Safety at Work
Fort Collins, CO (WorkersCompensation.com) – A man is dead, and the ice center he worked at was closed temporarily after a collision involving a Zamboni.
Officials with the City of Fort Collins said the Zamboni driver at the Edora Pool Ice Center was backing up on Tuesday when he collided with the partially open overhead door. The driver was taken to an area hospital but later died from his injuries.
Fort Collins city manager Kelly DiMartino called the accident tragic and said the city would be conducting a review of the circumstances surrounding the driver’s death.
“We remain committed to the safety and security of City staff and every member of our community,” said DiMartino. “This pause in our ice rink operations is out of an abundance of caution, to allow for staff support, and to provide time and space to understand the circumstances surrounding the event.”
City officials said no other staff or visitors were injured.
“We remain committed to the safety and security of City staff and every member of our community,” DiMartino said. “This pause in our ice rink operations is out of an abundance of caution, to allow for staff support, and to provide time and space to understand the circumstances surrounding the event.”
The ice rink was closed through Jan. 30.
The driver’s death was one of a number of fatal accidents recently.
In Aspen, Col., a ski company employee died after a skiing accident.
The employee was working for Aspen Skiing Company at the Snowmass ski resort. The Pitkin County Coroner’s Office said the employee was 48-year-old Rohan Verplank of Crested Butte. He was skiing on the Lower Creekside run at the time of the accident. The death was the fourth ski- or snowboard-related fatality this month in the area.
Snowmass Ski Patrol and the Snowmass Village Police Department said they responded to the incident along with Aspen Valley Health Emergency Room staff. The run is an intermediate-rated run that funnels down to the Two Creeks base area. Current terrain reports said it’s open but not groomed as of Jan. 29, officials said. Although that may not have been the conditions for the run at the time of the accident.
The Aspen Skiing Company confirmed that Verplank was one of their employees.
“We can confirm that a skier was involved in a fatal accident on January 22, at Snowmass. Snowmass Ski Patrol attended the scene. The skier was an Aspen Skiing Company employee, and our hearts are broken to share this news. Our deepest condolences are with the individual’s family and friends, as well as with all of our employees who knew and worked with him,” said the company in a statement.
The Pitkin County Coroner’s Office said they were continuing to work on the accident to determine the cause and manner of the death.
It was the fourth accident at an established Colorado ski area during the 2025-2026 season.
On Dec. 19, a skier died at Aspen Mountain when he collided with a tree. Aspen Mountain is also operated by Aspen Skiing Company. Another skier died at Copper Mountain after he lost control and crashed into a tree, according to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. Officials said the man lost control while on an intermediate-level trail, and hit a tree with “considerable force.”
A skier also died in the Aspen area while en route to a backcountry hut on Jan. 24.
And a Maine pulp worker was killed this week in an accidental gas release.
Officials said the Woodland Pulp worker, a University of Maine intern, was killed when he, and other workers, were exposed to a gas leak at the Baileyville mill, officials said.
The Baileyville Fire Department said they were called to the mill on Tuesday night after employees were overcome by a gas release. Once on the scene, they worked to evacuate everyone into waiting EMS units. A number of workers were injured after the gas release.
The workers were being treated at Calais Hospital for exposure, a mill spokesman said. Officials said the toxic gas was contained to the bleach plant at the mill.
Authorities said they were trying to determine the source of the leak. Maine OSHA was called to the scene and will be investigating the incident, officials said.
The deceased was identified as Kasie Malcom, a junior majoring in chemical engineering.
“The loss of a student is heart-breaking and our thoughts are with Kasie’s family, friends, classmates, faculty, and all who knew and cared for him,” UMaine officials Joan Ferrini-Mundy, president, and Andrea Gifford, dean of students, said in a statement. “We recognize that news like this can be very distressing and may bring up many emotions. Please know that you are not alone, and support is available.”
