The Treble Cone Ski Area has started an internal investigation into an accident on Tuesday in which a professional Norwegian snowboarder seriously injured his spinal cord while using a 10m jump in the saddle basin, but it is not yet known whether the Department of Labour will follow suit.
Department of Labour external communications adviser Eric Janse van Rensburg yesterday said the department was notified of the accident and was making inquiries to determine what follow-up action was appropriate.
Ski area media spokesman Nigel Kerr said from Christchurch yesterday the accident had been upsetting for everyone involved.
He hoped to visit the snowboarder in Burwood Hospital yesterday. The snowboarder has had surgery and is believed to be paralysed from the chest down.
Mr Kerr understood an external occupational health and safety investigation would probably not be required because the accident was not a work-related incident involving a staff member or member of the public.
The accident occurred in "controlled circumstances" during speed testing by professional athletes who were using the jump "at their own behest" for a film to be distributed internationally, he said.
The Treble Cone ski patrol team was investigating. It was taking the accident very seriously "because we must learn from these things", Mr Kerr said.
He felt staff had done everything they could to prevent accidents at the jump.
"Treble Cone groomers built it under direction of [professional Swedish freeskier] Jon Olsson and then, under the direction of these snowboarders, modified it for their use. It was built specifically under their supervision.
"The jump is not and never has been available for the general public to use," Mr Kerr said.
