The end of 2010 saw an abundance of ski chair lift incidents. Six people were taken to hospitals after five ski lift chairs fell to the ground at a Maine ski resort. A 10 year old girl was injured last week after falling about 15 feet from a chairlift at Hidden Valley. About 100 people had to be evacuated from Crabbe Mountain's ski lift when the emergency brakes on the system activated and stopped the lift.These are only a few of the chair lift incidents that took place within days of each other the last couple weeks that have people asking themselves, are chair lifts really safe?
It’s not just skiers asking this question either. Ski resorts are double checking procedures and equipment to make sure everything is up to standards where safety is concerned. Lawmakers in Montana are looking into a chairlift safety bill. Even before these incidents the Alpine Meadows Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe had installed Magnestick harnesses on their lifts to keep children safely in place.
While many of these incidents were caused by high winds or power outages, you, the skier, can also take precautions to ensure your own safety on the lifts.
When boarding the lift use extreme caution. While waiting for the lift, remove the pole straps from your wrist and put both poles in one hand. When the lift nears the back of your legs, grab the center bar with your free hand and sit, scooting all the way to the back of the chair. If you need extra accommodations ask the operator before getting in line.
When riding the chairlift, keep your ski tips up and hold on tightly to all your gear. Keep the safety bar down at all times during the ride. Don’t lean forward, swing your legs, nor do anything else that would cause your chairlift to swing. If your chair has footrests, keep the skis securely in them throughout the ride. Be alert to your surroundings.
Always keep your safety bar down until told to raise it. There should be signs directing you when it is safe to raise the bar, but if not, raise the bar only when you are approaching the station. Be careful of potential injuries. The bar can hit you or your chairlift partner on the head if swung with excessive force.
Watch for signs or markers that tell you when to disembark the chairlift. Check for loose clothing that could get caught on the lift chair. When approaching the station, scoot forward on your chair and raise your skis slightly so you can glide off the lift. If there are no markers, simply stand up when you feel your skis touch the snow. After standing up, ski to the side, out of the way of other chairlift passengers. When getting off of the lift, hold on to your ski poles tightly.
Watch for signs or markers that tell you when to disembark the chairlift. Check for loose clothing that could get caught on the lift chair. When approaching the station, scoot forward on your chair and raise your skis slightly so you can glide off the lift. If there are no markers, simply stand up when you feel your skis touch the snow. After standing up, ski to the side, out of the way of other chairlift passengers. When getting off of the lift, hold on to your ski poles tightly.
If you feel like you’re about to drop something while on the lift, do NOT lean forward and grab at the item. Just let it fall. Tell the operator at the station so he or she can help you leave the lift safely and recover any personal items.
Many accidents can be avoided by simply following the ski resort rules. For those accidents that may be the fault of defective equipment or inadequate maintenance, you may need to call an attorney.
Stay safe and have fun on the slopes.
Many accidents can be avoided by simply following the ski resort rules. For those accidents that may be the fault of defective equipment or inadequate maintenance, you may need to call an attorney.
Stay safe and have fun on the slopes.
Sources:
Ehow
Ehow
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