Perished Thoughts - Perisher Ski Patrol

September 2013 Page 1

Perished Thoughts September 2013

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Editor: Richard Hemsworth Please address comments to: [email protected]

In this issue:

From the President

Operations Update - Some procedural changes

Registered Patroller Promotions

New members

Soiree - 45th Anniversary Dinner

June Survey Results

Meetings with Perisher Management

RARC Course

Integration of bag mask, OPA, defibrillator

with CPR

Morning Meeting

Incident Statistics from 2012 Season

Training Sub-committee Update

Workcover Protection (and Reminder)

equipment safety

patroller accident rates

Implementation of the Workplace Health and

Safety Act

The shape of things to come

Fat skis

Roller skis

FIPS Congress 2014 - Silver Star Canada _____________________________________________

TJ's Corner (from the President) There's an old Chinese curse about change ‐ "may you have an interesting life". And, this season has had lots of changes and adjustments that we have had to make ‐ most for the better. One of the regular topics in the newsletters has been about the start times. PT gives

me an opportunity to talk at greater length about this topic, which is of concern to many members. There remains a lack of clarity on the rules and intent for a number of the volunteer patrollers. So, I will try to explain: The Company requires a base number of patrollers on the hill each morning at 8am to effectively open the resort on time. To ensure the base number of patrollers is provided, the Volunteer patrol has agreed that our minimum contribution to supply of Patrollers is 5 patrollers midweek and 10 on weekends when the resort is fully open. Apart from a couple of days of horrific conditions this year, with very little of the resort actually open on the days, we have been able to supply well in excess of this minimum requirement. Those patrollers nominated, are required to attend the 7.55am briefing and go straight on the hill from the briefing. The 7.55am start is not mandatory for all patrollers. However, we all recognise there are benefits of having as many people as possible on the hill to set up the mountain and get the day going. It makes it easier on those doing the setup and lets everyone get some skiing time in by sharing the load. There are circumstances for a number of our members that may prevent this earlier start; however, there is an expectation that all patrollers share equally in the work load and make an effort to attend 7.55am start wherever possible. If any Patroller has any queries or issues with this process, I would ask you to discuss their issues directly with me. It is essential that we are all on the same page and work together as a team. _____________________________________________

Trainee Update All Trainees should have received their new Trainee Record Books and are hopefully well into their training program for the season. There are some ongoing changes underway in the trainee process – designed to bring alignment with the paid patrol process and also to get trainees into active patroller roles in much faster


time. We are also implementing a mentoring system for trainees. Dean Gavrilovic is working on this program (as the head of the Training Sub‐Committee) and is communicating these changes to Trainees. As a Trainee, if you are not up to speed with these changes, please contact Dean at [email protected] Congratulations to our trainees who have progressed their skills to Probationary status this season. Just remember that the new Probationary Patroller still has a workbook and skills to develop prior to patrolling in all areas unsupervised. Congratulations on making the 'red jacket' to:

Jennifer Campbell

John Keighley

John Pearce

Kim Phillips

Louise Wellington

Michael Bell

Quan Luu

Simon Page

Warwick O'Brien

Wyatt Banfalvy The new trainee training system has the following streams:

Stream 1. Casualty Approach

Stream 2. Transport

Stream 3. Procedures

Stream 4. Equipment

Stream 5. Orientation

Stream 6. Teamwork and Leadership

Stream 7. Patrol Skiing/Boarding The RARC documentation and the "Harmonising the Patrol" document has references to things like: 1. Working as a member of a team 2. Communicate in the workplace 3. Provide services to clients 4. Work effectively in a public safety organisation 5. Manage information 6. Foster a positive organisational image in the community 7. Conduct briefings and debriefings More to follow.... _____________________________________________

Meetings with Perisher Resort At recent meetings with Perisher Resort management the need to get a list of trainers and SME (Subject

Matter experts) to form the training team for patrol activities at Perisher was raised again. If you think you would like to be part of this team please ensure you let Anthony Butler know. A full list of those who show an interest will be discussed with Perisher and the RTO. We have an agreed selection path for trainers and an initial list of volunteers and paid patrollers has already been provided to Perisher. The pool of trainers will come from both volunteer and paid ranks and will be able to train and certify all patrollers. The trainers pool is open to all appropriately qualified and experienced patrollers who would like to assist in the training of others. So, put your name forward to [email protected]. _____________________________________________

Operations Update Early sign off ‐ There has been some confusion about the early signoff process this year. The system remains the same as previous years. If you are travelling home after patrolling and you would like to be considered for an early signoff, you need to discuss this with the PL. The PL will work with the paid patrol area supervisors to arrange this where possible. The approval process for this relates to the distance that you are travelling, if you have others in the vehicle to assist in driving etc. Wherever possible this request will be supported. We need to still support the mountain in providing coverage for sweep. Slow zones and slow signs ‐ This is an area that needs greater focus. As one of our primary aims is about preventing incidents, enforcing safe skiing and boarding should be a high priority for us all. This includes the monitoring of slow zones and standing at slow signs. If we all spend some time monitoring these zones during the day we should reduce the number of incidents on the mountain and improve the customer satisfaction. Setting up of the mountain again (twice) ‐ Thanks to all those who again assisted in the third set up of the resort. This season has been particularly hard for patrolling with the poor snow conditions. Perisher management is very grateful for the efforts in keeping areas open as long as possible and resetting the resort after the new snow falls. This has increased the work levels this year on top of the other training and certification changes in the way patrolling is managed this year.


