Introduction to Colorado Mountain College Ski Area Operations Risk Management class and the instructor Jim Moss

1. Colorado Mountain College
Ski Area Operations
SAO 110
Risk Management

2. A Ship in a Harbor
is Safe,
© 2005 James H.

3. but that is not what
Ships are built for.
John A Shedd
© 2005 James H.

4. Who I Am
James H. Moss, JD
• Ohio State University
–Environmental Interpretation
• Capital University
–Juris Doctorate

5. Jim
Call me Jim, unless you make me mad
then you have to call me Dr. Moss

6. Attorney with 23 Years of
Litigation Experience (30
years of legal experience
• 12 Outdoor Recreation Cases
• 60 publications
• 6 books
– Including your textbook

7. Other Ski Experience
• 6 Years working for a Large Insurance
Company (Nationwide)
• 2 Years at a Colorado Ski Area
• Expert Witness for Ski Industry Cases
• 9 Years teaching this course

8. Editor, Outdoor Recreation
and Adventure Travel Risk
Management & Law
www.recreation-law.com
Online legal resources for the OR & Adventure
Travel industry
Including the Ski Area

9. 500 Clients in Outdoor
Recreation Field
• Individuals to Colleges and Universities
• Federal & State Agencies
• Manufactures to Retailers
• Outfitters & Guides
• North America & Canada
• Central South America
• Asia, Africa, Europe & Antarctica

10. Trial Experience
• Whitewater Rafting Companies
• Snow Mobile Outfitters
• Ropes/Challenge Course
• Canoe Liveries
• Climbing Gyms
• Land owners

11. UIAA Safety
Committee
• Union Internationale Des Associations D’Alpinisme
(International Mountaineering and Climbing
Federation)
• US Member of the UIAA Safety Committee

12. UIAA Safety
Committee
• Union Internationale Des Associations D’Alpinisme
(International Mountaineering and Climbing
Federation)
• US Member of the UIAA Safety Committee
• Equipment standards for mountaineering and
backcountry skiing

13. Member ASTM
• American Society for Testing & Materials
• http://www.astm.org/

14. Member ASTM
Member of Committee
F27 on Snow Skiing

15. Ski Industry
• Ski Manufactures
– Genuine Guide Gear
– Merelli
– Scarpa
– La Sportiva
• Ski Accessories
– Recon Instruments
– C.A.M.P
– Metolius

16. Ski Industry Clients
Ski Areas
– Ski Cooper
– Loveland Ski Area
• Avalanche Accessories
– Orotovox
– ABS Airbags
• Snowboard
– Mountain Approach

17. As soon as there
is Life, there is
Danger
Ralph Waldo Emerson

18. Class
• Figure a minimum of 2-5 hours a week
out of the classroom reading &
studying
• If you get behind you will never catch
up
• Classroom discussions are the gauge
of how you are doing. Be Here,
Participate and Be Prepared

19. Make Sure you
Email me the
following info
• Name
• Employer, Job Title and Description
• State that is home
• On Snow Activities
• Ski, Board or Tele or saucer sled
• Other sports or recreation activities
• Favorite Ski Area and why

20. Why did I ask about your
home state?
• Because that will tell me a little about the ski laws
you may all ready think you know
• It also helps me do a good job of teaching if you
intend to work back in that state

21. Main Goals of the Program
• Define your level of risk acceptance
• Educate you in risk
• Help you define the program you want based on
risk and your risk acceptance.
• Prepare you to deal with the risk management
issues at any resort where you may work.

