Page 57 - 83628_NSAA_SummerVol26

BEST OVERALL SAFETY PROGRAM (Up to 500,000 visits)

SNOWBASIN RESORT, UT Patrol and guest services discussed
Just when you thought there were no more memorable safety the SAFERmtn Team concept
acronyms, Snowbasin has come up with a keeper, SAFER: with guests, increased employee
SMART – Make safety-conscious decisions presence in SLOW zones (which
ALERT – Be aware of your surroundings and condition featured SAFERmtn Team ban-
FOCUSED – Don’t be distracted or preoccupied when on ners), and handed out 800
the mountain SAFERmtn Team/Know the
EDUCATED – Understand your abilities, responsibilities, Code drink vouchers to reward
and associated risks safe skiing/riding.
RESPECTFUL – Recreate together in a safe and The patrol also set up a safety
friendly manner booth and beacon park so guests
could test their skills and learn
Part of a broader SAFERmtn Team program unveiled in about avalanche safety. Activities culminated with a patroller
January, the acronym supports the tagline “Our Mountain, fireside chat (which turned into a monthly event), where guests
Our Community, Our responsibility,” which puts the onus could learn about the resort’s uphill policy, sign-lines, bound-
on guests and employees to help keep the sport safe. aries, and NSAA safety initiatives.
To get buy-in from all 600 employees, the ski patrol vis- As for results, Snowbasin reported a big uptick in social
ited every department, distributing SAFER pocket cards and media engagement. The first SAFERmtn Instagram post
SAFERmtn Team pins. To put the message in front of guests, reached 10,000 people, individual stories had a reach of 3,000
the website landing page detailed SAFERmtn Team and to 5,000, and the videos reached 1,000 to 2,000. Guests
Safety Month activities, and the resort posted videos, photos, made positive comments about the SLOW zone management
and Instagram stories on its social media outlets. on various social media outlets. During January employees
Different activities supported the effort each weekend. interacted with some 1,300 guests, rewarding safer practices.

BEST EMPLOYEE SAFETY PROGRAM

SQUAW VALLEY | ALPINE MEADOWS, CA bottom of lifts as a constant reminder to operators of being
“Actions speak louder than in the path of large moving equipment. As a result, despite
words” goes the saying, having 728 inches of snow in 2016–17, there were only two
and Squaw Valley | Alpine incidents of an employee getting hit by a chair (in both cases
Meadows’ commitment to the operator was helping a guest).
employee safety proves it. A The resort also developed Know Your Hazards posters as
safe environment not only con- daily reminders of specific job risks, and conveyed Save Your
tributes to a healthy workforce Summer messaging in signage and emails, urging employees
and reduces financial liabil- not to go too big while spring skiing and ruin their summer
ity but also builds team loyalty plans due to injury. SV | AM offers free employee wellness
and “is simply the right thing programs, including yoga classes and preseason strength
to do,” says the resort’s awards training, and has an onsite athletic trainer, too.
Play it SMART and take it SLOW.
Stay SAFE, STOKED and STRESS FREE.STRESSSTRESS application. Incident review—emphasizing fact-finding rather
Over the past two seasons than fault-finding—involves the injured employee, depart-
SV | AM embarked on a ment manager, an executive team member, and a risk man-
mission to increase safety even more. In 2016–17 the risk ager. The goal is to develop preventive measures to ensure a
management team and department leaders painstakingly safer workplace, with the majority of actions coming from
reviewed hundreds of reports to identify trends. With a five- the employee.
year average of 13 incidents—and $356,000 spent on work Staff response has been extremely positive and injury
injuries related to employees struck by chairs—the group rates are down, proving that consistent collaborative efforts,
developed action items to mitigate hazards. One idea was to clear messaging, and a solid investment in the workforce
place brightly colored nylon brushes, or whisker gates, at the pays off in ways that count most.

SUMMER 2018 | NSAA JOURNAL | 55