It's Friday afternoon and the emergency scanner is buzzing with injuries from area ski slopes.

The latest is a call that a 14-year-old has fallen from a ski lift.For snow sport enthusiasts, one of the best ways to spend a winter afternoon is on the slopes.Whether snowboarding or skiing is your pleasure, a day of fun can quickly turn tragic with the smallest lapse of focus.Within the past month, a 5-year-old was taken to the hospital after a 30-foot fall from a chair lift at a Philadelphia-area ski lodge, and a 9-year-old boy injured his leg after falling 45 feet from a lift at Liberty Mountain Resort in Adams County.Those in the ski resort industry are quick to point out that the majority of incidents on ski lifts are because of rider error."The fatality rate due to a mechanical problem is very very low," said Jim Dailey, general manager at Blue Mountain Ski Area. "Most often someone is injured because they didn't load right, they shifted around or didn't have the restraint bar down. That doesn't mean too bad it's their fault, but there are certain things you can do to reduce the possibility of something happening."The National Ski Areas Association says 86 percent of lift accidents are a case of rider error.7.95 billion ridesSince 1973, when the NSAA started tracking it, there have been 12 deaths attributed to ski lift malfunctions, a 41-year span during which the industry provided more than 15.9 billion lift rides to skiers and snowboarders.There have been no fatalities resulting from a lift malfunction since 1993, a 21-year period.In 1993, a Sierra Ski Ranch detachable grip lift failed in California.In 1985, there were two deaths caused by a malfunction of a lift at Keystone ski area in Colorado.On Dec. 18, 2011, a 7-year-old boy died after falling from a chairlift in California, the only known fatality of a minor that has occurred in the industry as a result of falling from a chairlift.An investigation of the incident conducted by the Placer County Sheriff's Department found the cause of the incident to be inconclusive."In a 41-year span, the ski industry has transported guests more than 7.95 billion miles in lift rides," Dailey said. "That's more than 85 trips from the Earth to the sun."A passenger is five times more likely to suffer a fatality riding an elevator than riding a ski lift, and eight times more likely to suffer a fatality in a car than from a ski lift, the NSAA reports."A ski lift is probably the safest of any people-moving device in the world," Dailey said.The 5-year-old in Montgomery County was riding a beginner lift by himself.Spring Mountain Adventures owner Rick Buckman said the accident was not the result of a lift malfunction."He shouldn't have been alone," Michelle Stein-Schaeffer of Lehighton posted on the Times New Facebook page."I fell 20 to 25 feet from a lift, 20 years ago," she reported, though she did not elaborate on the circumstances.Inspecting the liftsThe same division of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry that inspects elevators regulates ski lifts.On the first installation of a lift, the resort gets approval and a permit. The department then does inspections annually."That is just to make sure we meet the state minimum, but we inspect our ski lifts at Blue Mountain every day," Dailey said.Lift mechanics check each loading and unloading station and tower. Before any guests hit the slopes, ski patrol members ride each lift and ski every trail."They're looking and listening for things that don't seem right," Dailey said. "A ski lift is a machine, and just like any other machine, things need to be greased and tightened from time to time."A lift may be functioning just fine, but what happens if the power goes out? It's a situation many people don't think about when it comes to resort safety, Dailey said.At Blue Mountain, aerial lifts are equipped with a gasoline motor that is fired up if power is lost."It allows us to get back underway and evacuate riders from the lift," Dailey said. "That is also tested every single day."There are approximately 3,500 ski lifts in the country."They don't necessarily need to be replaced after a certain amount of time, they need to be maintained," Dailey said. "If you take good care of them, you can make them last. Our most original lift was one manufactured in 1966. It came from Sharp Mountain in Pottsville."Safety weekendJanuary is the NSAA's official safety month.Today and Sunday, a variety of events are scheduled at Blue Mountain, including a safety chair simulator for children."We'll have attendants out there teaching kids how to load and lower their restraint bar," Dailey said.The simulator runs from noon-2 p.m. both days.From noon-4 p.m. each day, ski patrol and terrain park crew will have tents set up on site.Guests can participate in a safety "hot seat" game show from 3-4 p.m. each day. Every correct answer will earn someone a prize or the opportunity to trade that prize in for a more challenging question.Prizes include weekend and holiday lift tickets.Jack Frost Big Boulder Resort did not return a call seeking comment for the story.