The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has fined Wolf Creek Ski Area $12,000 in the November 22, 2010 death of Scott Kay, the resort’s head of ski patrol, according to a story in the Alamosa News.
The administration fined the area $7,000 for the lack of specific training and protocols for avalanche-control work as well as a violation of state law that required Kay to work with another employee when using explosives to mitigate avalanches. Another citation levied a $5,000 fine because Kay was not wearing a helmet when he was swept away and buried while conducting lone in-bounds avalanche mitigation Nov. 22 before the area opened.
As the head of ski patrol, shouldn’t Kay have known? Hopefully, the death (and the fines) will serve as a reminder to patrollers everywhere.
[Link: Alamosa News]
As a long-time ski patroller, I can say that, at some areas, what’s required by protocols and what’s required by the ski area can be two different things. I think it’s enough to say that *everyone* needs to be safety conscious, and leave it there, without armchair QBing what’s obviously a pretty tragic event.
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