Safety training exam 3

Public Servants:

Whether on or off duty, police officers, fire fighters, EMTs,
physicians, nurses, or paramedics must administer emergency
care
Teachers are legally obliged to render first aid to students in
the school setting.

Abandonment:

Once a rescuer has voluntarily begun care, he or she should
not leave the scene or stop care until a qualified and
responsible person has arrived and taken over

Standard of Care:

A care-giver should never attempt treatments that are above his or her level of training.

First Responder Guidelines:

The general public is under
no legal obligation to help
 There is a
moral/humanitarian
obligatory concern that
transcends legality.
 The only time a lay person
is legally obliged to offer
assistance is when he or she
has been directly
responsible for the injury-
causing situation.

Mitigating Risk and Decreasing Litigation:

 Decreasing litigation is critical for fitness managers and allied
health professionals.
 There is inherent risk associated with physical activity;
individuals hurt themselves in the gym or during other types of
physical activity all the time.
 When you are prescribing activity (strength programs,
rehabilitation, therapy, etc.), you have assumed potential risk of
legal liability (discussed further later).
 Our goal as is to ensure we are decreasing chances of litigation
to keep our clients safe and to protect our professions.

Standard of Care (legal Duties)

 Determined by the courts in negligent lawsuits.
 The Plaintiff must prove the defendant owed a duty to the plaintiff- if no duty, no
negligence.

Standard of Practices (Best Practice)

 Best practices published by professional organizations and independent organizations.
 The ACSM Standards and Guidelines used in this course is an example of published Standards
of Practice
 Published Equipment Manual for a PRECOR Treadmill would be a standard of practice
published by an independent organization.
 These are introduced in court via expert witness testimony- provides the evidence to help the
court determine duty.

Good Samaritan Laws:

No one who attempts to aid the victim of an emergency
can be held liable for increasing the victim’s injuries,
provided the rescuer acted in a reasonable manner, did
not charge for services rendered, and did not
intentionally or willfully attempt to increase the
victim’s injuries.

Four key elements in good Samaritan law:

 Permission of ill/injured person when possible.
 Care given in appropriate (non-reckless) manner.
 Person covered by good Samaritan laws was NOT the one
who caused an accident.
 Care was being given because it was an emergency
situation and trained help had yet to arrive.

Consent:

The first responder should never force treatment on anyone. Ask the conscious persons permission before giving aid .

Unconsciousness implies consent to give care.

The law protect the first responder who follows these guidelines and does their best under the circumstance.

Licensure:

Given by a government run board

Guarantees your scope of practice

You cannot practice without a licensed profession

Dieticians, Physical therapist, Massage Therapists

Certifications:

 Given by a private organization
 Does not guarantee scope of practice
 Voluntary in unlicensed professions
 Exercise Science Field (NSCA Strength and Conditioning
Specials, ACSM Exercise Physiologist, NASM Personal Trainer)

Working with clients:

 The first danger is lack of supervision. It only
takes a split second for a life threatening
accident to occur.
 Individuals movement capabilities vary greatly
but the instructor/coach is expected to provide
a challenging experience for all
 Individuals must receive step by step
preparation from simple to more complex
 Individuals must be warned of the possible
dangers of the activities they are about to
perform

Scope of Practice

Applicable to all professions and vocations that require special
knowledge, skills, and training- not only licensed
professionals.
All non-licensed professionals, such as exercise
professionals, should practice within their education,
training, experience, and practical skills to stay within
scope of practice

Inherent Risk:

Exercise has some risk regardless, even if performed properly
 Re-racking weights, dropping weights, straining muscle,
falling on treadmil

Non-exercise Inherent risk:

Tripping and falling while not exercising somewhere on premise

Negligence:

Can be defined as the failure to conduct oneself in conformity with standards established by law for the protection of others against unreasonable risk of
injury.

Malfeasance:

Performance of an illegal act

Misfeasance:

improper performance of a legal act

Nonfeasance:

Failure to perform a legal act that one ought to do.

Liable:

A term used when a defendant in a civil case was found responsible for the plaintiff's harm. The defendant must compensate the plaintiff for injuries or damages and may be ordered to stop the practice causing the harm

Informed Consent:

Provides overview of program, inherent risks, potential benefits, release of liability

General Liability insurance:

Covers a wide range of personal trainer accidents and basic risks. You’ll have financial protection if someone gets hurt in a training session or you are held responsible for damaging property that doesn’t belong to you

Professional Liability insurance: 

(also known as errors and omissions) Helps you defend yourself if you’re accused of making a mistake that causes someone to lose money. For example, if an athlete claims you failed to provide the proper training and it affected their career, it could help cover related expenses to defend yourself

Work compensation insurance:

Can help pay for medical care and lost wages after a workplace injury. It’s almost always required if you have employees. Choose business owner’s coverage with your policy to protect yourself.

