Most recent physical activity guidelines suggest that a balanced mix of regular moderate to vigorous aerobic and weight bearing exercises are essential for our general well-being and protect ourselves from most chronic diseases (1). According to the latest report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2), between 2013 and 2014, 17.4% of the adult population used fitness facilities to meet their needs for physical activity, which is 2.3% higher than the previous year.
This is fantastic news for the fitness industry, as it not only promises continuous growth of the fitness businesses, but increased awareness in our society about the importance of living an active and healthier lifestyle. However, there are some rules to this happy engagement. If you are operating a fitness facility or providing fitness services, you have a duty of care to your clients to protect their health and safety. The good news is, having a comprehensive risk management plan can help you meet this duty of care by providing and maintaining an injury free, safe and healthy training environment for your clients (3).
The AS ISO 31000:2018, Risk management – Guidelines provides the framework and guidelines for organisations to manage risks specific to their unique contexts. The risk management process involves: (a) establishing the scope and context (setting organisational objectives, identifying relevant laws, regulations, industry standards and practices); (b) risk identification (identification of hazards and associated risks); (c) risk analysis (the likelihood and consequences of risks); (d) risk evaluation (prioritising risks according to the level of risk on a risk matrix); and (e) risk treatment (developing and implementing the most effective hazard control measures to minimise or eliminate risks that are reasonably practicable in the circumstances). Continuous communication, monitoring and reviewing are also essential throughout this process to ensure that the control measures are being effective and modifications are made if necessary.
Identification of hazards and associated risks is the most important element for a risk management program to be successful. This is mainly because, a hazard left unidentified would result in associated risks being excluded from the whole risk management process and make the purpose of having a risk management program meaningless. Nevertheless, most often hazards and risks are incorrectly used interchangeably. The standard on risk management, AS ISO 31000:2018 defines hazard as a source of risk, which alone or in combination with other elements has the potential to give rise to risk (4). Identifying sources of risks and setting achievable and realistic risk control measures can help you minimise risks and make the success of organisational objectives possible.
For example, if you are operating a fitness facility you may have identified trips and falls from treadmills as a hazard and associated injuries as the risk. However, this can often times be an overly simplistic and inadequate approach to risk identification without understanding the cause of the trip and falls. What one should bear in mind is that there usually is more than meets the eye when it comes to injuries in fitness settings. A recent examination of product recalls and case law suggests that major sources of hazards that cause trip and fall related treadmill injury risks are equipment malfunction and defects, improper or a lack of preventive maintenance programs, poor location of the treadmills not following industry guidelines and a lack of instruction and supervision (5). Therefore, the key to a successful risk management program in the fitness industry is to have an objective approach to identifying hazards by understanding the root causes of risks. This will ensure the right type of control measures are developed that can effectively minimise or eliminate risks for the safety of your clients.
References
1. Australian Government Department of Health. (2014). Australia`s physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.health.gov.au/.
2. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). (2015). 4177.0 – Participation in Sports and Physical Recreation, 2013-14. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au.
3. Sekendiz, B. (2014). Implementation and perception of risk management practices in health/fitness facilities. International Journal of Business Continuity and Risk Management, 5(3), 165-183.
4. Standards Australia. (2018). AS ISO 31000:2018, Risk Management-Guidelines.Sydney, NSW: SAI Global
5. Sekendiz, B. (2016). Risks of treadmills in health/fitness facilities: ready, steady, go? ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal, 20(4), 10-14.
This article was authored by Dr Betul Sekendiz.