"Cal/OSHA's report issued three specific violations, determining that Mammoth Mountain: Placed personnel in unnecessary danger without providing adequate safeguards. Failed to establish effective "safe zones" for patrollers to shelter in while avalanche mitigation (intentional triggering of slides) was underway. Lacked proper documentation regarding avalanche training for its employees."
"The state also issued a "serious" violation regarding the use of avalanche airbags, finding in an investigation that Murphy and her partner did not have their airbags deployed at the time of the incident. The state alleged the company failed to ensure their proper use."
"Murphy was killed during a blizzard while working to clear the "Avalanche Chutes"-a high-stakes area of the mountain that sits directly above the Canyon Express lift, a hub for beginner skiers."
California workplace safety regulators cited Mammoth Mountain Ski Area for the February 2025 death of 25-year-old ski patroller Claire Murphy, who was killed during avalanche mitigation work in the Avalanche Chutes area. Cal/OSHA identified three specific violations: placing personnel in unnecessary danger without adequate safeguards, failing to establish effective safe zones for patrollers during mitigation operations, and lacking proper avalanche training documentation. The state also cited a serious violation regarding avalanche airbags, finding that Murphy and her partner did not have their airbags deployed during the incident. The resort's safety failures occurred amid a troubling pattern, as a second patroller, Cole Murphy, was killed in December 2025 while performing similar work in the same mountain area.
#workplace-safety-violations #avalanche-fatalities #ski-resort-safety #calosha-enforcement #occupational-hazards
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