Facility Organization and Risk Management

1. Facility Organization and Risk Management chapter21 Facility Organizationand RiskManagement Michael Greenwood, PhD; CSCS,*D; FACSM; FISSN; FNSCALori Greenwood, PhD, ATC, LAT

2. Chapter Objectives • Identify phases and specific components of planning and designing a strength and conditioning facility. • Identify specific program needs of athletic groups that use the strength and condi-tioning facility. • Identify key elements for assessing space requirements and equipment needs. (continued)

3. Chapter Objectives (continued) • Explain various strategies for effectively scheduling the strength and conditioning facility. • Identify key aspects of facility and equip-ment maintenance and cleaning. • Identify tools and supplies necessary for maintaining the strength and conditioning facility and equipment. • Identify common areas of potential litigation in the strength and conditioning facility.

4. Section Outline • General Aspects of New Facility Design • Predesign Phase • Design Phase • Construction Phase • Preoperation Phase

5. General Aspects of New Facility Design • Forming a committee of professionals is the first step in planning and designing a new strength and conditioning facility.

6. General Aspects of New Facility Design • Predesign Phase • This phase usually requires 25% of the total project time (about six months). • There is no greater priority when designing a facility than completing a needs analysis or assessment.

7. General Aspects of New Facility Design • Design Phase • May require about 10% of the total project time (approximately three months)

8. General Aspects of New Facility Design • Construction Phase • Normally 50% of the total project time (about 12 months)

9. General Aspectsof New Facility Design • Preoperation Phase • Also called the start-up phase • Requires about 15% of the total project time (approximately three to four months)

10. Section Outline • Existing Strength and Conditioning Facilities

11. Existing Strength and Conditioning Facilities • The strength and conditioning professional should assess existing equipment based on the needs of all athletes and teams that use the facility.

12. Section Outline • Assessing Athletic Program Needs

13. Assessing Athletic Program Needs • The following questions need to be answered: • How many athletes will use the facility? • What types of specific strength and conditioning training does each athletic group require? • What are the age groups of the athletes using the strength and conditioning facility? • What is the training experience of the athletes using the facility? • When will resistance training fit into each athletic team’s schedule? • What repairs and adaptations to equipment must be made to meet the athletes’ needs?

14. Section Outline • Designing the Strength and Conditioning Facility

15. Designing the Strength and Conditioning Facility • Decisions must be made about the following issues: • Location • Supervision location • Access • Ceiling height • Flooring • Environmental factors • Electrical service • Mirrors

16. Section Outline • Arranging Equipment in the Strength and Conditioning Facility

17. Arranging Equipment in the Strength and Conditioning Facility • There are two generally accepted methods for organizing the facility: • Creating resistance training areas that emphasize different body parts • Creating training areas according to types of equipment

18. Arranging Equipment in the Strength and Conditioning Facility • Decisions must be made about the following issues: • Equipment placement • Traffic flow • Stretching and warm-up area • Circuit training area • Free weights • Olympic lifting area • Aerobic area

19. Table 21.1 (continued)

20. Table 21.1 (continued) (continued)

21. Floor Plan: Secondary School • Figure 21.3 (next slide) • Example of a secondary school strength and conditioning facility floor plan • 3 feet (ft) ≈ 1 m

22. Figure 21.3

23. Floor Plan: University • Figure 21.4 (next slide) • Example of a university strength and conditioning facility floor plan • 3 feet (ft) ≈ 1 m

24. Figure 21.4

25. Section Outline • Maintaining and Cleaning Surfaces

26. Key Point • Scheduling frequent maintenance and cleaning ensures safe training, protects investments, and maintains the strength and conditioning facility’s appearance.

27. Section Outline • Maintaining and Cleaning Equipment

28. Key Point • The strength and conditioning professional should clean and maintain equipment on a regular basis.

29. Figure 21.6

30. Section Outline • Scheduling the Strength and Conditioning Facility • Seasonal Priority and Peak Hours • Staff-to-Athlete Ratio

31. Scheduling the Strength and Conditioning Facility • Seasonal Priority and Peak Hours • Athletic teams that are in-season normally have priority over off-season teams in the facility schedule. • 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. is usually peak time in the strength and conditioning facility, especially for in-season teams. • Another popular time block for facility usage at universities is 6:30 to 8:00 a.m. before athletes attend morning classes.

