Happy New Year! And happy new clients – all running in to get fit and healthy in the first week of January. Which means every single one of them runs the risk of injury. The way you can help your new clients become life-long clients, and help your club to maintain its safety record is with the education and documentation. Club policies and procedures not only have to be consistent, they have to be easy to implement as they foundation for creating effective risk management for any health club business.
Start with an orientation — as part of the sales tour, every new potential member should be offered a complete orientation on the use of any and all exercise apparatus available to them at the club. Obviously working with the member on every machine is not practical, but make sure the offer is given. Later on when a member hurts themselves on your cable crossover unit, they will be hard pressed to accuse you or your staff for not showing them how to properly use the device. Some clubs have monthly “new member orientation” sessions posted on the club bulletin board or noted in their newsletter. This process not only promotes a more educated member, it is a reflection of the club’s commitment to customer service.
Another key training element is CPR and First Aid. Most clubs now have an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) on the premises as well. The CPR training includes training for AED implementation. Every club should have at least one employee on the premises who is CPR certified and AED trained.
Documentation is a combination of maintaining proper records and establishing specific protocols for reporting incidents. One of the most important documents is the member “waiver”. A properly written waiver has two major components. The first part gives the member heads up on the potential risk of injury and/or death. The second part states that since the member knows that exercise and the use of the club is potentially hazardous, they agree that they won’t sue you when they get hurt. Many jurisdictions want to see the waiver on its own stand-alone form or at least have a separate signature line on a membership contact. Burying your waiver in seven-point type font on the back on a membership agreement will not hold up. Other important documents include; Club Policies and Guidelines, Maintenance Logs, Parent/Guardian Waivers, and Tanning Waivers.
Having specific procedures for reporting incidents is critical for establishing a proper defense. The basic rule of thumb is to document everything. When someone slips and falls, gets thrown off the back of a treadmill, or twists their ankle in a group class document it. Even if the member says that they are “O.K.”, document it anyway and get witness reports if possible. Since most jurisdictions allow that member to sue two or even three years after the date of injury, it is vitally important to gather as much data as possible on the date the injury occurs.