Aspirin now in all Perisher Code Packs ‐ Perisher Ski Patrollers now have another tool in their toolbox. Earlier this year Perisher Ski Patrollers administered Aspirin for the first time to a patient suspected of suffering a heart attack. This is a very important treatment for such incidents. The Aspirin is located in the pocket containing Ventolin. Previous weekly notes have shown a photo of what it typically looks like. The Australian Resuscitation Council guideline 14‐2 recommends that Aspirin is administered to patients suspected of suffering from Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS). Patrollers must check for any allergy or bleeding disorder before administering the drug. From ARC guideline 14.2…. “Aspirin administration: The early administration of Aspirin in an antiplatelet dose of 300 mg is recommended in patients with suspected ACS where contraindications such as true anaphylaxis or bleeding disorder have been excluded. The patients should be directed to chew the tablet which should not be enteric coated. Dispersible aspirin is preferred." It goes without saying that the Aspirin we carry is not to be dispensed to the general public for minor complaints or hangovers. Please make yourself familiar with this equipment. _____________________________________________

Perisher Induction Closeout If you attended the Perisher Induction and assessment program that was conducted on 25 ‐ 26 May 2013, there is a requirement to present paperwork to allow the company that conducted the training to close out the program. It requires a copy of evidence of the pre‐requisites from you. Pre‐requisites for this program included:

• Apply First Aid (HLTFA311A or equivalent) AND • ASPA Advanced Emergency Care course AND/OR • RR+R Resort Alpine Rescue program

Attendees who do not meet the above pre‐requisites will be deemed competent in resort specific protocols; however, further evidence will be required for issuance of nationally recognised certificates of competency. RR+R has requested that you scan your evidence and send it to them as soon as possible, so that they can complete the process and send out your certificate. E: [email protected]

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Sarah Sparkes on (02) 4283 9300. _____________________________________________

Resort Alpine Rescue Course Three yearly recertification process ‐ As you are all aware from next season, we are required to undertake the Resort Alpine Rescue Course (RARC) in place of ASPA's first aid program. If you were due to do the ASPA Advanced Emergency Care Program next season, you will need to undertake the RARC instead. This course will be nominally four days in duration, although final arrangements may change this depending on home study requirements. The courses will cater for 12 to 16 people at a time, and dates have previously been advertised for courses being run towards the end of the season. Further courses will be advertised to occur prior to the commencement of the next season. RARC Arrangements ‐ Perisher management has put a lot of effort into expanding the standard first‐aid course to include workplace specific training, and specific patrolling competencies. It is important that these programs are fully supported, not only to ensure the currency of our certification by our volunteer members, but also to enhance and develop the skills of our members. Perisher has agreed to fund the additional cost of this training, beyond the cost of the standard ASPA AEC Program. Additionally, the Committee (in supporting our members) has agreed to build the cost of the previous ASPA course into the annual membership fees. Hence, no charge will be made to individual members for attending the RARC training. On top of this, both Perisher management and the Committee have agreed to waive any costs for in‐resort accommodation for the programs. As previously discussed earlier in the season, from the 2014 season, all patrollers will be required to complete the Resort Alpine Rescue Course rather than the ASPA training course every three years. To explain the current position, an understanding of history is important: The ASPA AEC Program was first developed in 1979 in response to a gap in training courses available then from Red Cross and St Johns. It was deemed that those courses did not meet the specific needs of patrolling and provide the skills required to do our job in a professional manner. The original course was


developed by ASPA with reference to other international Patroller specific courses. This change resulted in a longer course. With the passage of time, both ASPA and the International Patrolling bodies have continued to improve the content and standards of their courses. So to 2013. RR+R has developed a patrol specific course for Perisher – the Resort Alpine Rescue Course (RARC) that focusses heavily on a range of skills and scenarios to continue to challenge and improve the skill level of patrollers. A preview of the type of changes was seen at the Induction Courses this year and most patrollers were very positive on the course and acknowledged that this format was informative and beneficial in supporting skills required by us to do our volunteer rescue jobs. In preparation for the 2014 season, there have been two courses already scheduled to run in September and October 2013. It must be noted that as these courses are resort specific, and the complete course will be conducted at Perisher. These course dates are designed to support attendance in School holiday periods and also shift workers who cannot attend weekend courses. Invitations have been sent to those Patrollers required to complete their recertification for 2014 and we have a total of 24 patrollers already registered for attendance at these courses. For the courses to be viable, each course will accept 12 patrollers. Patrollers have been invited earlier to attend one of these courses and the courses are now full. Future courses will be advertised when dates are known and you will be able to book through Mark Bingham at [email protected]. Completion of the courses includes both pre and post attendance work as outlined in the Course Outline sent previously by email. For Patrollers who are unable to attend one of these courses, a further three courses will be scheduled around June 2014 (dates to be finalised). No other courses will be offered and patrollers whose ASPA accreditation lapses must complete the RARC course as a requirement to patrol. The e‐book induction and yearly recertifications will also be required separately. All patrollers are invited to attend one of these RARC courses. Pre‐course preparations need acknowledgement of patrollers. Please note that the

cost of the courses will be covered by the patrol in your annual subs. Any questions can be addressed by email to Tim Clare at [email protected] _____________________________________________

