Safety on Mt Buller

At Mt Buller safety is a major priority for us – we want to ensure our staff and guests are having a great experience whilst on the mountain and we want all the fun to be as safe as possible!

Safety on the Slopes

Whether you are new to skiing/boarding or a veteran ripper, we all know stuff can happen. Give yourself the best change of staying safe and injury free by being fit and ready to ski or ride. Take lessons if needed (remember: group lessons are FREE to BSL team members) and know and understand the Alpine Responsibility Code.

Alpine Responsibility Code

  1. Know your ability and always stay in control and be able to stop and avoid other people or objects. It is your responsibility to stay in control on the ground and in the air.
  2. Take lessons from professional instructors to learn and progress.
  3. Use appropriate protective equipment to minimise the risk of injury.
  4. Before using any lift you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely and always use the restraining devices.
  5. Observe and obey all signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails or runs.
  6. Give way to people below and beside you on the hill. It is your responsibility to avoid them.
  7. Do not stop where you are not clearly visible from above. Look uphill and give way to others when entering/exiting a trail or starting downhill.
  8. Always ensure your equipment is in good condition and use suitable restraining devices to avoid runaway skiing/boarding equipment.
  9. Do not ski, board, ride a lift or undertake any other alpine activity if your ability is impaired by drugs or alcohol.
  10. If you are involved in, or witness an accident or collision, alert Ski Patrol, remain at the scene and identify yourself to the Ski Patrol.

You can also visit the SnowSafe Australia website for more info.

http://snowsafe.org.au/

Safety After Hours

There is no doubt that the after work activities are a big part of what makes living in the Alpine Environment fun. With all the fun it does make it easy to sometimes over do it, and over doing it doesn’t lead to good things. Make smart decisions including:

  • Remembering that you don’t have to use alcohol or other drugs to have fun
  • If you’re having a night out, eat well before you leave. A full stomach slows the absorption of alcohol
  • Drink in moderation. Don’t let others top up your drinks and go for low alcohol options wherever possible
  • Keep your wits about you and stay close to friends you trust
  • The best wait to avoid drug-related problems is to not use them at all
  • Never mix drugs with alcohol or other drugs
  • Trust your own judgement. Don’t let peer pressure sway you into doing anything you don’t want to do. It is okay to say NO.
  • Don’t let someone drive if they have been drinking and don’t get into the car with a driver who has been drinking
  • Leave for somewhere safe if you feel unsafe at a venue or party – try and find someone you feel comfortable with
  • Remember that your judgment may be impaired if you have been drinking or taking drugs. Dont take risks you may regret
  • Remember: if anything happens at night there is Police Victoria and Ambulance Victoria on the mountain throughout winter so call 000

Alcohol

We don’t want to lecture, although it is important that everyone is mindful of a few things before heading out for drinks.

Remember that the way you behave while here on Mt Buller, even if it is outside of work can impact your work life and your work relationships. So mind your manners, mind your alcohol consumption and be careful out there!

  • Mt Buller’s’ licensed venues will not tolerate underage drinking, intoxication, disorderly or violent behaviour, the possession of drugs on premises, or persons under the influence of illicit substances on premises. Disorderly patrons can be banned indefinitely
  • Different alcoholic beverages contain different amounts of alcohol; and one drink is almost always more than one standard drink. Many venues serve drinks in larger-than-standard glasses, and cocktails often contain several standard drinks. This confusions means you might be over-the-limit after just one drink
  • All ready-to-drink (RTD) alcohol (cans, bottles, pre-mixed drinks, goon sacks) in Australia must display the number of standard drinks they contain, so check the label and keep track of how many you are really drinking
  • It takes approx 1 hour for an adult male to process a standard drink and two hours for a woman. These are guides only and can vary with body mass, health and other factors. There is no way around it: only time will clear the alcohol from your system
  • Be aware that altitude and exercise may mean you don’t need as much alcohol to feel the buzz. If you’re going out, make sure you dress for the cold, especially when walking back to your accommodation at the end of the night

Looking After Friends

Sometimes people go overboard when drinking. Lucky, they have great mates like you to look after them and keep them safe.  If your friend is suffering from the effects of alcohol or drugs or needs help;

  • Don’t give them more alcohol
  • Don’t try to feed them
  • Don’t leave them alone or with a random stranger
  • If you are unsure what to do or need help, call 000: they’re here to help, not judge
  • If your friend is unconscious, lay them on their side to reduce the risk of aspirating (breathing in) vomit.
  • If they are not breathing, commence cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). If you don’t know how to perform CPR, call 000 and emergency services staff will guide you over the phone.
  • If your friend has been assaulted, or thinks they may have been drugged and assaulted, encourage them to immediately contact 000. Offer your support.
  • It’s a good idea to read ReachOut.com’s fact sheet on helping a drunk friend, so that you have some good strategies for helping drunk friends at:
    Reach Out – Helping a drunk friend.

