Aspen, CO –Aspen Skiing Company (ASC) on Wednesday announced a new employee helmet policy. Beginning this season, all ASC employees will be required to wear a helmet while on duty and “clicked-in” to their skis or snowboard.

In March 0f 2002 ASC, which operates the four Aspen, Colo. area ski resorts of Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass, was one of the first ski resort companies to mandate  helmets for all children enrolled in ski school classes. Last year, ASC required helmet use by a number of employees who were seen as influencers. Helmet use by guests and employees at Aspen/Snowmass is currently over 80 percent, well above the national average, and has been proven to significantly reduce both severity and frequency of head injuries.

“The safety of our employees and our guests is our top priority,” said Mike Kaplan, President and CEO. “We began phasing in an employee helmet policy last season and it was well received. The new helmet policy will take our focus on safety to the next level.”

All employees who are required to wear a helmet as part of this policy will be provided a helmet from ASC at no charge if they do not already have a suitable helmet.