The Shape Of Things To Come Carving Skis Explained ‐ Ski designs have changed quite significantly over the last few years. Many people have heard of carving skis, parabolic skis or shaped skis, but a lot of people are uncertain of what the terms mean. In this article we explain what a carving ski is, how it was developed, and how its introduction has affected ski and patrolling technique. Note that carvers, carving skis, parabolic skis and shaped skis are all the same thing and the words can be used interchangeably. The principle of the carving ski is fairly simple. The ski has curved edges so that it is narrower underfoot than at the tip and tail. This means that when it is tipped onto its edge it will bend under the weight of the skier. The further it is tipped, the more it will bend. As the ski moves forward, it will tend to follow the curve of the edge meeting the snow and turn in a smooth arc. This arc is controlled by the shape of the ski, the amount it is tipped over and the amount of pressure on it. When the inhabitants of northern Europe first carved planks of wood to strap to their feet some 5000 years ago, making turns on a piste was not their first priority. These first skis were essentially sliding snowshoes designed to cross the arctic wastes. The skis developed further south, half a millennium later, were longer for stability in mountainous descents, but it was not until the middle of the nineteenth century that a Norwegian named Sondre Norheim reinvented skiing as a recreational sport. As well as inventing the parallel and telemark turns, Norheim designed skis with a waisted shape – the principle behind today's shaped skis.

The invention of metal edged skis in 1928 was the next major step forward and led to the shape of ski that remained common until the late 1990s – long and


straight with a slight sidecut i.e. the ski was slightly narrower under the foot than at the tip and tail. Probably spurred on by the increasing popularity of the snowboard, in the late nineties ski companies began producing increasingly radical designs. The slight hourglass shape of skis was exaggerated hugely following the deeper sidecuts of snowboards, and skis took on differing shapes for different purposes such as fat powder skis, freestyle twintips and piste performance carvers.

The principle is simple enough, and not new; if the ski has a curved edge, then tipping it onto that edge will cause it to bend and turn. What is new is the extreme to which the idea has been taken recently. The image to the left shows a recent slalom ski alongside a slalom ski from a decade ago. The older ski is longer, thinner, flatter on top and has only a slight sidecut. The newer ski is shorter, wider, and has a pronounced sidecut. It also has a much more shaped topsheet surface, although this is difficult to see from the picture. This means that the newer ski will have a much bigger tendency to turn when set on its edge. The sidecut of a ski is usually given as a radius in metres (see diagram above). A smaller radius means a more aggressively shaped ski with a bigger sidecut. Most modern skis have a radius between ten and twenty metres. The shape of a ski can also be given as three numbers representing the width in millimetres at the widest point near the tip, the narrowest part of the waist and the widest part of the tail. So, what does this mean to the recreational skier, or for that matter the patroller? Firstly, all skis sold or rented these days are carvers – you

will always get some kind of carving ski. As a patroller you may find it interesting to try skis of differing radii to see how your skiing changes. For any skiers who learnt on straight skis, your technique will need to change a little to get the best out of the new designs, and it is well worth having a tune‐

up lesson to do this. Skiing with the feet close together is less effective with new skis, and vertical movement often needs to be converted to lateral movement. Up and down unweighting is less important, but ankle movements to create edging is far more effective. The biggest difference though, is that carved turns are now much more attainable. The sensation of making a turn where the ski grips the snow and does not skid or brake is a unique feeling quite different to the basic parallel turn, and mastering it is a big step on the way to being an accomplished skier. It is important to remember though, that carving is one technique out of many. Not every turn can or should be carved, and trying to carve every turn will lead to skiing fast with little control. Like the basic parallel turn, a carved turn is simply a step on the progression towards better skiing, a technique to keep in your toolbox, and a building block for more advanced techniques. The width of a ski can make a difference to how well the ski floats in powder, and to how much pressure can be applied to the edges. If a ski is very wide, it will increase the surface area of the base, which in turn puts less pressure into the snow underneath and makes the ski float better in powder. Which is why powder skis are often very wide. However the width of a ski also effects how easy it is to apply pressure to the edges, with it being harder to create edge pressure the wider a ski is. Therefore racing skis and skis intended for icy conditions where edge pressure is very important are normally narrower. The current trend is for manufacturers to make allround skis a bit wider so that they are better in powder, but not so wide that there is any major effect on their icy handling abilities. A ski's width is normally given in three measurements, tip width, waist width, and tail width, which are normally written somewhere on the top of the ski. Powder skis are designed for off‐piste skiing, and are normally wide and long so that they have a large base area, enabling them float above soft snow better. They normally have a large radius although it is not really used in the powder, and are generally quite flexible to allow the ski to bend and make shorter turns, although the flex can vary quite a lot between skis. Many modern powder skis use rocker cambers, to let the ski float even better in powder. There are many different types of rocker camber that they can have though, and the camber shape will depend on what the ski is intended for. Thanks to Andorra Ski Patrol for this article.


