It is undisputed that skiing is a dangerous sport, and injuries sustained in the sport can potentially be fatal unless you take the proper precautions. Beginner and intermediate level skiers need to be educated as to the dangers that could arise from failure to listen to advice from experienced skiers. In order to ski in a safe manner and to avoid any dangerous situations arising, it is important to learn the basics of ski safety.

It is a given that once you have spent a large amount of money on a skiing holiday, you really don't want to spend it cooped up in your chalet while the rest of your family are having fun. Follow the safety guidelines below to ensure that this doesn't happen.

Equipment - Getting the right equipment for you're your physical dimensions and ability is imperative and can mean the difference between skiing safely and an almost certain impending injury. Most professional skiers know this as they have probably experienced poor fitting equipment before, but beginner and intermediate level skiers will most likely be renting their equipment from ski shops and will have little experience to go on. When renting any equipment, it is important to be truthful, however hard, about your physical dimensions and skiing ability as skis, in particular, are designed for specific user weights and heights in terms of DIN settings, and different abilities in terms of length and width of skis.

On-Piste - The FIS (in English the International Skiing Federation) has drawn up guidelines that are legally binding with regards to skiing in a public environment. It is advisable to take a look at those guidelines before you head out onto the slopes. The most important rule that they state is that the skier in front of you always has priority. In summary, the other rules that are discussed are to always be in control of your speed and never ski in a dangerous manner, never stop in the middle of a slope, always alert others of your actions if, for example, you are wishing to overtake then you should let the person in front know.

Off-Piste - If you do decide to go off-piste to explore the terrain, then you should know that you are putting yourself at extreme danger in terms of avalanches, which are a real threat; rocks, tree stumps, cornices and cliff faces. It is strongly advised that you seek the help of an experienced guide to help you, and you should also carry a compass and an avalanche transceiver which could possibly save your life if the worst should happen.