Guests come to ski resorts each year to have a good time and get away from it all and even they run into injuries–remember when author Stephen King took a bad fall while skiing? The accident left him with lifelong pain and injuries that he deals with even now. So it’s no surprise that those who live and work in mountain towns often run into accidents and issues while on work time. After all, these are the people paid to keep you safe and entertained, and sometimes those jobs can come along with their own definite risks.
Take for instance those who work in ski patrol. Many who have trained in search and rescue as well as survival after avalanches already have the skills to keep themselves safe in dangerous situations, and even these professionals can succumb to injury and death in their line of work. In 2015, a veteran ski patroller died near Durango’s Wolf Creek Ski Area during an unauthorized avalanche research mission. An avalanche took the unfortunate patrolman’s life all too soon, leading to a US District Court case that penalized the resort’s CEO for the untimely death and ultimate responsibility.
You don’t have to work in a dangerous profession like ski patrol to face these risks either–no, many safety risks surrounding mountain jobs are hidden and that much more insidious.
Slips and Falls Account for More Death and Injury than Any Other Type of Accident
What easier place in the world is there to slip and fall than in the most icy place imaginable? Ski resorts and the businesses that surround them are often in danger when it comes to slip and fall incidents, as snow and ice can make it almost impossible to prevent these types of accidents. Working at a resort or in a resort town can only make matters worse–employees of these businesses are exposed to these conditions on a daily basis, putting them at risk for the most severe and life-changing injuries.
It’s not just in mountain jobs that you have to worry about accidents like these. In a national survey, slip and falls accounted for more death and injury than any other type of accident in the workplace. You don’t have to work in a hazardous field to face slip and fall dangers–they abound in all types of career situations, from food service to retail to hospitality, and being on the lookout for potential dangers should be a vital concern when you work in a mountain town.
Mountain Jobs Shouldn’t be Dangerous
Experiencing an accident on the job is never a fun prospect, especially when it takes time away from your duties and can financially impact you in the long-run. However, when you work in the mountains, that danger can be doubled and tripled just by the long-term presence of ice and snow that surrounds every facet of your day. You should always look out for yourself, but accidents can and will happen, no matter how vigilant you are.
After an accident, the company or business that you work for should take the steps needed to make sure that you are taken care of, whether through your work insurance or through worker’s compensation for your injuries. If you are having trouble getting your employers to help, contacting a personal injury attorney would be your next best option. Not only can a personal injury attorney help you to get compensation for your injuries, they can also ensure that you will be taken care of after an accident renders you unable to work for a time.