Two people sustained back fractures caused by ergonomic and compression forces while bobsleighing at the Whistler Sliding Centre in late 2023 and early 2024, according to a recently released incident report by Technical Safety BC.
The TSBC report identifies the primary cause of fractures as compression forces during the ride, intensified by the ergonomics of the fourth seat on the bobsleigh, which led to a forward-leaning posture that increased the stress on the front of the vertebrae, leading to fractures.
However, the injuries in November 2023 and February 2024 were not isolated one-offs. The report reveals that similar incidents have happened at a ‘steady rate’ since the centre opened to the public in 2011. “Vertebrae fractures, and more specifically, lower or lumbar back fractures, have occurred at a steady rate since 2012, shortly after opening.”
“I felt a very. . . strong pain in my middle back.”
In the November 2023 incident, the back fracture was confirmed at the Whistler Medical Centre, after which the patron was taken to Vancouver General Hospital for surgery. A lengthy recovery time is expected. In the February 2024 incident, the patron experienced back pain while riding with two other guests and a professional pilot. The patron was transferred to the Whistler Medical Centre and from there to Vancouver General Hospital, where tests confirmed a fractured back. No surgery was required, but a ‘significant’ recovery time is expected.
The Technical Safety BC investigation and the report that followed have confirmed the back injuries were caused by a compression force from the ride. This posture was exacerbated in seat four of the bobsleigh. TSBC outlined that ergonomic factors, such as the placement of handholds and footrests, forced riders into a position that hindered core muscle engagement, further increasing stress on the spine.
Both riders reported feeling increasing pressure on their spines as the sled approached the final curves of the track, where the forces acting on the body are at their highest. “The more g’s you have… the more the feeling of slumping down,” one patron said, describing the unrelenting pressure. The other patron told TSBC: “Going down the bobsleigh was fine until the very last curve, and as we were coming out of the curve, I felt a very. . . Strong pain in my middle back.”
“Underlying risks have not fully mitigated.”
The Whistler Sliding Centre’s passenger bobsleigh ride was introduced in 2011 after competition-grade sleds were modified for public use. These included wider seats, foam padding, handholds, and a professional sled pilot. Despite these changes, the ride’s design did not account for how sustained g-forces and postures could affect patrons.
Technical Safety BC’s investigation has also identified shortcomings in the original safety assessments conducted before the ride opened to the public in 2011. The assessments complied with technical codes, but they did not analyze how the ride’s forces and design would affect untrained passengers. The risks posed by the ergonomics of the bobsleigh, particularly in Seat 4, went unaddressed for years. When injuries started, the sliding centre focused on filtering out patron vulnerabilities rather than understanding and mitigating the risks with the ride itself.
Injury records show that the two most recent incidents are part of a pattern of concerning injuries linked to the ride. Since the bobsleigh experience opened to the public, multiple injuries, including fractures, strains, and back pain, have been reported. Seat 4, occupied by patrons seated at the sled’s rear, accounts for a disproportionately high number of these injuries. For example, in 2015, a 40-year-old male in Seat 4 fractured due to poor posture. Other incidents in 2016, 2020, and 2023 also involved fractures or injuries linked to this position.
Whistler Sliding Centre is run by Whistler Sport Legacies, a local not-for-profit organization responsible for operating three Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games venues.
The Whistler Sliding Centre has a pre-qualification checklist called “Know-Before-You-Go” to assess potential risks for riders, focusing on conditions like osteoporosis and heart issues. However, the checklist relied on patrons understanding their health status. Before the November 2023 incident, the warnings primarily targeted riders with known pre-existing conditions, failing to inform healthy riders that they, too, could be at risk for injury.
“Injury warnings used by the WSC prior to December 2023 were exclusive to riders with preexisting conditions. As a result, riders who identified as healthy (i.e. no pre-existing conditions) did not understand they were also at risk of injury,” the report finds. “When injuries did begin to occur following the ride opening, follow-up actions focused on identifying what was different about the patrons that were injured (i.e. possible pre-existing conditions), and did not seek to understand possible risks associated with the ride itself.”
The report mentions, however, that steps were taken over the years to address safety concerns.
These include updating warning language, introducing a medical screening checklist, and implementing a refund policy for patrons who opt out of the experience. However, no ‘significant physical changes’ were made to the sleds or track design until late 2023, when the handhold positions on some sleds were adjusted. Even with these changes, the February 2024 injury suggests the underlying risks have not been fully mitigated.
“The changes did not alter the underlying risk associated with the ride ergonomics and therefore did not significantly reduce the rate of injury,” the report says. The report calls for a comprehensive approach to safety that focuses on filtering out at-risk patrons, but also addresses the inherent risk posed by the ride’s design.
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