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1. Slips and falls

Technology advances, trends change, and facilities update their looks. However, the most common claim for fitness facilities remains fairly predictable.

Whether a fitness facility is sleek, modern and state-of-the-art located in a high-rent high-rise downtown or based in a repurposed garage, slips and falls are a major risk exposure.

In the locker room, restroom or at ingress and egress points, wet surfaces can cause patrons, employees and guests to slip and fall.

In many regions of the country, January and February are particularly dangerous times for slips and falls, as parking lots and walkways can get icy and customers can track water indoors making the surface slippery for other guests. But spring and summer present their own challenges as sudden storms can roll in, producing high winds with downed trees or flood waters. For that reason, it's critical for management to inspect these areas regularly to clear debris or branches and fill potholes or correct uneven pavement.

Locker rooms, showers and swim decks are also common places that collect water, and without proper non-slip mats and flooring or regular clean up, these areas are prime spots for slips and falls. These incidents can lead to painful or fatal injuries for club customers and employees, as well as costly claims to a club and potentially devastating damage to a club's reputation.

To mitigate this risk, owners and staff must be attentive and responsive to wet surfaces. Areas that tend to collect water should have safety mats to prevent slipping and any spilled water or tracked-in leaves should be cleaned up immediately. Proper warning signs should also be visible where appropriate throughout the club.

Related: A safe workplace: The 'secret weapon' for hiring and keeping employees

2. Equipment failure

Inadequately maintained equipment can lead to serious bodily injury, for which a fitness owner could be held responsible. Worn cables on weight equipment can snap, belts on treadmills can become loose, bad bulbs and broken timers on tanning beds can cause burns, and improper pool maintenance can lead to unsafe bacteria or chemical levels for customers.

To mitigate this risk, machines should be inspected often and undergo regular maintenance. Many injuries also occur through improper use of the equipment. Staff should be trained to make sure members are using free weights properly, as well as all other gym equipment. Also key to safety, is that equipment is placed in a safe location and properly mounted to the floor or wall to keep walkways free and prevent tripping hazards.

Related: Connecticut judge bars product liability claim after plaintiff's stair climber mishap

3. Disaster planning

Too often, health clubs are not prepared for disasters, whether it's a fire, severe weather event, flood, cyber breach or other business interruption. In fact, one of the top reasons health clubs have gone out of business after a disaster is that they didn't have an emergency preparedness plan in place.

Health club owners need to build an emergency response plan that includes information on how to maintain operations after a disaster. Facilities need to back up computer files and member data and create a central document that contains key contacts and a basic plan for setting up a temporary office after the disaster. The document should also include a list of key vendors and contact information for staff. Current insurance certificates for all vendors should be kept in a safe, accessible place. Finally, facility owners should create a master list that details individual team member responsibilities before, during and after a disaster.

Related: Who pays the claims costs if the natural disaster never comes?

4. Cybersecurity

Cyber risk is another major exposure for health clubs. A facility owner might think this risk is reserved for larger corporate entities, but any business that accepts credit cards is exposed. According to Verizon's 2017 Data Breach Investigations Report, 15% of all data breaches impact the retail and accommodation sectors. Such a breach can cause irreversible damage to the health club in terms of its finances and reputation, as well as to its employees and members.

According to Verizon, of the 2016 cyber events, 62% featured hacking, 51% included malware, and 81% resulted from stolen or weak passwords. Additionally, the report found that that one in 14 users fell victim to phishing scams. Most disturbing for health club owners is that 61% of the companies impacted by cybercrime had 1,000 employees or fewer.

To mitigate this risk, Verizon suggests facility owners be sure to dispose of sensitive data properly, use strong passwords and encryption, monitor payment terminals for skimming devices, keep limited sensitive information on web applications, and review third-party point-of-sale terminal security procedures.

Related: Top 5 mobile device threats & how to prevent them

Fitness goals, risk mitigation goals

One of the best ways for health club owners to embrace risk mitigation is to think like their members. If agents and brokers can get their health club owners to think of their risk mitigation goals, as their members think of their health and fitness goals, they should be well-prepared for the years ahead.

Members of a health club may conceptualize their plans in three steps:

1. Assess the situation; lose weight, add muscle tone etc.
2. Determine what gym classes best help them to meet their goals.
3. Start working out.

With the assistance of their agent or broker, the recipe is similar for facility owners:

1. Audit their situation. What do they need?
2. Build a plan to address risk mitigation and emergency planning.
3. Implement the plan.

By following this strategy, facility owners can keep their risk exposures in check. The onslaught of customers rushing in to get fit just before the summer months presents the perfect time for facility owners to evaluate their situations with their agents and brokers and tone up.

Related: Risky business: Keeping employees safe in a world of emerging threats

Brian Rawlings is practice leader for Venture Insurance Programs' FITLIFE™, which insures fitness, wellness and spa facilities. He can be reached at [email protected].