Implementation of the Workplace Health and Safety Act Volunteer Perisher Ski Patrollers have asked about the Work Health And Safety Act as it applies to them. The article that follows is a general article that explains the application of the Act to volunteers. If you require further clarification, please speak to a Committee member who will redirect you. The Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act aims to protect the health and safety of all workers nationwide, including volunteers. Protecting the health and safety of volunteers demonstrates that their commitment is valued and recognises the vital role they play in the community. The term ‘volunteer organisation’ is used to describe all volunteer organisations; including not for profit and community service organisations, whether or not they are covered by the work health and safety laws. Perisher Volunteer Ski Patrol Inc is NOT covered by this legislation, but you, when you work for Perisher Resort are, because Perisher resort is a PCBU. Am I protected under the work health and safety laws? You are a volunteer under the work health and safety laws if you are not working for payment or financial reward although you may receive reimbursement for out‐of‐pocket expenses. All ‘workers’, including volunteer workers, are protected under the WHS Act. Who owes me duties? Whether you are owed health and safety duties as a volunteer worker under the WHS Act depends on the type of organisation for which you carry out your activities or work. Volunteers may carry out unpaid work for: • businesses, or • not‐for‐profit volunteer organisations that are run by volunteers for community purposes.

‘Persons conducting a business or undertaking’ The main health and safety duty under the WHS Act is owed by a ‘person conducting a business or undertaking’ (PCBU). The duty is to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers engaged in work for the business or undertaking. This duty is owed to a PCBU’s workers including to volunteer workers. A PCBU may be a corporation, a partnership, an unincorporated or incorporated association, a self‐ employed person, a sole trader or the Crown. Some

volunteer organisations, such as those that run retail businesses for example, may also be PCBUs. If you carry out work for a PCBU, as a volunteer or other worker, then you are owed duties under the WHS Act. If your volunteer organisation employs staff as well as volunteers, it owes you duties under the work health and safety laws while you are carrying out work for the organisation. ‘Volunteer associations’ There are some volunteer organisations, called ‘volunteer associations’ (like Perisher Volunteer Ski Patrol Inc) which the work health and safety laws explicitly exclude. These are groups of volunteers, whether unincorporated or incorporated associations, working together for one or more community purposes, which do not employ any workers to carry out work for the organisation. Even where the work health and safety laws do not apply, the general law duties of volunteer organisations to volunteers are well established. Australian courts have long recognised that volunteers are owed a general duty of care by the people and the organisations they support. What does the organisation I volunteer for need to do to protect me? If the work health and safety laws apply to your volunteer organisation, the organisation must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of all of its workers including volunteer workers. This does not mean that the organisation has an absolute duty to ensure that no harm occurs. If an organisation is run by volunteers this is a factor that will be taken into account in determining what is reasonably practicable for the organisation to do in any given circumstances. Volunteers carry out a wide variety of work in a variety of environments, and the level of care that is required from the volunteer organisation will depend on the individual circumstances. What the organisation is required to do to protect you depends on things like: • the type of company or organisation you work for • the type of work you carry out • the nature of the risks and potential injuries associated with that work, and

• the location or environment where the work is carried out.

Risks you may encounter from the working environment or work equipment will depend on the type of work you


carry out and may include: 1. exposure to and use of machinery, vehicles and chemicals

2. unstable or unsafe structures 3. working at heights 4. unsafe entrances, exits, steps, stairs and ramps 5. slippery floors 6. cramped work spaces 7. poor ventilation, excessive noise or insufficient lighting

8. non‐ergonomic work stations 9. insufficient or non‐hygienic toilets and hand basins 10. challenging client behaviour, and 11. excessive workload. The organisation or company you work for should make an assessment of the hazards and risks volunteers are likely to encounter and take reasonably practicable steps to eliminate or minimise those risks. These steps should include making sure that: 1. the workplace itself is safe and without risks to health

and safety 2. equipment and machinery provided for use is safe 3. there are adequate facilities at the workplace, such

as first aid and toilet facilities, and 4. necessary information, instruction and training is

provided to allow volunteers and workers to perform their work safely.

The organisation should also consult with its volunteer workers regarding the management of health and safety generally and should ensure volunteers have a reasonable opportunity to contribute to the improvement of health and safety. As a volunteer, do I have duties under the WHS Act? People who are ‘workers’ have duties under the WHS Act. As a volunteer worker, you only have duties if you carry out work for an organisation which is a PCBU. If so, you have the same duties as other ‘workers’ at the workplace: 1. to take reasonable care for your own health and safety 2. to take reasonable care that your conduct does not adversely affect the health and safety of others 3. to comply with any reasonable instruction that is given to you by the PCBU (to help it to comply with the WHS Act), and 4. to cooperate with any reasonable policy or procedure relating to health and safety at the workplace.

If you are a coordinator or manager of volunteers and you work in a paid role, you will have the same duties to take reasonable care as other ‘workers’. Can I be prosecuted if I don’t meet my duties under the WHS Act? Volunteers who carry out work for PCBUs are required to take reasonable care for their own health and safety. Like any other duty holders who do not comply with their duties under the WHS Act, workers, including volunteer workers, can be prosecuted. This is the same for any person, including a member of the public, who visits a workplace and is required to take reasonable care for their own health and safety. _____________________________________________

New Registered Patrollers Changes to the way we train patrollers and also the approved changes to the Bylaws and Rules have meant that Registered Patrollers are now aligned with their paid colleagues more closely. The concept of a 'rookie' and a 'probationary' have been aligned. So, we need to ensure that any of our new people are fully supported when they are new to patrolling. It can be quite daunting to arrive at a serious incident and have to deal with it by yourself until assistance arrives. The new Probationary Patroller may not have the first‐aid experience, orientation skills or steep terrain sledding skills to be thrown in at the deep end, so we have recognised this and expect the Probationary Patroller to complete the Probationary Workbook to develop those skills over time. As a Registered Patroller please help out your colleagues. As an aside, we are still trialling this system and it has had a few teething issues this year (particularly in people understanding the skill limitations that should be recognised in new probationary patrollers). So, we may need to make changes as we gain more experience with the new probationary system. The advantage is, of course that we get more independent patrollers on the mountain more quickly, but we do not want to expose our members to extreme situations without giving them time to develop their skills. Congratulations to our new Registered Patrollers:

Adam Butler

Adam Wilczek

Andrew Frain


Andrew Gordon

Ashley Butler

Brian Pevitt

Briony Clare

Cameron Lawrence

Clare Roxburgh

David Rowe

Emily Frain

Greg (Sid) Hall

Gregory Dillenbeck

Jennifer Nielsen

John Sanders

Kati Burridge

Keith McReynolds

Mark Bingham

Neil Joel

Peter Salter

Rebecca Read

Robert Simic

Scott Gidley

Stuart Clark

Sue Hume _____________________________________________

Recognition of Patroller Skills and Training Professional training and certification is increasing around the world. Italy and France now have full diploma courses and more locally New Zealand is offering a seven month program to train patrollers. You might like to compare the training that you receive at Perisher and would not be surprised at the favourable comparison in terms of skills and competencies. Here's one from New Zealand

For 20 years Tai Poutini Polytechnic (TPP) has been training New Zealand‘s outdoor educators, ski patrollers, instructors and guides. Its graduates can be found all over New Zealand and the world. They are experienced leaders that enrich the lives of the people with whom they engage. TPP offers Outdoor Education, Ecotourism and Ski Patrolling in its courses. The main campus is located at the centre of NZ‘s West Coast of the Southern Alps and Lake Wanaka, and are jewels in the crown of one of the world‘s great wilderness areas. At the same time, the location is on the edge of and at the centre of everything wild. TPP courses make the most of New Zealand's incredible environment by spending as much time as possible in it, adventures are there for the making. TPP tutors are part of the global network of adventure guides and educators that live and breathe the adventure lifestyle. They have the skills and experience to help achieve your ski patrolling goals. TPP's goal is to impart the best possible skill sets to its students so they use this top tier of tutors to teach all of the students all of the time. If you have an interest or just want to compare the outstanding training offered by Perisher Volunteers, check out their Certificate in Outdoor Education, Diploma in Outdoor Instruction and Guiding, Diploma in Ecotourism and Certificate in Ski Patrol programmes at http://www.tpp.ac.nz/programme.php?Cat=Ski Patrol#107 _____________________________________________

WorkCover Protection and Accident Rates As you are no doubt aware that skiing and boarding are considered activities with inherent dangers. As ski patrollers, we have a notably higher rate of injury than other workers in more mainstream work. As volunteers our membership of the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association provides us with insurance against the costs of injury, in many ways similar to a WorkCover type scheme. Ski Patrollers are trained in manual handling tasks in a cold and sometimes difficult environment ‐ to deal with their environment in a safe and diligent way to minimise risks and injuries to themselves and others. Nonetheless, the statistics are disappointing. This article is here to remind you to take care; and if something unfortunate does happen to report the


injury immediately to the Patrol Leader so that you can commence the required paperwork to be submitted to the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association. Peter Wachtel will then assist you with completing the claim and dealing with the injury. Please help us to help you. _____________________________________________

Soiree - 45th Anniversary Dinner This is a great time for a party!

