Rhode Island § 41-8-1 - Responsibility and Liability of Ski Operators and Skiers

§ 41-8-1. Duties of ski area operators.

It shall be the duty of a ski area operator to comply with the following requirements and regulations:

(1) Whenever maintenance equipment is being employed upon any trail or slope while the trail or slope is open to the public, the ski operator shall place, or cause to be placed, notice to that effect at or near the top of any tramway or surface lift servicing any trail or slope in the area being maintained.

(2) The ski area operator shall also have the duty to maintain and to identify all trail maintenance vehicles and to furnish the vehicles with flashing or rotating lights, which lights shall be operated during the time that the vehicles are working the trails or slopes, and likewise during the time the vehicle is in movement from its normal and customary storage location to any other point within the ski area.

(3) With respect to the emergency use of motor driven vehicles within the ski area, including, but not limited to, uses for purposes of removing injured or stranded skiers, or performing emergency maintenance or repair work to slopes, trails, or tramway equipment, the ski area operator shall not be required to post such signs as is required by subsection (1), but shall be required to maintain such lighting equipment required by subsection (2).

(4) All snowmobiles operated on the trails or slopes of the ski area shall be equipped with a lighting device, which device shall be in operation while the vehicle is in operation.

(5) The ski area shall likewise have the responsibility to mark the location of any hydrants used in snowmaking operations and located within or upon a slope or trail.

(6) Ski area operators shall maintain and operate, or cause to be maintained and operated, the ski areas under the control in a reasonably safe condition or manner, and shall be required to maintain a sign system on all buildings, tramways, ski trails, and slopes.