Facility Organization and Risk Management

Michael Greenwood, PhD; CSCS,*D; FACSM; FISSN; FNSCALori Greenwood, PhD, ATC, LAT

chapter

21Facility Organizationand RiskManagement

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)

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.

Section Outline

• General Aspects of New Facility Design– Predesign Phase– Design Phase– Construction Phase– Preoperation Phase

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.

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.

General Aspects of New Facility Design

• Design Phase– May require about 10% of the total project time

(approximately three months)

General Aspects of New Facility Design

• Construction Phase– Normally 50% of the total project time (about

12 months)

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)

Section Outline

• Existing Strength and Conditioning Facilities

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.

Section Outline

• Assessing Athletic Program Needs

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?

Section Outline

• Designing the Strength and Conditioning Facility

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

Section Outline

• Arranging Equipment in the Strength and Conditioning Facility

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

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

Table 21.1

(continued)

Table 21.1 (continued)(continued)

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

Figure 21.3

Floor Plan: University

• Figure 21.4 (next slide)– Example of a university strength and conditioning

facility floor plan– 3 feet (ft) ≈ 1 m

Figure 21.4

Section Outline

• Maintaining and Cleaning Surfaces

Key Point

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

Section Outline

• Maintaining and Cleaning Equipment

Key Point

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

Figure 21.6

Section Outline

• Scheduling the Strength and Conditioning Facility– Seasonal Priority and Peak Hours– Staff-to-Athlete Ratio

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.

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 a

1:15 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.

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.

Section Outline

• Litigation Issues– Common Legal Terminology– Supervision– Instruction– Medical Clearance– Emergency Care Plan– Record Keeping– Liability Insurance– Product Liability

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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

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.

Key Point

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

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

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)

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.

Key Point

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