Safety facts:

The over riding majority of climbers and white water kayakers will wear a helmet. This is not the case with skiers or snowboarders. Here are some interesting facts:

• Your chance of needing hospital treatment for injury on a ski holiday is between 2% and 3%.
• The chance of suffering a minor injury, not necessarily requiring treatment is 1 injury in every 14 days of skiing.
• 75% of accidents relate to falls caused by poor fitness or inexperience, influenced by snow conditions or simply bad luck.
• 25% of accidents are because of a collision, either with another person or a fixed object like a pylon or tree – around 60% to 70% of collisions result in hospital admission.

Safety advice:

• Helmets – reduce the severity of a head injury by 50% – most head injuries involve a collision.
• Wrist guards – trauma surgeons in hospitals seeing a lot of snowboarding injuries agree that wearing wrist guards would significantly reduce their workload.
• Carry transceivers, a probe, shovel and emergency kit when skiing or boarding in back country areas.
• Follow local daily weather and safety reports and heed local advice.

Loss prevention:

Please note the following points:

• In the event of loss or theft, report the event to the police or an appropriate authority within 24 hours and obtain a report. Failure to do so can prejudice a claim.
• If baggage is damaged or delayed in transit, obtain a loss report from the baggage handlers BEFORE leaving the airport.
• If you carry outsize baggage like bikes, skis, golf clubs etc, check for damage before leaving the airport, it is almost impossible obtaining a damage report once you are home which may mean you will not be able to make a claim.
• If you self elect to cut short your holiday without obtaining a medical report or authorisation from your insurer, you may not be covered for curtailment costs. Always obtain agreement prior to coming home early.
• Keep all receipts for medical and other expenses. Also keep you travel tickets and any other documents relating to your holiday, they may be required in the event of a claim.
• Do not leave valuables, money, cameras, electrical equipment etc unattended or in a car or tent. They will not be covered.
• Ensure when you leave for home you pack your bags and do not leave personal effects behind. Simply forgetting to bring home your belongings is not covered.

Your insurance will only cover genuine accidental loss or damage and not wear and tear, negligent or deliberate acts. Abuse of travel insurance is a big problem for insurers so keeping your claims to genuine losses will help keep premiums at a realistic level.