Shortly you will receive an invitation to the 45th Anniversary Dinner. Please pencil it into your diaries for either Saturday 23 or 30 November. Members, friends and associates are invited. We are currently investigating a venue. _____________________________________________

New Members Welcome to our new trainees for 2013. We wish you every success in your training and hope you enjoy the camaraderie and friendship of skiers with like interests. Congratulations to:

Alex Cherry

Amy Lembke

Art Hodder

Brad Carter

Cathy Hall

Joshua Hodge

Michael Rowe

Paul Baka

Ryan Osinga

Sam Cowie

Shane Fritchly

Sven Hammer

Vadim Borinski

Will Harrison

June Survey Monkey Results Members have asked what happened to the survey results that were collected in June of this year. The negotiations with Perisher Resort management were informed significantly by the results. The views of the Committee, in representing members, were also impacted. Many members have independently written to us to ask that their comments not be individually shared, but they are happy to have anonymous grouped results available. So... 92 members responded to the survey, making the total number significantly more than 80% of the active patroller community. Of interest, our patrollers had hugely divergent viewpoints; which shouldn't come as a surprise, given the wide demographic in the patrol. Some patrollers wanted to tell us that the questions were biased ‐ but it gave them an opportunity to disagree with the statement presented. Some patrollers identified that the questions were not strongly opinionated (biased) enough. But they too, were quite prepared to express their views. The Committee has taken the survey results and individually discussed with members their opinions to try to get a greater understanding of the underlying issues. Hopefully, that broader consultation has resulted in a better representation of the members wishes and concerns. To hit the highlights: 46.8% of the respondees said they were prepared to start earlier at 7:40am 56.5% of the respondees said they would be prepared to be one of the 5 volunteer patrollers (Monday to Friday) and 10 volunteers on the weekend for rostering to an area 58.1% of the respondees said that they thought the Perisher Ebook induction was effective and useful in understanding their volunteering commitments to Perisher 84.6% of the respondees said the Workplace Induction (conducted as part of the Seminar) was worthwhile or extremely worthwhile


35.4% said the information at the Seminar was generally new to me 69.5% of respondees said their preferred rostering arrangement was to 'nominate a base location and adjust their area to meet demand' 95.6% of respondees said that they would prefer to have a choice about where they patrolled on the mountain. 68.1% of respondees said that they would prefer to have their annual recertification in Sydney with an occasional recertification in Perisher. 20.9% preferred to have the training always in Perisher 70.5% of respondees said that they supported a split shift arrangement if they were required to work longer hours and 42.4% said that they would prefer to make the choice of shifts on the day 91.5% of respondees said that trainees should be on the mountain, being as productive as possible, as early as possible (even if not fully skilled) 77.7% believe that extending their working day by starting earlier will increase the risks and hazards in volunteer work from fatigue, and/or long distance travel 75 respondees made lengthy written submissions on the negotiations with Perisher management, with widely varying views that have been noted by the Committee 61 respondees made written comments on issues concerning the patrol more generally. These views have been noted by the Committee. _____________________________________________

Incident Statistics from 2012 Season This year we didn't have our usual report on incidents. But, we have the slideshow and it is available on the website in the member's area with the other annual incident reports. Thanks once again to Peter Gidley for doing such a great job preparing the stats. To give you a flavour:

For 2012 the injury rate in Perisher was 3.58 per 1,000 visits (3.47 in 2011).

For 2012, the Injury rate of snowboarders was 4.22 / 1,000 visits and 3.58 / 1,000 skier days.

Per capita, male snowboarders have about 15% more injuries than female snowboarders

Males have more head injuries (18% vs 11%), shoulder (21% vs 9%)

20% of snowboarding accidents are due to jumping (5% in skiers)

70% of snowboard accidents are caused by impact to snow surface (cf 50% for skiers).

Most common casualty attended is an injury to the knee with 44% female skiers.

Majority of females skiers are in teen to 25 y.o.

_____________________________________________


FIPS Congress 2014 - Silver Star Canada The 19th Fédération Internationale des Patrouilles de Ski (FIPS) Congress will be held at the beautiful Silver Star Mountain Resort, British Columbia, Canada (http://winter.skisilverstar.com). The resort is located at the north end of the Okanagan Valley, approximately 20 minutes by car from the city of Vernon. Silver Star is in the Pacific Time Zone (Coordinated Universal Time minus 8 hours). Check‐in is on Saturday 29 March, check‐out is on Saturday 5 April. The FIPS program will commence Sunday morning and end Friday night. The congress package is a fixed cost which ranges from $1,050 to $1,500 per attendee depending on accommodation selection. The package includes:

FIPS Conference fee;

transportation to and from the Kelowna International Airport;

seven nights of accommodation in a standard or upgraded room;

seven days of meals;

six days lift passes (March 30rd to April 4th); and

all applicable taxes. Not included in the congress package are:

air transportation to/ from Kelowna;

other activities at Silver Star or on the free day;

bar costs; and

gratuities. Jason Langlois, the Silver Star Mountain Resort Sales Manager and coordinator for the FIPS 19th Congress, may be contacted as follows:

Mail Address: Sales Manager Silver Star Mountain Resort PO Box 3002 Silver Star Mountain, BC V1B 3M1CANADA Email: [email protected] FAX: (250) 542 1236 Telephone: (250) 558 6020

For items to be included to the Program schedule please contact: Marie Nordgren ‐ [email protected]

For items to be discussed by our Medical Group please contact: Dr. Poul C Kongstad ‐ [email protected] For items to be discussed by our Avalanche Committee please contact: Ed Carlson ‐ [email protected] For information about hosting our 20th Congress please contact: Bruce Lochhead ‐ president@fips‐skipatrol.org _____________________________________________

