Ski Lift Operations Daily Safety Checklist

Ski Lift Operations Daily Safety Checklist Template

Operating a ski resort comes with significant responsibility—especially when it comes to lift safety. Between cable tension monitoring, tower inspections, emergency preparedness and operator certification tracking, there's a lot to verify before your lifts can safely transport guests up the mountain each day.

This Ski Lift Operations Daily Safety Checklist is designed specifically for ski resort operations teams, lift maintenance crews, and safety managers who need a reliable, repeatable system for documenting pre-operational inspections and compliance checks.

Why daily lift safety checklists matter

Chairlifts, gondolas, and surface lifts are complex mechanical systems operating in harsh winter conditions. A structured daily checklist helps you:

• Meet regulatory requirements: Document compliance with ANSI B77 standards and state tramway regulations
• Prevent mechanical failures: Catch cable wear, hydraulic issues, and structural concerns before they become critical
• Protect your guests and staff: Verify emergency evacuation equipment is ready and operators are properly certified
• Reduce liability exposure: Maintain a clear audit trail of daily inspections and corrective actions
• Optimize uptime: Identify maintenance needs early, minimizing unplanned closures

What this template covers

This template walks your team through the essential safety checks that should happen before every operational day:

Cable and Mechanical Systems

• Cable tension measurements and tolerance verification
• Sheave wheel condition and lubrication
• Bullwheel and drive system inspection
• Brake system testing and emergency stop verification

Tower and Structural Integrity

• Tower alignment and plumb checks
• Foundation stability assessment
• Crossarm and sheave assembly condition
• Guy wire and anchor point inspection

Emergency Evacuation Readiness

• Rope and harness inventory and condition
• Evacuation kit completeness at each tower
• Communication system testing (radio and emergency phones)
• Staff training verification and rescue drill currency

Operator Certification and Readiness

• Current lift operator licenses and expiration tracking
• Pre-shift briefing completion
• Emergency procedure knowledge verification
• Staffing adequacy for weather conditions

Weather and Environmental Monitoring

• Current wind speed and gust measurements
• Temperature readings and ice accumulation assessment
• Visibility conditions and operational thresholds
• Lightning detection system status

Built for mountain operations teams

This template is purpose-built for the realities of ski resort operations. You can complete it on a tablet or phone from the lift terminal, even in cold weather with gloves on. Conditional logic ensures you only see relevant follow-up questions—if you flag a cable tension issue, you're immediately prompted to document the reading, tolerance specification, and corrective action taken.

Photo uploads let inspectors capture visual evidence of wear, damage, or concerns, creating a visual maintenance history that's invaluable for tracking recurring issues and communicating with manufacturers or regulatory inspectors.

Seamless handoffs and automated workflows with Stepper

Resort operations don't stop at the checklist. When an inspection flags a maintenance issue or weather threshold is exceeded, someone needs to take action—and fast.

With Stepper, Paperform's AI-native workflow builder, you can turn each safety checklist submission into an automated operations workflow:

• Route maintenance issues directly to your maintenance management system or create work orders in your CMMS
• Alert lift operations managers via SMS when critical safety thresholds are exceeded
• Update your daily operations dashboard in real-time so the mountain ops center has visibility
• Log compliance data to Google Sheets or Airtable for monthly reporting and regulatory audits
• Trigger weather-related protocols automatically when wind speeds or visibility conditions warrant lift closure

These automations mean your safety data flows directly into action, rather than sitting in a form waiting for someone to notice and respond.

Trusted by mountain operations professionals

Ski resorts and outdoor recreation facilities across North America trust Paperform for safety documentation, incident reporting, and operational checklists. With SOC 2 Type II compliance, data residency controls, and offline-capable form submission, Paperform is built to work in the challenging conditions where mountain operations happen.

Whether you're running a small community hill or a major destination resort, this template gives you a professional foundation for lift safety inspections that's easy to customize, simple to complete, and seamlessly integrates with your existing operations stack.

Get started in minutes

You can use this template as-is or customize it to match your specific lift types, regulatory requirements, and internal protocols. Add your resort branding, adjust safety thresholds to match your SOPs, or expand sections to cover tow ropes, magic carpets, or terrain park lifts.

Mountain safety is non-negotiable. Make sure your team has the tools to document it properly, every single day.