Employee Health Screening

If your business has this common â.” and increasingly popular â.” fringe benefit you could be at legal risk without even knowing it.

A number of businesses have an on-site employee fitness room as part of a formal wellness program. Others simply do it as a way for folks to get their juices flowing before work or blow off steam afterwards.

No matter the reason, companies with fitness rooms need to be aware that the benefit isn’t risk-free.

Over the last few years, several privately owned fitness centers have been sued â.” and agreed to costly settlements â.” after exercisers suffered sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and died before help arrived. In each case, the facility either did not have lifesaving equipment on the premises or didn’t have personnel properly trained to use it.

Some legal experts have expressed concern that businesss could also be at risk if the unthinkable happened on organization premises while an employee worked out.

SCA is of particular concern. Reason –  Even seemingly healthy, active adults are at risk of sudden cardiac arrest. It can’t be prevented. There’s no vaccine.

And few victims survive by the time an ambulance arrives. But there’s a way to save the employee’s life and potentially save your firm from a lawsuit.

Learning about SCA

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a frequently misunderstood killer. It’s not the same thing as a heart attack. SCA can affect anybody, anywhere, anytime. It occurs more than 600 times every day in the USA, killing at least 250,000 individuals  each year.

The only hope –  using a device called an automated external defibrillator (AED) within 10 minutes.

The good news is any person at your company can be rapidly trained to use an AED â.” you don’t need any medical knowledge to use it.  The training can be acquired for free through a local Red Cross or civic group.  The devices themselves cost under $2,000.

Compare that to the financial risk of being sued for not having an AED near a worksite fitness room, and it’s a no-brainer that any organization with onsite workout equipment should at least investigate an AED purchase and training.

Staff Members, supervisors and senior managers alike will probably need education about SCA and AED use. A great teaching resource is available here.

Key talking points –  Without an AED, 90% of victims die. But when you’ve access to one, there’s a good chance to save an employee’s life.  And it’s easy to teach supervisors and personnel how to use the device when it’s ever needed.

The vast majority of facilities with AEDs never need to use them â.” and that includes medical facilities. But it only takes one tragic event, and subsequent lawsuit, to cause pain for both the company and an employee’s family.

Remember – Prevention and education are always your company’s best tools for avoiding liability. In this case, where human life is involved, the choice seems rather obvious.