22. My Contact Information
• Ski.law@gmail.com
• 720 334 8529
• www.recreation-law.com
• PO Box 16743, Golden, CO 80402
• FB: RecreationLaw
• Twitter: RecreationLaw
• Google+: RecreationLaw
• Email is my preferred form of communication

23. A Mother’s prerogative
is to Worry. A child’s is
to Explore.
Jolene Unsoeld
© 2005 James H. Moss

24. Information and how to get it

25. Number 1 Resource
• Textbook
• Outdoor Recreation Insurance, Risk
Management, and Law

26. Number 2
• www.recreation-law.com
• A list of the important articles are listed on
this class site on Canvas

27. Lexis Nexis: CMC Virtual
Library

28. Canvas

29. Important information to
gather now, keep & use
• State Statutes
– Colorado Skier Safety Act
– Colorado Electronic Signature Act
• Federal Ski Area activities act
– SKI AREA RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITY
ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2011
• Regulations promulgated by the USFS about the
act

30. The Writers of the Declaration of
Independence thought that Life,
Liberty and the Pursuit of
Happiness were worth dying for.
If Happiness is base jumping -
Dying is a risk worth taking
Jolene Unsoeld

31. Syllabus
• Once you get access to Canvas go to the
Syllabus and download it or at least read it.

32. Also there is the class
schedule
• The schedule is what you need to do each week
• It tells you when projects and tests are due or
given
• I Reserve the Right to Change items on the
schedule!
• I specifically reserve the right to give pop quizzes
• I strongly suggest you download that and keep a
copy on your desktop

33. The most dangerous thing in the
World is to leap a chasm in two
jumps
William Lloyd George

34. If you don’t do the follow up
You were not here for the day.

35. Make Sure you
Email me the
following info
• Name
• Employer, Job Title and Description
• State that is home
• On Snow Activities
• Ski, Board or Tele or saucer sled
• Other sports or recreation activities
• Favorite Ski Area and why

36. Hints on Getting Ahead
• Read the required reading in the textbook
• Show up to class
• Learn Canvas: The more you understand about
Canvas the easy the class and the less time you
spend on the class

37. Grades
• A Means we did a good job.
• B Means I need to communicate better
• C. Means you did not ask enough questions and
communicate with me.
• D. Means you did not listen
• I don't like giving F's I'd rather kill you and hide
the body..

38. Final Project
• Projects
• 1. You have a final project to do. Make sure you
stay up on the project as you go through the
class. The project is to create a PowerPoint
presentation to teach an aspect of safety or risk
management to other employees at a ski area.

39. Final Project
• A. Your project must be approved by me in
advance.
• B. Once I approve your project idea, You must
prepare an outline of the project and email it to
me in advance.
• C. Once I have approved your outline you must
complete the project prior to the final week of
class.

40. Extra Credit
• There are two ways to earn extra credit.
• AAA Avalanche Class
• Pretty easy.
• Cost is normally $25.00. Plan on it now. Your
future boss will be at that seminar.

41. Other Extra Credit
Projects:
• 2. Take ISO Level 200 & Level 300

42. Hints on Surviving the Course
• You aren’t smart enough to BS me, don’t try. If
you do, be prepared to be hurt
• If you ask a stupid question I will tell you it is
stupid. I don’t buy that no such thing as a stupid
question crap
• If you don’t want to work you better have a rich
parent with a lot of cash if you want to pass this
course. I take large bills, a lot of them
• If you fall asleep I will throw things at you

43. Reality
• No matter what we learn here a judge
can change it.
• By the time we get done with the a
class a judge has probably changed
it.
• If you are really bad, you are going to
lose no matter what

44. Reality II
• Risk Management is not Static
• To be an Effective Risk Manager you must stay
current, stay aware and stay awake.

45. Reality III
• Every job you have at a ski area or any
other job includes a component of risk
management.
• You will have to understand what is going
on and being taught in this class.
• Skate through now and learn it the hard
way later or learn it now with my help

46. Reality IV
• If you are having a problem with
– The class
– With Me
• Come to me and deal with me and we’ll
deal with the problems.
• If you don’t ask for help or don’t tell me
you are having a problem you won’t
survive

47. Rules for this Presentation
• I am presenting the law
• It is not personal
• It is the law
• It does not matter if you like it
• It is the law
• How you take the information and apply it is up to
you –

48. Questions?
Thanks

49. Who are you?
• Name
• Nickname?
• What you want to do?
• Hometown
• Home Hill
• Ski / Board / Tele
• Favorite Colorado Resort
• Work here or go home when done
• 2 year or 4 year degree?