bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention Don’t give accidents a chance Company, event, date Name 2016Preventing ski and snowboard accidents1

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 2 Non-occupational accidents in Switzerland, 2013 Every year, more than one million people are injured in road traffic accidents, while doing sport and exercising as well as in and around the house.

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 3 Persons injured, by type of sport (Ø ) Type of sportTotalOf which Ball games Football Winter sports Skiing Snowboarding Cycling and skating (not in traffic) Gymnastics, athletics Mountain sports, hiking Water sports Other types of sports Martial arts Total

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 4 Downhill skiing: Parts of the body injured Shoulder, upper arm 16% Hip, thigh 6% Calf, ankle, foot 16% Head 16% Trunk, spine 10% Lower arm, hand 12% Knee 34% –Source: bfu knowledge base “Skiing and snowboarding accidents”

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 5 Snowboarding: Body parts injured Shoulder, upper arm 22% Hip, thigh 4% Calf, ankle, foot 10% Head 15% Trunk, spine 12% Lower arm, hand 31% Knee 10% –Source: bfu knowledge base “Skiing and snowboarding accidents”

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 6 Skiing and snowboarding: Main risk factors –Source: bfu Safety Dossier no. 10 “Accident Research - Sport” People Insufficiently aware of hazards Excessive speed Overtired and unfit Poor sense of balance Inadequate skills Surroundings/equipment Ski bindings incorrectly set Lack of protective equipment (wrist protectors, helmet) Sub-optimum piste preparation Imperfect snowparks

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 7 Get your skis on, but safely! Video “Skiing/snowboarding”

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention How to ski with the correct settings 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 8  Take your ski boots with you.  Give the correct personal details (height, weight, age, type of skier).  Ask for the printout of the settings recorded by the test equipment and compare this with the details you provided. Check that the bfu ski sticker is affixed. Have your ski bindings adjusted before the start of every ski season. Choose a sporting goods shop that is equipped to test ski bindings (see for a list of sporting goods shops).

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention Kitted out for fun 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 9  Have your gear checked by an expert before every season and replace any outdated items of equipment.  Sharpened edges make braking easier.  Tighten up the screws on your snowboard binding.  Wear snow goggles or sunglasses with sufficient UV protection.

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention Smart people protect themselves 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 10  Buy a helmet that meets European standard EN  Try the helmet on; it should be a good fit.  Test it with the chinstrap unfastened; the helmet should not wobble when you shake your head.  It should also be comfortable to wear with ski goggles and sunglasses. Always wear a snow sports helmet when skiing or snowboarding.

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 11 Helmet-wearing rates in snwosports, by age, 2015/16 –Source: bfu STATUS 2016

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention Tips on wrist protectors 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 12  Always wear wrist protectors when snowboarding, particularly if you are a beginner.  Ensure that the wrist protectors prevent the wrists from over-stretching and cushion any blows to the wrists and forearms.  Try on the wrist protectors yourself before buying. They should be comfortable to wear.

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention Fit and ready! 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 13  Prepare yourself for the season! In particular, strengthen your core muscles and leg muscles and train your balance.  Attend a course – improve your technique with professional guidance.

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention Keeping track of the rules 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 14 The International Ski Federation (FIS) has compiled 10 rules of conduct. Follow them and make a major contribution towards safety on the pistes. These rules are binding according to standard legal practice.

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention Basic rule 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 15 Respect for other skiers and snowboarders Every skier and snowboarder must act in such a way that others are not endangered or harmed. © KWRO

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention Moving rules 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 16 In control of your speed and skiing/snowboarding style All skiers and snowboarders must have a clear view of what is ahead. Speed and style of skiing/snowboarding must match personal abilities and be adapted to terrain, snow and weather conditions as well as traffic densities on the slopes. Choice of route Skiers and snowboarders approaching from behind must choose their route to avoid collisions with any skiers and snowboarders ahead. © KWRO

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention Moving rules 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 17 Overtaking A skier or snowboarder may overtake another skier or snowboarder above or below and to the right or to the left, provided that he leaves enough space for the skier or snowboarder being overtaken to make any voluntary or involuntary movement. Entering, starting off and moving upwards Every skier or snowboarder entering a marked run, starting again after stopping or moving upwards on the slopes must look up and down the slopes to ensure that he can do so without endangering himself or others. © KWRO

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention Stopping/climbing 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 18 Stopping on the piste Except in emergencies, all skiers or snowboarders must avoid stopping on the piste in narrow places or where visibility is restricted. After a fall in such a location, a skier or snowboarder must move clear of the piste as soon as possible. Climbing and descending on foot When either climbing or descending on foot, a skier or snowboarder must keep to the side of the piste. © KWRO

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention Signs 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 19 Respect for signs and markings All skiers and snowboarders must respect signs and markings. © KWRO

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention Action in the event of accidents 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 20 Assistance Every skier or snowboarder is duty bound to assist in the event of an accident. Identification Every skier or snowboarder, whether a witness or a person involved, whether responsible or not, must provide their name and address following an accident. © KWRO

bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention Further information 2016 Preventing ski and snowboard accidents 21 Consult the bfu’s brochures for more info on this topic - “Skiing and Snowboarding” (ref. no ) - “Off-piste” (ref. no , only in German, French, Italian) Order free of charge from Even more accident prevention tips here: