States that Don't Require Safety Bar on Chairlifts

joshua_segal

When I went to Buck Hill, MN last December, I forgot to mention in my trip report that the chairlifts did not have safety bars.  What other states/provinces (that have chairlifts) do not require safety bars?

Schweig_1

Sunlight, near Glenwood Springs, Colorado doesn’t have safety bars on their lifts.

NewEnglandSkier13

There’s a double at Mount Snow which was grandfathered in without a safety bar.

MrMagic

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“NewEnglandSkier13”>There’s a double at Mount Snow which was grandfathered in without a safety bar.</blockquote>

Yeah I rode it once weird experience with out a bar but the lift is only like 100 feet long and not high off the ground in fact I think I read somewhere it is to be replaced with a carpet so that gives you some perspective of just how short the chair is

LiftGuy

I think the more realistic question would be “ States that DO require a safety bar”. 1) Vermont 2) ??? Can’t think of one West of the Mississippi-

ciscokid

Not required here

NewEnglandSkier13

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“LiftGuy”>I think the more realistic question would be “ States that DO require a safety bar”. 1) Vermont 2) ??? Can’t think of one West of the Mississippi-</blockquote>I believe all New England states require safety bars.

lotsoskiing

Vermont requires you actually use them (State law). I don’t believe others in NE have a law, but they all have safety bars.

oppositegeorge

I am no lawyer, but I think that page 20 of this document means that they are required in NYS (and a different NYS code requires skiers to use them): https://labor.ny.gov/workerprotection/safetyhealth/PDFs/Industry/Code_Rule_32_2010.pdf

joshua_segal

Maybe time for a different question:  Can anyone name a chairlift in New England or the Mid-Atlantic region that does not have a safety bar.  (I think the one at Mt. Snow that was suggested earlier in this thread has been retired.)

NewEnglandSkier13

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“joshua_segal”>Maybe time for a different question:  Can anyone name a chairlift in New England or the Mid-Atlantic region that does not have a safety bar.  (I think the one at Mt. Snow that was suggested earlier in this thread has been retired.)</blockquote>Nope, it’s still there: http://www.newenglandskihistory.com/lifts/viewlift.php?id=878

ropetow

Last i knew 7 springs in PA had a chair without a safty bar. When i worked at Killington i was told that Vermont requires chairs to have safety bars but doesn’t reauire. Their use. I was told the signs they have aaying its a law are just there to convince people. But that was 10 years ago.

ropetow

A lot of people fall off a chair trying to lower their ssfety bar which cancells out some of the safety it provides. Maybe its time to redesign the ease of lowering the bar.

lotsoskiing

If you have ever ridden a chair at Smuggler’s Notch you are well aware that VT requires the safety bar to be used. Lift attendants are vigilant, to the point that they have someone on each lift whose job it is to call out any chair that has not put theirs down quickly enough (by the first tower). If you don’t, then expect to see a patroller at the top ready to take your ticket.

Not all areas are as aggressive, but most insist on it.

That being said, people can find any number of ways to fall out of a chair, with the bar up, down or in transit…s@#t happens.

NELSBEER

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“ropetow”>A lot of people fall off a chair trying to lower their ssfety bar which cancells out some of the safety it provides. Maybe its time to redesign the ease of lowering the bar.</blockquote>

As I remember on the ‘Bluebird Express’ Bubble Six Pack at Mount Snow they require at least one adult on each chair to lower the bar & bubble, problem solved. Great except it can get noisy in there with 5 ‘bubbly’ kids’ voices bouncing off the plastic.  

Actually, I haven’t noticed many problems with lowering the bar. Misloads do seem common with groups of kids who are distracting each other while preparing to load and adults loading smaller child{ren}.  Nothing quite as interesting as seven chattering 8-9 year olds suddenly realizing that they are all trying to load the same quad chair, fortunately the lift attendants are generally alert when this age group is loading.

Preparing people for the possibility of a problem, without scaring them away from the sport, would make sense but I don’t see much effort in this direction.

I did spot a series of short safety clips on the Mount Snow website, aimed at adults as well as the kids, read down the attached page for 3 shorts… 

Video Link

There is a whole website dedicated to the subject as well:

Kids on Lifts

teighs

http://labor.vermont.gov/tramway/passenger-tramway-safety-rules/1007.2 Chairs Each chair shall be equipped with a restraint bar, which shall not yield to forward pressure applied by passenger(s). The passenger(s) must have the restraint bar fully closed except when they are embarking or disembarking the lift.

joshua_segal

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“teighs”>http://labor.vermont.gov/tramway/passenger-tramway-safety-rules/1007.2 Chairs Each chair shall be equipped with a restraint bar, which shall not yield to forward pressure applied by passenger(s). The passenger(s) must have the restraint bar fully closed except when they are embarking or disembarking the lift.</blockquote>

I have a friend whose season pass was actually pulled for a week after repeated failures to close the safety bar. I don’t know in which other states, using the safety bar is required by law.  It is not required in NH.

sugarloaf

When I was skiing at Mammoth, California in June of 2006, Chair 22 had no safety bar and my son (6 years old at that time) was clinging to daddy.

NewEnglandSkier13

Connecticut General Assembly Section 39-211 requires “passenger tramways, as defined in subparagraph (D) of subdivision (1) of section 29-201, are equipped with restraint devices”

joshua_segal

Summary to date:

VT: Mt. Snow: Ski Baba (grandfathered)

PA: Can anyone confirm one at 7 Springs?

Examples cited at implying that the safety bar is optional:

CA: Mammoth

CO: Sunlight

MI: Not required

MN: Buck Hill

Specific Law with requirement cited:

CT

MA (added post NES13’s posting)

NY

VT

Got more?