Michael Pettifer says: “Government and insurance industry estimates, along with anecdotal evidence, suggest at least 20-30% of seasonal staff work for ski companies that do not provide adequate insurance for their employees. With the massive popularity of skiing, it is one sector of the travel industry that cannot afford a ‘don’t care’ approach to staff.”

His warning follows recent comments by a global insurance group and a leading human resources specialist, both of whom drew attention to all employers’ duty of care to employees travelling outside the UK on business.

AXA Assistance warned that potential travel risk can easily be overlooked, especially for trip in Europe.

HR expert Fintan O’Toole of The HR Department says: “There is a statutory duty of care to protect, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of employees travelling on business.”

Michael Pettifer says: “These comments have particular relevance for the ski industry. Seasonal staff should have insurance for loss and injury for the duration of their employment – and while travelling to and from their ski resorts. They also need personal liability cover for damage to property and injury to others.

“The ski-hosting ban has complicated the personal liability requirement because hosting or leading activities may only be provided on a voluntary, unpaid basis. We have responded to this with a mechanism to cover seasonal staff ‘hosting’ in a personal capacity during their ‘free’ time.”

He says employers who do not properly cover their staff working overseas could be called to account in moral as well as financial terms in the event of an incident.

“Skiing and other winter sports depend on snow and mountains, both of which can be inherently dangerous – despite advances in avalanche prediction and the many other steps to improve safety, both on and off piste.

“When a serious accident occurs, the costs of alpine rescue, specialist medical treatment and repatriation are enormous. And if an employee’s actions or negligence contribute to an accident situation, there can also be staggering liability claims. By contrast, insurance against such costs is a small price to pay.

“We have made it simple for ski companies to insure their seasonal staff online. In addition, insurance and claims advice is readily available. There is no excuse for inadequate insurance.”