New website and Emails The patrol has been using the NSW Ski Patrol domain name for many years. As a piece of history, the site was originally offered to all NSW patrols but they declined, so Perisher paid for the mounting of the site, did the designs and maintained it for both ourselves and NSW. Recently, some stakeholders highlighted the oddity of our email addresses and the confusion that this may cause. So, a decision was made that we should have our own website and emails similar to other patrol's arrangements. You will note from today that the Committee emails are all now based on our new domain name perisherskipatrol.org.au. Progressively all of our website content will be moved to the new domain name. The membership should notice no degradation in the service because of the change. And, we will be trying to make the change as unobtrusive as possible. _____________________________________________

Member Consultation Workshops Coming this year…. This year has seen a significant change in the way we have selected and on‐boarded new trainees. In part this has been necessary because of the changes to the training system, and at the same time the recognition of a need to get our trainees on the hill and effective more quickly. Certainly, the decisions to change our processes have been influenced by the growth in the understanding of just‐in‐time training and the recognised tendency of industry to overtrain people in the initial phases of their work life and then ignore the need for currency and training in improvement to processes later in their careers. The Committee has also thought long and hard about the type of culture that our volunteer organisation should be trying to encourage. Those associated with


the new recruit selection process will have seen the "mentoring" element, where we look at the attitude of new comers and the likely fit with the culture of our team. No longer are we just concerned about the need for strong skiing or boarding technique; we are looking for the right fit with the other members of the team and the right attitude towards engagement with a volunteer community. We also need to be aware of the fit of our volunteers with the resort, its systems and people. And, we have been keen to ensure that the culture that we encourage is one that fits with the type of work that we do. We work in a rescue space ‐ one where risk minimisation is a key element of our role. When things don't go quite right and an incident occurs, we need to be responding in an effective and timely way. We need to efficiently and diligently apply our skills in often physically difficult conditions (steep, cold, windy, open to the elements, with concerned and worried casualties) to ensure the best protection and evacuation of our charges. Many industries have these risk issues and take great care to put procedures in place, select the right people, train effectively and in some cases maximise technology advances to reduce the chance of an incident. The aviation industry, over twenty years ago, started talking about the Swiss‐cheese model and came up with the term defence‐in‐depth. The Perisher systems take a similar view, perhaps without naming it. We all recognise the parts of this system: the warnings and advice on tickets, the signage, marking of hazards, slowing people at risk areas, providing ski and board lessons to increase skills, having a medical centre on site, having a visible ski patrol, training lift staff, padding towers, and the list goes on….

So, an incident occurs when all the holes in the system line up ‐ the holes in the Swiss cheese allow the incident to occur. An incident is never the result of one cause or failure. We inherently know this: when the conditions become icy, we know that the risk increases of slips and falls. We know that as people become more tried they

are more likely to make mistakes. We know that some areas of the mountain (terrain) are more likely to influence incidents. So, if you combine all these risks at the one time in the one place, the likelihood of an incident becomes higher. If we are able to take away or minimise the factors, we can prevent many of the incidents. If we accept this as a valid model for our work, how does this impact the culture that we need to be as effective as we can be? What values are important to us to support what we do? The concept of a 'Just Culture' has been introduced to many organisations where safety is a key driver to the delivery of services. A Just Culture creates an atmosphere of trust in which people are encouraged (even rewarded) for providing essential safety‐related information, but in which they are also clear about where the line must be drawn between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. For us, a Just Culture is part of our desire to ensure a safe place for the resort guests, our team and the people we work with. A “Just Culture” refers to a way of safety and risk thinking that promotes a questioning attitude, is resistant to complacency, is committed to excellence, and fosters both personal accountability and corporate self‐regulation in safety and risk matters. A “Just” safety culture, then, is both attitudinal as well as structural, relating to both individuals and organisations. Personal attitudes and corporate style can enable or facilitate the unsafe acts and conditions that are the precursors to accidents and incidents. It requires not only actively identifying safety and risk issues, but responding with appropriate action. Blaming, threatening, bullying, belittling, and public humiliations are not part of a just safety culture.


The values around a Just Culture need to drive our organisational activity; we have already started to use this value set to recruit our people, to guide performance and recognise success. It is the cornerstone of our shared culture within ski patrolling. The advice on the Perisher Volunteer website to potential recruits does not talk about a specific set of values, and this is something that should be considered a work in progress. What it is does talk about is operating in a Just Culture. The text that has been part of the recruitment package this year says: Operating within a Just Culture There are no incorrect answers. There are no "dumb" questions. Ski patrollers are a very diverse group and most applicants will have skills and personal styles that will fit into the patrol. Perisher Ski Patrol is a JUST CULTURE, people are treated with respect and are provided with advice on how best to meet the expectations of the role. Perisher Volunteer Ski Patrol's "Just Culture" has three elements: 1. The duty to avoid causing harm 2. The duty to produce an outcome for the people and system in which they volunteer 3. The duty to follow a procedural rule (WHS legislation fits here, amongst other rules) To err is human We all make mistakes, even when we are trying our best to follow every step of a procedure. When errors do occur, we must see them as a result of the work system we are in, and the systems we have created to manage the individual contributors to human error. Whilst we know that "to err is human", we also know that we can manage the system in which we work to minimise the risk that our actions will not conflict with our organisation's objectives ‐ driving a JUST CULTURE. Normal error is the product of our current system design and is managed by: training, processes, procedures, design and controlling the environment. At risk behaviours are unintentional risk‐taking and are managed by: removing incentives for at‐risk behaviour, increasing situational awareness, and creating incentives for healthy behaviour. Reckless behaviour is intentional risk taking and is managed by remedial action and disciplinary action.

