“The company that operates Maine’s Sugarloaf USA and Sunday River, New Hampshire’s Loon Mountain and seven other ski resorts will require its workers to wear safety helmets when using skis or snowboards on snow. The move comes after the death of a Sugarloaf worker last season, and a federal fine.” Fred Bever of NHPR.
Wearing helmets is required in nearly all high-contact sports starting at beginner ages moving all the way up to professionally. For example, 8 year old football players must wear helmets just like NFL players are required to.
I believe this company is taking a step in the right direction in regard to safety, but it was taken a bit too late. While it is personal preference to wear a helmet when skiing or snowboarding, it is a good idea to wear one in case of collision with another rider or if you lose control out of the mountain. Unfortunately it took a tragic death and an $11,408 fee to require staff to wear safety helmets when working on the mountain.
According to the National Ski Aras Association (NSAA), serious injuries occur at the rate of about 44.7 per year. During the 2011/2012 season there were 510 serious injuries. Only thirty of those involved were reported as wearing a helmet at the time of the incident.
My mom always made me wear a helmet as a kid when I was learning to ski and later when I learned to snowboard. I remember a lot of other kids not wearing them and having really cool pom hats on with their googles strapped around their heads. I remember taking lessons over at Pat’s Peak in 8th grade to learn to snowboard and how nearly all of the instructors didn’t wear helmets either.
If you are teaching someone else to learn to ski or snowboard then you should be setting a good example and wearing a helmet. It goes the same as if you were teaching a young kid the importance of wearing a helmet when learning to ride a bicycle. Wearing a helmet as an instructor not only protects yourself, but shows your students the importance of taking safety precautions to prevent injuries.
Ski patrol is also a position that will be affected by the new rule at Sugarloaf and its partner mountains. Ski patrol is classified as the “First Aid Team” of the mountain. They are responsible for rescuing any fallen ski or snowboarders that can’t continue down the rest of the mountain and insuring they receive proper medical attention. Surely if they are helping others suffering from injury everyday they will want to protect themselves from suffering the same consequences.
I don’t think this new rule is asking much of employees. While it should have been implemented prior to the incident last year, it is good they are now enforcing it. It is important that companies protect their employees and show they care about their safety. It is the same idea as the requirement of wearing a hard hat in a construction zone; you may not be hit with falling debris, but it’s better to be prepared in case you’re in the crossfire.
