Winter Risks at Uludağ Hotels and Ski Facilities

Ski resort worker safety on Uludağ

Uludağ is a winter tourism centre rising just above Bursa city centre. The summit of the mountain is 2,543 metres; the area where the hotels are located is above roughly 1,800 metres. The cable car line running from Teferrüç in the city via Kadıyayla and Sarıalan to the Hotels Zone carries employees as well as guests throughout the season.

Ski resort worker safety means managing winter conditions, altitude and seasonal employment together for hotel staff, ski tow and chairlift attendants, snow clearing teams, piste machine operators and technical services. A winter tourism safety plan should therefore be built around job groups:

For the general OHS structure of hotels, see our article on OHS in hotels; this article focuses on the winter and altitude conditions specific to Uludağ.

Working in snow and cold: wind, altitude and sun

On Uludağ, wind is as decisive as temperature; wind speeds up the body's heat loss and increases the perceived cold. The cold load of an attendant standing at a ski tow for hours is not the same as that of a ski instructor moving on the piste; measures are also planned by job. Annex I of the Regulation on Health and Safety Measures in Workplace Buildings and Annexes requires measures to protect employees from the cold where work in very cold environments is unavoidable.

Basic measures for working in snow and cold:

• Layered clothing. A base layer that wicks sweat away, a mid layer that retains heat and an outer layer that is wind- and waterproof. Wet clothing is changed immediately.
• Warming breaks. A heated hut and a rotating work pattern for attendants who stand still outdoors.
• Hand, foot and face protection. Gloves, waterproof non-slip boots and headwear covering the face and ears.
• Eyes and skin. The snow surface reflects sunlight, and this effect increases at altitude. UV-protective goggles prevent snow blindness, and sunscreen prevents sunburn.
• Recognising the signs. Uncontrollable shivering, numbness, whitening of the skin, slurred speech and confusion are warning signs of hypothermia or frostbite; teams should know these signs.

For choosing clothing, see our article on protective clothing in cold and wet weather, and for general winter measures, see our article on OHS in the winter months. The situation of employees with cardiovascular or respiratory diseases who may be adversely affected by the cold is assessed by the workplace physician at the pre-employment examination.

Snow clearing: roofs, eaves and roads

Snow clearing is one of the jobs in which accidents happen most often at ski facilities, because it is often regarded as "routine" and done without planning.

1. Shovelling snow off a roof is work at height. Nobody goes on the roof without a permit to work, edge protection or a harness attached to a lifeline. Skylights and fragile roof panels under the snow are marked in advance. A rescue plan must also be ready for a team working with harnesses; see suspension trauma and rescue plan.
2. The area below is cordoned off. A mass of snow thrown from a roof is heavy; the drop zone is closed off with tape and a lookout is posted.
3. Ice on the eaves is checked every morning. Icicles above walkways, entrances and car parks are removed in a controlled way or the area below is closed off.
4. Manual shovelling is a back load. Wet snow is heavy; short and frequent breaks, team rotation and, where possible, mechanical clearing are preferred.
5. No roof work in wind. Work at height is postponed in strong wind; for the criteria, see our article on working at height in strong wind.

Piste machines and snow clearing machines are operated by people with an operator certificate; during night piste preparation, pistes are closed to skiers and pedestrians. For certificate types, see our article on the construction machinery operator certificate.

Cable car periodic inspection and cableway installations

Cable cars, chairlifts, gondolas and ski tows are listed in Annex III of the Regulation on Health and Safety Requirements for the Use of Work Equipment under the heading "cableway installations". The periodic inspection is carried out according to the criteria in the TS EN 1709 standard; unless the standard sets a shorter period, the interval is at most one year.

The periodic inspection does not replace daily operational checks. Every morning before service starts, the rope, sheaves, brakes, emergency stop and communication between stations are checked according to the manufacturer's instructions and recorded. How passengers will be evacuated if the line stops in mid-air must be written into the emergency plan and drilled at the start of the season.

Other equipment in hotels and facilities is also subject to the same regulation:

For inspection intervals and the EKİPNET (the Ministry's register of authorised inspectors) contract, see our article on work equipment periodic inspection intervals.

Seasonal staff: full training in a short season

A significant proportion of ski facility staff work seasonally. Training and examinations are not cut short because the season is short; on the contrary, all of them must be completed at the start of the season.

• Induction training: Under the 2026 training regulation, at least 2 hours are delivered face to face and hands-on before work starts. Emergency stopping is shown to ski tow attendants and roof working rules to the snow team in this training; for a sample programme, see our article on induction training.
• Basic training: Completed within 3 months at the latest after starting work. As the season may be shorter than this, plan basic training for the first weeks of the season.
• Staff coming from another workplace: For an employee who changes workplace to do the same job, only the job- and workplace-specific risks topic is repeated; the previous training certificate is placed on file.
• Staff returning from the previous season: An employee who has been away for more than 6 months is given refresher training on job-specific risks.
• Pre-employment medical examination: Seasonal employees also undergo a pre-employment examination; in hazardous and very hazardous work, they cannot start without a fitness-for-work report.

The number of employees increases at the start of the season; this affects the working hours of the OHS specialist and the workplace physician and the İSG-KATİP (the Ministry's online OHS registration system) contract. For the calculation, use our OHS obligations calculator, and for updating the contract, see our article on İSG-KATİP when the number of employees changes.

Transport and the emergency plan

Winter tyres are mandatory on vehicles used for intercity passenger and goods transport between 15 November and 15 April, and the governorship can extend this period. We recommend applying the same rule as company policy for staff shuttles and other company vehicles going up Uludağ. Chains, a tow rope and a blanket should be carried in the vehicle on the mountain road. For details, see our article on safe driving in company vehicles in winter.

Heavy snow and fog can delay outside help reaching the facility. That is why the facility's own response capacity should be written realistically into the emergency plan: enough first aiders on every shift, a firefighting team, a cable car or chairlift evacuation scenario and a means of outside communication in bad weather.

Bursa Sistemer plans the pre-season risk assessment and training calendar for hotels and facilities in Bursa as part of the OHS specialist service, and tracks the report dates of your equipment in periodic inspection follow-up, with inspections carried out via our solution partners. For topics specific to service businesses, see our office and retail page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who carries out the periodic inspection of ski tows and chairlifts?

From 1 January 2027, the periodic inspection of cableway installations is carried out by authorised persons working at equipment inspection bodies. Reports duly issued before this date remain valid for their term.

Do seasonal employees need basic OHS training?

Yes. Induction training is given before work starts, and basic training within 3 months at the latest after starting work. Even if the season is short, completing basic training at the start of the season is the safest course.

Does roof snow clearing count as work at height?

Yes. Snow clearing on a roof is work at height with a risk of falling. It should not be done without a permit to work, edge protection or a lifeline, a harness and a rescue plan.

Which PPE should be given to staff working in the cold?

According to the risk assessment, the basic kit is layered cold-protective clothing, waterproof non-slip boots, gloves, headwear and UV-protective goggles. Spares should be kept for kit that gets wet.