The Committee wants to ensure that consultation on our values and the way forward is open and forthright. The President is in the process of arranging workshops, one in Sydney and one in Canberra, to occur before the end of the year to encourage members to offer their views on the way forward for the patrol. More details will be emailed shortly on the venue and times…

The holes line up and it doesn't really matter if this is something you were born to do.

_____________________________________________

Late Breaking News The Committee has asked Carolyne Marshall to take over the role as Editor from the next issue. Carolyne brings a wealth of marketing and communication experience with her. We also wish to thank Kylie Sheppard for her contributions to the Committee and the role as Editor. We wish her all the best for her new job in North America. _____________________________________________


Please send your 2013 season photos to:

[email protected] _____________________________________________

Raffle Ticket Return All raffle tickets ( sold & unsold ) & monies need to be sent to:

Mark Plateris 10 Ferndale St Chatswood NSW 2067

BY FRIDAY 4 OCTOBER 2013 Alternatively, you can give your raffle tickets & monies to the Patrol Leader up to & including the October Long weekend (7 Oct).

By law, we are required to have all tickets and monies accounted for, prior to the draw.

If you have any unsold books or tickets, you need to return these to the above address by the due date.

Please note, that selling your raffle tickets is part of the criteria to be eligible for incentives in 2014.

If your tickets are not sold and monies not returned by the nominated date, you will be ineligible for incentives next year.

The reconciliation of tickets and monies is a very time consuming job, so please assist by delivering them by the deadline.

Please make sure that all outstanding monies and tickets are delivered to Mark Plateris by Friday 4 October 2013 (NO EXCEPTIONS).

Cheques / Money Orders are to be made payable to "Perisher Ski Patrol" _____________________________________________

Voted Best Day of the Season - 24 August


The Back Page Name Tags Name tags are ordered through Peter Wachtel. Please collect them from the notice board outside the PL's office, or see the PL.

Receipting of Raffle Money Please remember to have your tickets and money in as soon as possible during the season. All tickets must be returned by the long weekend in October. Receipts can be issued by the Patrol Leader.

Are Your Contact Details Up to Date? We like to keep you informed. A current physical address and email helps us do that. Please logon to the website and click on Member's Information Update on the front page.

Subaru Sponsorship Deal Perisher Resort has a sponsorship deal going with Subaru. Anyone wanting a vehicle under the arrangement can contact Richard Hemsworth to get the referral paperwork.

Committee Meetings Committee Meetings are generally held on the second Tuesday of the month in the evenings, in Sydney or sometimes by Skype. Please contact the secretary to arrange to attend.

Ski Storage We are trying to reduce the number of skis, boards and other gear left in the HQ building. The next time you are in Perisher, take your old gear with you, or dump it in the bins in the car park. We are getting short on room and some of the gear goes back to the 80s.

Keep Current Things change. Please review the notice board in the HQ to keep up to date. The Weekly email Update also helps. Remember the lifts closing times have changed and that affects the sweeps.

New Members Needed! Do you know someone who might like to join our ski patrol? Encourage them to join. Contact Mark Bingham or Rolly Flesch and help us to keep the patrol a vibrant refreshed organisation.

Helmets and Uniforms Patrol issues uniform jackets and helmets to patrollers. Please keep them clean and in good condition. Contact Anthony Butler for issues. Perisher Resort beanies and peak hats are available only for patrol members.

Short Forms The 2013 Incident Short Form needs to be completed ON THE DAY and handed in. Please do NOT leave the resort with the forms. Put them in the red box in the HQ building. Thanks.

All correspondence to: P.O. Box 4702 Sydney NSW 2001 Perished Thoughts Editor Richard Hemsworth [email protected] President Tim (TJ) Clare M: 0417 424 370 [email protected] Recruitment Officer Mark Bingham M: 0408 237 908 [email protected] or Roland Flesch M: 0402 671 121 [email protected] Secretary Mark Bingham M: 0408 237 908 [email protected] Treasurer and Public Officer Peter Wachtel M: 0407 491 661 [email protected] Vice President (Communication, Systems, Patroller Recertification, Documentation, Website, Stakeholder Liaison, Sponsorship) Richard Hemsworth M: 0409 223 766 [email protected] Vice President (Operations, Standards, Training, Ski-doos, On-hill & Company Liaison, Building Maintenance) Anthony Butler M: 0400 280 222 [email protected] Vice President (Fund Raising/Raffle, Special Events, Annual Seminar, Patrol History, Purchasing Scheme) Mark Plateris M: 0408 209 200 [email protected]

Documents

Perished Thoughts - Perisher Ski Patrol