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The resulting guidelines frame field operations, define safety philosophy and responsibilities, and strengthen risk management through documentation for check-in/check-out, required equipment, work alone, and emergency response.",{"@graph":14,"@context":72},[15,34,55],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/general/","General",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/developing-operational-guidelines-to-reduce-worker-risk-at-us-avalanche-centers/242443/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/developing-operational-guidelines-to-reduce-worker-risk-at-us-avalanche-centers/242443.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Clementine","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-09-20","2026-09-12",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":26},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",{"@type":56,"mainEntity":57},"FAQPage",[58,64,68],{"name":59,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":61},"What problem prompted the development of the operational guidelines?","Question",{"text":62,"@type":63},"Workplace avalanche accidents over the previous five years killed 11 avalanche workers, and a fatal solo-travel related accident involving a transportation avalanche forecaster triggered renewed discussion about defensibility and safety practices.","Answer",{"name":65,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":66},"What is the main purpose of the guidelines?",{"text":67,"@type":63},"To improve worker safety by establishing context for field operations, clarifying worker safety philosophy and responsibility, and improving risk management through documented procedures.",{"name":69,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":70},"Which areas does the guidelines documentation focus on?",{"text":71,"@type":63},"Procedures related to check-in/check-out, required safety equipment, working alone, and emergency response are emphasized, alongside pre-field checklists and critical thinking exercises.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":74,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":76,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":78,"site_id":7},242443,1789190637,{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":82},"success",[83,88,93,98,103,108,113,118,123],{"id":84,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},11,"Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":89,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":90,"show_sort_weight":91,"slug":92},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":94,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":95,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":97},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":99,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":100,"show_sort_weight":101,"slug":102},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":104,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":105,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":107},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":109,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":110,"show_sort_weight":111,"slug":112},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":114,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":115,"show_sort_weight":116,"slug":117},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":119,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":121,"slug":122},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":124,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":125},158,"general-158",{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":127},{"doc_id":78,"user_id":128,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":129,"doc_module":22,"category_id":124,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":130,"file_id":131,"file_url":132,"file_type":133,"file_size":134,"view_count":26,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":135,"language":136,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":137,"faqs":138,"seo_title":139,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":79,"read_time":26},1374391974564,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/14000253aa45c000a9e?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1779874745381141002","DEVELOPING OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES  \nTO REDUCE WORKER RISK AT US AVALANCHE CENTERS  \nSimon A. Trautman1,2* and Karl W. Birkeland1  \n1 USDA Forest Service National Avalanche Center , Bozeman, MT, USA  \n2 Sawtooth National Forest Avalanche Center , Ketchum, ID , USA  \nABSTRACT: Workplace avalanche accidents claimed the lives of 11 avalanche workers in the United States over the last five years. Though none of the victims worked at a backcountry avalanche center, each accident reminds us of the danger of working in avalanche terrain. In response to these accidents, and in particular to an accident involving a Utah Department of Transportation avalanche forecaster, the Forest Service National Avalanche Center started a dialogue between the U.S. avalanche centers aimed at improving worker safety and increasing consistency in safety procedures. Our discussion began with the practice of solo travel by avalanche workers, but quickly transitioned into a more comprehensive project. The result was the creation of guidelines designed to reduce risk during field work. The guidelines establish context for field operations, define worker safety philosophy and responsibility, and improve risk management by requiring documentation of procedures related to check-in/check-out, required safety equipment, working alone, and emergency response. One of the key components of the guidelines is a pre-field work checklist and critical thinking exercise. U.S. avalanche centers are unique and diverse operations, adding complexity to the project. In the end, reducing or preventing accidents requires a holistic approach to safety. This approach must address the fundamental questions of who we are as a professional group, to what extent are we willing to expose our workers to potential hazards, and what methods are at our disposal to mitigate “acceptable risk”.  \nKEYWORDS: (safety, risk, risk management, operations, planning , worker) .  \n1. BACKGROUND  \nAvalanche centers in the United States operate independently. As a result, field safety practices vary. Most centers are operated by the United States Forest Service (USFS) and share responsibility and/or liability for worker related accidents. Currently, there are 41 avalanche center employees and hundreds of volunteers working within USFS operations. These employees and volunteers spend a significant amount of time in potentially adverse wintertime backcountry conditions.  \nIn April 2013, a Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) avalanche forecaster was killed in an avalanche. Though working alone, the circumstances of the avalanche makes it unlikely that a partner would have changed the outcome. Still, this tragic accident prompted immediate discussion and questioning of the defensibility of solo travel (while working) among snow and avalanche workers and the public.  \n* Corresponding author address: Simon Trautman  \nUSFS National Avalanche Center Ketchum, ID 83340  \ntel: 208-922-0095  \nemail: [strautman@fs.fed.us](strautman@fs.fed.us)  \nIn the summer following this accident, the Forest Service National Avalanche Center initiated a formal discussion between US avalanche centers with the goal of achieving consensus on working alone in avalanche terrain. We quickly realized that while the question of working alone is important, it is only one piece of a multi-faceted workplace safety discussion (Figure 1) . This expanded our focus to include documenting existing standards and practices pertaining to operational safety at US avalanche centers. We started with abroad survey and progressed to a smaller working group tasked with building commonality between the safety practices used by all our avalanche centers.  \nOur effort resulted in a series of templates designed to provide guidance, stimulate critical thought and discussion, and increase consistency in safety practices between avalanche centers. The project’s ultimate goal is to improve worker safety by ensuring that centers define, document, and manage r","cbCaipYIeZdpqAca","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaipYIeZdpqAca","pdf",342672,6,"English","# Background\n## Independent operations and varying safety practices\n## Triggering incident and focus shift\n# Project Description\n## US Avalanche Center Survey\n## Job Hazard Analysis and documentation gaps","[{\"question\":\"What problem prompted the development of the operational guidelines?\",\"answer\":\"Workplace avalanche accidents over the previous five years killed 11 avalanche workers, and a fatal solo-travel related accident involving a transportation avalanche forecaster triggered renewed discussion about defensibility and safety practices.\"},{\"question\":\"What is the main purpose of the guidelines?\",\"answer\":\"To improve worker safety by establishing context for field operations, clarifying worker safety philosophy and responsibility, and improving risk management through documented procedures.\"},{\"question\":\"Which areas does the guidelines documentation focus on?\",\"answer\":\"Procedures related to check-in/check-out, required safety equipment, working alone, and emergency response are emphasized, alongside pre-field checklists and critical thinking exercises.\"}]","Developing Operational Guidelines - To Reduce Worker Risk at US Avalanche Centers | PDF"]