Park City Patroller Fatality Report

[scott43]

Sorry Park City..

There are a few things in this that are odd to me..

Vail Resorts Found Responsible for Accidental Death of Park City Ski Patroller

Christian Helger, 29, was killed when a tree fell on a lift line after heavy snowfall

www.skimag.com

 

[Tricia]

Changed the title.
I'm not surprised at the finding, but the story seems to be missing some things.

 

[fatbob]

No mention of bar up/down and whether it would have made a difference and Vail's H&S policy on such things? Seems a mighty omission.

I know..thread lock in...

 

[Tricia]

I know..thread lock in...

This will NOT turn into a bar up/down thread.

 

[Paul Lutes]

Agree; very poorly written article, presumably by someone unfamiliar with skiing in general and specifically with lift ops and safety regs.

 

[scott43]

Just practically speaking, I found it odd the only rule for tree protection was no branches within 5'. I guess trees falling onto the lift cable are exceedingly rare? I've always wondered why they aren't cut back so if they do fall they won't hit the line. I've sat on the chair in 30mph winds looking at the trees going, wow I hope they don't fall...

 

[fatbob]

Agree; very poorly written article, presumably by someone unfamiliar with skiing in general and specifically with lift ops and safety regs.

It's a SKI magazine journalist so there goes that value element of the Ikon pass

 

[Tricia]

It's a SKI magazine journalist so there goes that value element of the Ikon pass

To be fair, since the changes of the publication, they have a very slim staff. I think I heard somewhere that they only have three people total on the staff for Ski.

 

[KingGrump]

Just practically speaking, I found it odd the only rule for tree protection was no branches within 5'. I guess trees falling onto the lift cable are exceedingly rare? I've always wondered why they aren't cut back so if they do fall they won't hit the line. I've sat on the chair in 30mph winds looking at the trees going, wow I hope they don't fall...

How tall is an average tree adjacent to a chair lift?
Better yet. How tall is the tallest tree immediately adjacent to the chair lift at a ski resort?

 

[scott43]

How tall is an average tree adjacent to a chair lift?
Better yet. How tall is the tallest tree immediately adjacent to the chair lift at a ski resort?

Yeah I hear ya. Every place is different. Some are clear no problem. Others I've been a little worried. I'll see if I can get something to show..

 

[fatbob]

If trees are far enough away from the chairlift how y'all gunna throw panties and beads in em?

 

[David Chaus]

Short Cut is an unusual lift on the Canyons side, it’s used to cross a canyon from just below the top of the Red Pine Gondola to the Lookout Cabin under the Orange Bubble lift. IIRC it’s the only way to ski down to the base from that part of the Canyons without downloading on Red Pine. There isn’t any skiable terrain under the chair, so probably doesn’t normally get much brush cutting or tree removal.

And it’s a long way down for most of the length of the lift.

 

[Bill Miles]

Paywall. I used to subscribe to SKI but I guess my login has expired.

 

[Tony S]

The UOSH report also notes that lift employees came forward after the incident on their shortcomings to check for hazards before starting the lifts,

Don't understand this language.

 

[scott43]

 

[pchewn]

This is what a tree falling on a ski lift looks like:

SKI LIFT DESTRUCTIVE TESTING

 

[fatbob]

While the video confirms to me you're probably a gonner if a tree falls directly onto your chair (see also lightning strikes) it's less clear to me what happens if it is further down the line. The reporting seems to indicate that he died from neither impact injuries from the tree or the fall but from asphyxiation from landing in the snowpack. Nasty way to go if he'd survived the former risks.

 

[scott43]

This is what a tree falling on a ski lift looks like:

SKI LIFT DESTRUCTIVE TESTING

Strong haul ropes... Wow

 

[Lauren]

Don't understand this language.

There was a link in the SKI article to a local news outlet...here's their [much better] description of the "shortcomings":

Lift operators are supposed to check for hazards before opening their lifts in the morning, but the workers also acknowledged shortcomings to UOSH.

One employee cited in the report said, “Lift Operators are usually newer, younger employees, and have ‘no idea’ what to look for.”

Another worker, identified only as Employee #5, the investigator wrote, “said that he was never told to check the tree corridor during the opening Line Ride as a Lift Operator.

“Employee #5 said that there is pressure to get lifts open in the morning, and there was ‘no time’ to ski the runs and check the lifts.”

Travis Heggie, a Bowling Green State University professor who studies injuries and deaths in the outdoors and related industries, and who also reviewed the report for FOX 13, called Helger’s death “completely avoidable.”

“They don't train their employees,” Heggie said of Park City Mountain Resort. “The ski lift operators don't have the training like the ski patrol has, they don't have the training to look for ski hazards when they do that first run in the morning.”

 

[crgildart]

ski is nothing but an ad bundle with a few mediocre stories tossed in for fluff.. I still miss the hard copies though.. The pictures and gear info was cool..