EUROPEAN SKI AREAS: WEB RESOURCES LISTED BY EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
GERMANY (credits: Hannes Meyle)
National public and private institutions that play a role in fostering the goal of safety of the ski areas:
Authorities: Overview
No legal basis for the police to act preventatively or as ski patrol
In general, the Community (Gemeinde) is responsible for security issues with regard to ski areas.
No national public institution which is exclusively competent for safety issues in ski areas.
Public/private institutions
Bayerisches Kuratorium für alpine Sicherheit (Bavarian Curatorship for Alpine Security):
Curatorship which unites most important national stakeholders (alpine clubs, insurance companies) and competent Bavarian ministries – Founded in 2012 to centralise research concerning accident analysis, security and accident prevention in Germany
Bergwachten (Mountain rescue services)
Part of the German Red Cross Organisation; different organisation for each German Federal State
Publish statistics of their operations, see particularly the Bavarian Mountain Rescue Service
Private institutions
Stiftung Sicherheit im Skisport, SIS (Foundation Security in Ski Sports)
Founded by different ski sports associations (DSV aktiv/Freunde des Skisports e. V., Deutscher Skiverband e. V.)
Tasks: Education and research concerning prevention and security measures (behaviour, equipment)
Accident analysis in cooperation with ARAG sports insurance
Recent outcome: Increase of collision accidents, see page 9 of analysis 2013/2014
Deutscher Alpenverein, DAV (German Alpine Club)
World’s largest climbing association and the eighth largest sports union in Germany.
Analysis and statistics concerning accidents of association members 2012/2013: See page 65 for accidents in ski resorts
DSV aktiv/Freunde des Skisports e.V. (Ski Sports Association)
Different insurance offers especially for ski sports
Education: DSV safety days
Label „Geprüftes Skigebiet“ (Approved Ski Area) for ski areas that are considered safe
Arbeitsgemeinschaft und Stiftung Sicherheit im Sport (Foundation and Working Group Security in Sports)
Task: Reduction of sport accidents in general
Technischer überwachungsverein Süd, TüV Süd (Technical Inspection Association), and others; competent for security inspection of ski lifts.
Deutsches Institut für Normung, DIN (German Institute for Standardization): establishes primarily industrial norms but there are also DIN norms for warning/information signs in ski areas.
National public or private entities which represent the Ski Area Operators
No central association of Ski Area Operators; rather organized in regional tourism associations
Verband Deutscher Seilbahnen und Schlepplifte, VDS (Association of German Cable Cars and Drag Lifts)
Other website of academic or professional origin that provide useful information to our subject of research
Bavarian parliament answers to questions concerning accident numbers and safety measures in Bavarian ski resorts (25.04.2014) as well as legal questions with regard to an eventual obligation to wear a ski helmet