32. Scheduling the Strength and Conditioning Facility • Staff-to-Athlete Ratio • Middle school strength and conditioning facilities should not exceed a 1:10 staff-to-athlete ratio. • Secondary school facilities should not exceed a1:15 ratio. • Facilities that serve athletes older than secondary school should not exceed a 1:20 ratio. • Another recommendation is that facilities not exceed a 1:50 staff-to-athlete ratio.

33. Key Point • Before scheduling the facility, the strength and conditioning professional should consider seasonal athletic priorities, group size, equipment availability, and staff-to-athlete ratios.

34. Section Outline • Litigation Issues • Common Legal Terminology • Supervision • Instruction • Medical Clearance • Emergency Care Plan • Record Keeping • Liability Insurance • Product Liability

35. Litigation Issues • Common Legal Terminology • To understand the potential legal ramifications of running a strength and conditioning facility, the strength and conditioning professional must first understand some common legal terms.

36. Key Terms • liability: A legal responsibility, duty, or obligation. • standard of care: What a reasonable and prudent person would do under similar circumstances. • negligence: Failure to act as a reasonable and prudent person would under similar circumstances. • assumption of risk: Knowing that an inherent risk exists with participation in an activity and voluntarily deciding to participate anyway.

37. Litigation Issues • Supervision • An estimated 80% of athletic injury court cases deal with some aspect of supervision. • All athletes should be constantly supervised. • Instruction • Emphasizing safety and proper technique helps to reduce injuries and therefore liability exposure.

38. Litigation Issues • Medical Clearance • Athletes must have a preparticipation physical examination. • Only sports medicine staff can provide medical clearance and proof of medical clearance. • Emergency Care Plan • This is a posted document that details proper procedures in case of injury. All personnel must know the plan.

39. Litigation Issues • Emergency Care Plan • Following are typical items included or described in an emergency plan: • EMS (emergency medical services) activation procedures • Names and telephone numbers of primary, secondary, and tertiary individuals to contact • Specific address of the strength and conditioning facility (to give directions to EMS) • Location of the telephones (continued)

40. Litigation Issues • Emergency Care Plan • Following are typical items included or described in an emergency plan (continued): • Location of nearest exits • Designated personnel qualified to care for injuries (i.e., sports medicine staff) • Ambulance access • Location of emergency supplies and first aid kit • Plan of action in case of fire, tornado, life-threatening injury, crime, terrorism, and so forth

41. Litigation Issues • Record Keeping • Keep records of cleaning and maintenance, safety procedures, manufacturer’s warranties and guide-lines, assumption-of-risk forms, medical waivers and clearance forms, personnel credentials, professional guidelines, and injury report forms. • Liability Insurance • It is a good idea for strength and conditioning staff members to purchase professional liability insur-ance, especially if they are not covered under the facility policy.

42. Key Point • The risk of injury cannot be totally elimin-ated, but it can be effectively managed by the strength and conditioning professional.

43. Litigation Issues • Product Liability • Product liability refers to the legal responsibilities of those who manufacture or sell products if a person sustains injury or damage as a result of using the product. • Some behaviors can void the liability of the manu-facturer or seller and place responsibility on the strength and conditioning professional: • Changing the product or allowing it to deteriorate from the condition in which it was originally sold • Using the product in a way other than that intended by the manufacturer

44. Litigation Issues • Product Liability • Take the following steps to avoid injury to athletes caused by strength and conditioning equipment: • Use equipment only for the purpose intended by the manufacturer. • Be certain that equipment meets existing professional standards and guidelines. • Do not modify equipment unless such adaptations are clearly designated and instructions for doing so are included in the product information. • Buy only from reputable manufacturers. (continued)

45. Litigation Issues • Product Liability • Take the following steps to avoid injury to athletes caused by strength and conditioning equipment (continued): • Apply all warning labels that accompany a new equipment purchase. • Continually inspect equipment for damage and wear that may place an athlete at risk for injury. • Do not allow unsupervised athletes to use equipment.

46. Key Point • Strength and conditioning professionals should understand the concept of product liability and the actions that could place them at risk for litigation.