SEDL / STP / STP860-EB / STP46652S

Injuries from T-Bar Ski Lifts

Lindsjö, Ulf
Associate professor and staff surgeon, University Hospital, Uppsala,

Hellquist, Einar
Associate professor and staff surgeon, University Hospital, Uppsala,

Engkvist, Ove
Associate professor, University Hospital, Uppsala,

Balkfors, Bengt
Staff surgeon, Malmo General Hospital, Malmo,

Pages: 8    Published: Jan 1985

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Abstract

This is a report on injuries sustained from T-bar ski lifts during three seasons at the Lindvallen and Granfjällsstöten ski centers in Sälen, Sweden. The number of cases was 168, or 7.5% of all treated skiing injuries. The risk of sustaining an injury was about 1/80 000 runs. Most of the injuries were not serious and could be treated at the local emergency room. Only 4 patients were referred for hospital care. The most common injuries were wounds of the head and face caused by blows from swinging T-bars. Most of the patients injured by falls in the lift track were women. The most common injury from a fall was a knee sprain. The injury panorama was more varied among patients who had gotten caught by the T-bar. Suggested measures for improving the safety of T-bar ski lifts include information on and training in the T-bar lift technique at ski school classes for beginners, intensified supervision of the lift tracks with a high preparedness for shutting off the machinery, a lower speed for nonmanned lifts, safer alighting ramps which push the skiers away from the lift track, and better padding of the T-bars.