If your company has this common — and increasingly popular – fringe benefit you could be at legal risk without even knowing it.

Some companies have an onsite 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 gyms have been sued — and agreed to expensive settlements — 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 employers could also be at risk if the unthinkable happened on company 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 is 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 anyone, anywhere, anytime. It occurs more than 600 times every day in the U.S., killing at least 250,000 people 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 quickly trained to use an AED – you don’t need any medical knowledge to use it. The training can be obtained 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 workplace fitness room, and it’s a no-brainer that any company with onsite workout equipment should at least investigate an AED purchase and training.

Employees, 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 if you have access to one, there’s a good chance to save an employee’s life. And it’s easy to teach supervisors and employees how to use the device if it’s ever needed.

The vast majority of facilities with AEDs never need to use them — 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.