Drink Driving

Most of us are in a car every day, so it’s easy to forget how complex driving really is. When you’re behind the wheel you need total concentration, good coordination, rapid reflexes, and the ability to make correct judgements and decisions. Drinking alcohol diminishes all of that.  Don’t fool yourself or take any chances if you have been drinking.

Australia has strict laws about drinking alcohol and driving with the legal limit set at 0.05 blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Learners and probationary license-holders must have a 0.00 BAC.  If there’s any chance you’re over the limit, don’t drive.  There are heaps of alternatives, including taxis and the MMBL Night Bus. It helps to designate a driver (who refrains from drinking) before setting out for the night as well.

Police at Mt Buller and Mansfield conduct random breath tests day and night. You can get hit with massive fines for drink driving, and lose your license. Most importantly, there’s a chance that you’ll seriously injure or kill someone if you drive drunk.

Drink Spiking

Adding drugs or alcohol to someone’s drink is a serious crime. Venues will prosecute anyone found to be endangering other patrons and spiking drinks definitely falls into that category.

Furthermore, a person significantly affected by drugs and/or alcohol cannot consent to sex. Taking advantage of someone in an impaired state is sexual assault. Full stop.  The message is simple: don’t put drugs or alcohol in another person’s drink and don’t take advantage of someone who seems impaired in any way.

If you, or a friend, are the victim of drink spiking, you need to contact the police straight away.

Warning Signs:

Feeling drunk when you’ve only had a little bit of alcohol can be a sign that your drink’s been spiked.  Additional symptoms include disorientation, dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, lack of self control, and problems with coordination.

If you’re concerned about a friend or yourself, immediately say something to security, the bar staff and your mates.

How to help your friend:

If your friend is showing any of the above symptoms or seems off in any way after just a drink or two don’t hesitate to take action.  Suggestions include:

  • taking your friend to a safe area and staying with them
  • keeping a close eye on their condition. Call 000 if their condition deteriorates in any way, for example, if they lose consciousness
  • telling the venue manager what is happening
  • if you or your friend suspects drink spiking, contact 000. Urine or blood tests performed within the first 24 hours are able to detect the presence of most drugs.

Where to get help:

  • Police/Ambulance Tel. 000
  •  Mt Buller Medical Centre

Drugs

Marijuana, ecstasy, speed, cocaine, LSD, GHB, ice, and any other drugs you can think of are illegal and let’s face it; really bad for your mental and physical health.

Mixing drugs together, or mixing drugs with alcohol increases your risk of harm. The effects are more numerous than we can list and will vary from person to person.  Age, weight, sex, and general health, as well as what you took, how much you took, where you are and who you are with all play a role. In other words, the effects can be unpredictable so best not to take any chances. Just say NO!

It will come as no surprise that BSL strictly prohibits the unlawful use, consumption possession or supply of drugs or alcohol in the workplace, staff accommodation or while operating company property.

In addition, BSL does not support the use of alcohol or drugs outside working hours where the effects may result in impaired work performance. If you arrive at work impaired by drugs or alcohol (in the case of legal substances, without consent or reasonable cause), you may be sent home for the day without pay and subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.

Sexual Assault

Forcing, pressuring, manipulating or intimidating a person to get them to partake in a sex act is sexual assault. Sex without express consent constitutes sexual assault.

  • Silence is not consent.
  • A person cannot legally consent if they are drunk or affected by other drugs to the point where they lack capacity to understand what they are consenting to, or are  asleep, or unconscious.
  • What a person is wearing ore how they are behaving is not an indicator of consent.
  • NO  ALWAYS MEANS NO.
  • Claiming intoxication is not an excuse for sexually assaulting someone.  No matter how drunk a person is, if they commit a crime they are responsible for their actions under the law.

Sexual assault can happen any time and anywhere. Over 90% of sexual assaults are perpetrated by someone known to the victim.

Top Tips to End Sexual Assault:

  • Don’t put drugs or alcohol into anyone’s drink
  • Don’t let your friends (or strangers for that matter) put drugs or alcohol into anyone’s drink
  • If a woman is really drunk, asleep, or unconscious, wait until she is fully with it and can give consent to sexual activity
  • If a man is really drunk, asleep, or unconscious, wait until he is fully with it and can give consent to sexual activity
  • Stand up to people who try to get others drunk so they can have sex with them

If sexual assault happens, dial 000.  Sexual assault is a crime and the person who experiences it has every right to report the crime to police. Also getting medical help can assist with injuries and concerns about pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections. Medical assistance can be accessed without having to file a police report.

The responsibility for sexual assault is always with the perpetrator, but the crime can have considerable impact on the person that experiences it.