Would you put your employees in a truck if you weren’t sure that the doors closed completely? Or on a chairlift with grips that hadn’t been checked for 20 years? Of course not. That would be reckless. These were the questions I posed to our leadership group at Mammoth Mountain, Calif., as I proposed some new equipment check procedures for our employees’ on-snow gear. 

Near the end of my second season at the resort, I understood that gear failures were costing the resort and our employees. I pulled all incident data as far back as there were records, and I made it my summer project to analyze the information and identify some trends.

The scope of the problem. This research showed that 10 percent of our employee ski and ride injuries were related to equipment failures and malfunctions: “Employee states ski popped off while making a turn.” “Employee states that ski didn’t release when they fell.” “Snowboard binding was old, and broke while riding.”

This prompted me to start asking questions, primarily: Why don’t we have an equipment check process? Come to find out, we used to, but it was discontinued years ago. None of our tenured employees could recall why we got rid of it. There were plenty of reasons to bring it back.

Major Cost Savings

Employee injuries cost more than just workers’ comp and medical bills. Hidden costs include paying to train a replacement, paying overtime, weakened morale of coworkers, and decreased productivity of the team. Lost days and medical costs are good indicators of injury frequency and severity. 

As a fairly new face at the resort, I figured that introducing a new procedure would be a challenge. Changing procedures or adding a process in an environment that prides itself on efficiency and speed requires sound reasoning and, sometimes, a financial savings or gain to convince management. 

With data in hand, I walked into my boss’s office. All it took for him was seeing the numbers. If we could eliminate even a portion of these injuries, it would save us hundreds of thousands of dollars. He was convinced. 

The Implementation Process

As it turns out, this was the easy part. “Start the process,” he said with a smile, knowing how large of an undertaking it would be—and how much of a learning experience it would be for me. 

The first step was to meet with our rental and repair staff. I’m a skier, but I’m no expert on what makes a ski or snowboard safe to ride, so I didn’t quite know the amount of work an equipment check program would require. 

“Every pair of skis?” they said, already sounding overwhelmed. 

“Yes, every single one,” I said. 

Reasonable steps. Once the initial shock wore off, we started talking about how thorough we wanted the inspections to be. I pulled up my list of incident descriptions. The bulk of our injuries stemmed from improper DIN settings, dull edges, and brittle snowboard bindings. (DIN numbers denote the force required to release a ski boot from a binding. The proper setting takes into account a skier’s weight, height, age, boot sole length, and ability level.)

We decided on a list of standards required to pass inspection related to bases, edges, and bindings. Among them: DIN setting must be “reasonable,” within one or, at most, two points of what is called for using the standard calculation, depending on job responsibilities. E.g., a patroller might need a higher DIN than a lift operator even if they have the same weight, height, sole length, and ability level. No ancient bindings on boards or skis. I.e., bindings must be indemnified by the manufacturer. Edges must be present and sharpened and bases intact, such that the overall condition of the equipment is satisfactory. Small repairs or adjustments would be performed at no cost to employees. 

Repair staff were hesitant, but willing to try—and once they saw the condition of some employee gear, they saw the importance of the checks. 

Crafting the policy. This was the first policy I’d had to write in this job, so I started by looking over other company policies to understand the kind of information that should be included. I sent my first draft to my director. It was too short, he said, and written from the perspective of someone who knew the end goal. He reminded me to write it in a way that someone just starting their job at the mountain would know what to do. Nothing should be left to interpretation. 

After tweaking the format and adding more detail to the procedures, I sent the written policy to our senior leadership team, including the vice president of guest services, who shared the data I’d collected with the group. It didn’t take long for them to decide that an equipment check policy was in the best interest of our team. 

Presenting the Policy

With the policy approved, I first presented it to our entire leadership team during an August safety meeting and took questions. That group also received the policy via email. A couple of managers had doubts about the ability to enforce the policy, but most of them remembered when this was the norm. 

Then came employee orientations, which started in November, when I had the chance to speak to everyone about getting their equipment checked. Complaints from employees were inevitable—our staff isn’t shy or quiet. It’s part of what I love about this place, and it keeps me on my toes. 

