RULES FOR SAFETY IN WINTER SPORTS CENTRES

A. General principle

The safety in Winter sports centres can only be satisfactorily guaranteed by the
collaboration of the following:

- the local governing body or authority
- all organisations responsible for means of uphill transports
- the ski schools, instructors and guides
- the skiers

B. General organisation of the centres

This means that these organisations are responsible for

1. laying out, maintaining, signing and protecting the marked runs like pistes and
itineraries (unpatrolled runs);

2. organising a permanent rescue service for the marked ski runs and for the care
of the injured;

3. providing information for skiers regarding the layout and the degree of difficulty
of pistes and itineraries. They must also provide weather forecasts and in
particular warnings of potential avalanche danger.

C. Skiing areas: pistes, itineraries (unpatrolled runs), off piste

The concept of skiing areas in Europe has developed around the marked
runs/pistes.

1. The marked piste

a) The pistes are classed according to their mounting degree of difficulty by green,
blue, red and black signs.

b) On the piste, skiers are entitled to standards of safety as recognised by the
national jurisdiction of that state.

c) A piste must not be laid out over terrain exposed to avalanches.

d) Pistes must be "opened" and "closed" every day.

e) Both the entire length and immediate boundaries of pistes must be free from
exceptional and abnormal danger points.

f) There must be an organised permanent rescue service in operation from the
opening to the closing of the piste.

g) A skier is entitled to the same standard of safety even where for whatever
reason an area operator has opened or laid out a piste which has not been
marked.

2. The itinerary (unpatrolled run)

a) Itineraries should not be laid out in areas where the skier might encounter
unusual and unexpected dangers.

b) The marking must be continued until the end of the itinerary.

c) Any avalanche danger should be signed in the resort and at the lower lift station
leading to the start of the itinerary which itself should be closed off.

d) Itineraries are not graded according to their degree of difficulty. Any difficulties
however, which are beyond the capability of the skier of medium ability must be
indicated on the information boards in the resort.

e) Itineraries are skied at the skiers own risk or at the risk of his instructor.

3. Off piste skiing

Except for the obligation of the ski centre to provide information regarding the
weather and especially avalanche dangers, any skiing off piste is undertaken at
the skier's own risk or at the risk of his instructor or guide.

4. Information for the skier provided by the ski centres, e.g. information
boards, piste maps, pamphlets etc.

a) The pistes will be shown by continuous lines of the colour corresponding to their
degree of difficulty.

b) The itineraries will be shown by dotted lines or by continuous lines in yellow or
orange.

5. The concept of pistes

In countries where the organisation of skiing does not stem from the concept of
pistes, but from that of a skiing area within a defined boundary, the ski area
operator must within this area protect skiers from foreseeable dangers which
are not obvious or which cannot be foreseen by a careful skier.

D. Operators of means of uphill transport

1. Cable cars and mountain railways

As the user takes no active part in this transportation, the operator has the
following obligation to the user: that of transporting him safely from the point of
departure to the point of arrival at the operators risk.

2. Drag lifts, chair lifts and other machines in continuous movement
Subject to national, legal and administrative measures, the operator must
ensure

a) that the machines are maintained in good working order by sufficient number of
competent staff;

b) adequate management and maintenance of the areas for picking up and
departure from the lift together with warning signs pointing out difficulties in the
terrain;

c) the management, and, as necessary, protection of the queues of waiting
people;

d) maintenance of the uphill transport track;

e) protection of the dangerous parts of the track, and provide a user in difficulty
with the means of arresting his fall and descending safely;

f) to ensure that by overseeing the track immediate action can be taken to warn,
avoid or limit any danger;

g) the staff of the operator has a general duty to assist users, especially children,
and in the case of obvious difficulty, or at the request of the user;

h) to provide notice boards describing how users should behave on the lift.

i) A user must have sufficient physical and technical skill to use machines in
continuous movement so that he can be pulled up the track normally.

j) In addition to the elementary rules of care the user should pay attention to the
directions, written or oral, of the operator.

E. The ski schools, instructors and guides

1. The ski schools, instructors and guides must teach pupils how to ski safely,
which means teaching the technique of skiing and the rules of conduct for
skiers.

2. The ski schools are responsible for placing their pupils into different classes
according to their standard of skiing.

3. The ski schools, instructors and guides must never allow their pupils to take any
risk beyond their capability especially taking into account the snow and weather
conditions.

4. The instructors must remind their pupils that during instruction they have no
particular priority on the piste and that they should at all times respect the rules
of conduct for skiers.

F. The skiers

Except for the negligence of others all skiers ski at their own risk.
Skiers must at all times respect the rules of conduct for skiers.

G. Cancellation

This document replaces all other safety instructions concerning in the Winter
sports centres previously adopted by the FIS.

SECURITY ON SKI- AND CHAIR LIFTS

The FIS acting as the representative of skiers requests:

a) Supervision of the operation of moving machinery by an adequate and
personnel.

b) Satisfactory design and maintenance of the loading and unloading areas to
prevent possible difficulties.

c) The design and protection of skiers' waiting lines.

d) The proper maintenance of ski trails and slopes.

e) The protection of the dangerous area of a trail so as to give the skiers in
difficulty for whatever cause the ability to descend without danger.

f) Supervision of the area to permit immediate action in order to anticipate, avoid
or prevent danger.

g) The operating personnel has a definite responsibility to help in case of obvious
trouble or at the request of a skier.

h) The use of sign boards to give notice to the skier of the care required to avoid
danger.

In addition the FIS reminds that:

1. The skier must be in possession of sufficient physical and technical ability to
use the mechanical equipment and to ski normally on the ski track.

2. Beside the rules of normal care the skier must respect the particular regulations
drawn up by the owner of the ski area.

FIS (Wording 2002)