A week before it opens to the public, the Sea to Sky Gondola has been granted a full, unrestricted operating permit.
The B.C. Safety Authority (BCSA) is “satisfied that the Sea to Sky Gondola meets all required safety standards,” officials said in a statement issued on Friday (May 9) announcing the conclusion of its investigation of a Feb. 4 incident in which a gondola cabin fell off the line during testing.
“BCSA worked with Sea to Sky Gondola and Doppelmayr Canada Ltd., the manufacturer of the installation, as part of our investigation into the cause of this incident,” said Jason Gill, BCSA safety manager for passenger ropeways. “Today, the public can be confident that the Sea to Sky Gondola is safe.”
No one was hurt in the Feb. 4 incident. BCSA, which earlier said wind was a factor in the mishap, this week said it was caused by “a combination of environmental and operational factors related to high winds.”
Since the incident, the operators of the gondola — which is scheduled to open to guests next Friday (May 16) — have implemented a number of procedural changes and enhancements to mitigate the risk of a re-occurrence.
Those include the installation of a new wind meter on Tower 7, where the incident occurred, in addition to the three that were already in place; setting specific wind-speed warning and alarm values that will automatically slow the system down in potentially dangerous winds; and installing a camera at Tower 7 that will send live data back to the operator to better inform decision-making.
“We are satisfied that the Sea to Sky Gondola is safe for passengers,” Gill said. “While BCSA is confident that effective protocols are in place on all other existing installations in the province, we continuously review standards and processes based on what we learn to see where there may be opportunities for improvement.”
BCSA is in the process of finalizing its full report on the incident and will make it available on the agency’s website when it’s finished, officials said.
