Other fall to lower level 26 to 30 feet · Fractures (except skull fractures) and concussions
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Vail Resorts, 1599C Summit County Road 3, BRECKENRIDGE, COLORADO 80424
on — Fractures (except skull fractures) and concussions , affecting the head and trunk.
Final narrative
An employee was performing a self-rescue drill from a ski lift chair. While belaying down using rock climbing/mountaineering skills and equipment, the employee's equipment allowed him to rapidly slide down his rope over 15 to 30 feet to the bare ground under the chair. He suffered two fractured ribs, lumbar spine fractures (vertebrae 1-5), a mild concussion, and a blistered and rope-burned right hand.
HospitalizedHead and trunkSki lifts, gondola rides
An employee was walking in the "runout" area between snow tubing lanes and was adjusting deceleration mats used to slow down the guests. A guest riding a snow tube struck the employee, knocking the employee to the ground. The employee sustained a concussion and a fractured clavicle.
An employee was riding a snowmobile to pull ropes to close off ski trails. The snowmobile's throttle opened during a turn, and the snowmobile struck a tree. The employee suffered a fracture at the base of the skull.
An employee was riding up a chairlift. Upon disembarking the lift, the employee's skis did not slide on the ramp due to ice buildup. This caused the employee to fall onto his left hip, resulting in a fracture.
An employee was teaching ski school. While demonstrating J-turns, the employee caught the edge of their ski on a pole basket, causing them to fall onto their pole handle. The employee suffered two rib fractures and a punctured lung that required hospitalization.
An employee was laying down bridging (angle iron that is welded onto open web joists). He was moving backward toward the edge of a joist when his foot slipped. He lost balance and fell backward away from the structure and landed on the ground about 30 feet below. The employee sustained a broken right leg. The employee was wearing a harness but it was not connected at the time of the fall.
On June 16, 2023, an employee was checking the I-beams on a bridge. He unhooked his harness to move across the section of the second beam. While hooking his harness on the third beam, his foot hit the cable that was connected to the beam and fell approximately 25 to 30 feet to the muddy clay floor below. The employee sustained a left hip and femur fracture.
An employee was using a 60-foot ladder to access the fourth floor of a building in order to paint the balcony. The employee was holding onto the handrail while painting it when the handrail brackets broke, causing him to fall approximately 30 feet to the ground and land on top of air conditioning units. The employee suffered severe lacerations on the face and fractures to the cheekbones and eye bones. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee entered a portable structure that was being rigged up to a crane. The crane began lifting the portable structure with the employee inside when the structure fell 15-30 feet to the ground. The employee sustained a left leg fracture, a dislocated right ankle, and back injury.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 713920)
An employee was trimming tree limbs from a bucket truck. The employee fell from the bucket to the ground 16 feet below, suffering a concussion and a broken rib.
Two employees were in a drive terminal, pulling a new fuel line for an EPU to provide tertiary power for a ski lift. After unspooling the fuel line, one employee took a step backward and fell through the skinning (the floor of the terminal) to the ground about 12-15 feet below. The employee suffered a dislocated ankle and fractures to the lower tibia and fibula.
An employee was doing a sweep of a mountain bike trail when their mountain bike's front tire slipped. The employee fell from the bike to the ground and suffered a broken pelvis. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was kneeling, lighting the pilot for a gas range, when gas that had leaked from a quick coupler at the back of the range ignited. The employee suffered serious burns to both arms and her neck.
An employee was riding a mountain bike to check on markings and race trails when he struck a tree. He sustained six fractured ribs and a laceration to the spleen.
An employee was delivering materials. He was doing his pre-delivery inspection on the roof of the jobsite (a warehouse) when he fell through a plexiglass skylight. He landed on his feet on the concrete floor 14 feet below. The employee sustained fractures to his spine, left ulnar/radius, and right heel. The employee required surgery.
An employee was removing packaging from a roll of printing substrate. The blade of their utility knife got stuck. The employee used both hands to free the knife and the blade partially amputated their left little fingertip.
A concrete batch plant operator was assisting with clearing spoil piles using a skid steer. The skid steer backed into a stationary screen plant. The employee's left little finger was crushed between the controls of the skid steer and the screen plant, resulting in a fracture and laceration. The employee's finger was surgically amputated.
An employee was standing on an extension ladder, using a torquing tool to remove bolts that secured blades to a rotor. When the torquing tool activated, its reaction arm came around and pinched the employee's right middle finger against a lifting eye. His fingertip was amputated.