Managing the work flow. The first issue was employees with multiple pairs of skis or snowboards. I asked them to take their equipment in one set of skis or one board at a time so as not to overwhelm the rental shop.

We also opened the rental shop before the season started and staffed extra techs when large employee orientations were going on. Employees were asked to only get equipment checked on weekdays and to avoid holidays. 

Objections and pushback. Did this make everyone happy? Of course not. Some were concerned they would not be able to get all their gear checked before the resort opened. It’s a rare snow year, though, that more than one device is needed on opening day. 

“But my rock skis…,” some said. Your rock skis are probably edge high with ancient bindings. Skiing low-tide conditions or early season ice on skis that are not up to standards is a recipe for a season-ending injury. 

Some staff tried to get out of the gear checks by saying that they should be able to check their own equipment. We should all check our equipment daily, of course, but nothing replaces getting expert eyes on our gear to ensure it’s safe.

Eventually, employees learned the process, and some even saw value in having their equipment checked. One staff member said he didn’t realize how bad the condition of his gear was until it was rejected, and was glad he had a reason to get a new board. 

Contingency. What if equipment fails and it’s all an employee has? I kept money in my safety budget for last-minute rentals. We also have a very affordable season-long rental program, which guarantees the gear will pass inspection. 

Enforcement

Gear that’s been inspected and approved for use at work gets a sticker with the rental tech’s initials and the date. The sticker must be kept on the equipment. Using equipment that hasn’t been approved could be grounds for disciplinary action, ranging from a written warning to suspension.

To encourage compliance, we urge managers to periodically check for the “Approved Equipment” stickers as their teams leave the locker room or during their morning meetings.

If an employee is injured on the clock, our new procedure asks the supervisor to make sure the equipment is approved for on-the-clock use.

Success

The program has been a resounding success so far. In one season, our ski and ride injuries due to equipment failure dropped to zero. Not a single injury. That’s more employees able to enjoy their summer season and physically able to return in the fall. 

Second-year improvements. The only complaint from managers during the first season was that they had to keep the paper forms the rental techs filled out for each employee on file. To eliminate this task, this year all forms are digitized for easy reference. 

The form was improved, too, with our rental staff adding more sections about the employee weight and skier type to help with DIN settings. 

Our equipment check policy and procedure is now included in every employee orientation. We publish the pre-season rental shop hours on internal communication platforms and post them in on-hill departments. The sticker changes every year, so managers can easily identify the current season design.

I was recently able to celebrate the program’s success with not only management, but our rental staff. We recognized our techs as our “Safety Stars” of the week. They received a special beanie and acknowledgment in employee safety communications. Showing them the numbers and congratulating them on playing a huge part in keeping our team safe also really put their work into perspective. 

In short, equipment checks keep employees healthier, reduce costs for the resort, and boost morale in the rental shop. What’s not to like about that?

SAMMY Guest Editor says…

I appreciate Jenny’s clear and methodical approach—identify a problem, analyze the data, ask probing questions, and most importantly, take action. Jenny’s investigation identified a very compelling story, making it clear that this change was worth pursuing, even if the process came with some complexity: impacts to repair shop staff, hours, attending all employee orientations, and more. The opportunity to improve employee safety was undeniable, and despite some friction (even from those who stood to benefit), Jenny’s diligence paid off. 

Jenny was steadfast in prioritizing employee safety, even when it required a significant lift to see this program through. We can all benefit from a fresh look at our equipment. Case in point: my recently retired boots, which wouldn’t pass an equipment check after years of service. I also appreciate how Jenny considered the downstream impacts, ensuring employees had support if their gear didn’t meet safety standards. Allocating resources for rentals and educating staff about the season-long rental program reinforced the program’s effectiveness.

The impact of this effort goes beyond reducing on-the-clock injuries—which, of course, include financial benefits for both employees and the resort. It’s about fostering a culture where safety comes first, and the results speak for themselves.

Kudos to Jenny (and everyone involved) for keeping employee safety at the forefront, even in the face of pushback.  Nice work Jenny and team!

—Ellen Galbraith, VP and GM, Stevens Pass

2024 SAMMY Leadership Award Honoree