for safety on their slopes and trails.
Patrons and public officials must start demanding this information. It will enable resort patrons to consider safety when choosing resorts. Market competition will become potent drivers of improved safety management.
In absence of safety transparency, the Snowsport Safety Foundation will continue limited anonymous site surveys of resort safety practices and provide the only comparative safety information currently available.