Legal Protection:

Be familiar with the liability laws of your state

If your system has no policy, invest in a personal liability policy
Stay trained in CPR/First Aid

Exercise reasonable care in education, supervision, and equipment care and maintenances
maintenance

Assumption of Risk:

Plaintiff (client) cannot recover damages for a personal injury.
Defendant (trainer) claims that no duty, whatsoever, was owed
to the injured party, meaning, no duty existed to protect the
plaintiff from injuries due to inherent in the activity

ACSM Health/fitness facility standards and guidelines:

• Standards we must me as facility (lab)
• Provides guidelines of what facilities should do to enhance
member experience (health clubs)
• Risk management in 2200/3600

ACSM Pre-participation screening process:

• Self-guided or professionally guided methods
• Pre-participation is based on three factors
• Person's current level of physical activity
• The presence of known Cardiovascular (CV), metabolic, or renal
disease(or signs/symptoms suggestive of these diseases)
• The intended exercise intensity
• Screening provides guidelines and recommendations for safe and effective
exercise participation

Importance of Emergency planning and polices:

•Provides a reasonably safe environment for employees,
members, and users
• Reduces liability chances of lawsuits
• Prepares employees to effectively respond to emergencies

Standard 1:

Emergency Response Polices: • Facilities must have written e

Facilities must have written emergency response procedures.
• These must be reviewed and physically rehearsed at least twice
annually.
• Plans should address both activity-related emergencies (e.g., cardiac
arrest, heat illness) and non-activity emergencies (e.g., fire, chemical
spills, active shooter).

Standard 2:

Safter Audits:

• Conduct routine safety audits to identify and eliminate hazards.
• Maintain inspection records according to local legal requirements.

Standard 3:

Hazardous Materials Communication:

• Facilities must have a system for communicating risks related to
hazardous materials and bodily fluids.
• Follow OSHA guidelines.
• Provide training, signage, and proper disposal systems.

Standard 4:

AED and PAD Programs:

• All facilities must have a Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) program.
• AEDs must be part of the emergency response plan and comply with federal, state, and
local laws.

Standard 5:

AED Placement:

• AEDs should be placed to allow defibrillation within 3–5 minutes of collapse.
• Ideally reachable within a 1.5-minute walk (~500 ft).

Standard 6: 

AED Practice Drills: 

• Conduct AED practice drills every six months, covering various scenarios (e.g., children, water, pacemakers).

Standard 7:

CPR/AED Certified Staff:

• At least one staff member on duty must be certified in CPR and AED use during all
operating hours.

Standard 8:

Unstaffed Facilities:

• Must still comply with AED regulations.
• Should provide video monitoring, panic buttons, communication devices, and visible
AEDs with instructions.

Guideline 1: 

Staff Training: 

• All staff should be offered training and certification in first
aid, CPR, and AED use.
• Consider extending training opportunities to members and
users.

Guideline 2:

Incident Reporting:

• Facilities should maintain a written incident report system.
• Reports must be timely, legally reviewed, and kept on file.
• Follow-up with involved parties is recommended.

Signage:

Serves as a critical communication tool for members, users, and the public.
• It conveys hazard warnings, instructions, and general facility information.
• Helps establish a safer physical activity environment.

Standard 1 of signage:

Hazard Signage:

• Facilities must post caution, danger, and warning signs in areas where risks are known or anticipated.
• Types of signage:
• Cautionary: Potential risks may arise.
• Danger: Imminent hazardous situation exists.
• Warning: Potentially hazardous situation that could result in serious injury or death

Standard 2 of signage:

• Post signage related to fire safety and emergency procedures as required by law.
• Includes emergency exits, phones, fire extinguisher locations, and occupancy certificates.

Standard 3 of signage:

AED and First Aid Signage:

• Clearly indicate the location of AEDs and first aid kits.
• Include directions for access.

Standard 4 of signage: 

• Post all signage required by ADA (Americans with
Disabilities Act) and OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health
Administration).
• ADA: Access points for physical impairments, signage for
visually impaired.
• OSHA: Hazardous chemicals, bloodborne pathogens

Standard 5 of signage:

Signage Design Standards:

• All cautionary, danger, and warning signage must follow ASTM F1749 standards:
• Signal icon, Signal word, Signal color, Layout

Guideline 1 of signage:

Communication Venues:

• Facilities should use message boards, bulletin boards, digital signage, websites, etc., to share relevant information with members and users.

Guidelines 2:  

Signage Appearance:

• Signage should have proper appearance, readability, and placement.
• Messages must be clear and easily understood by the intended audience.

Exposure Control Plan:

• A briefing of personnel who may be exposed to pathogens directly.
• A list of all employee responsibilities that may result in an exposure.
• Rules set to ensure compliance with OSHA and the requirements of other governing bodies
• Rules regarding research or production of antibodies of deadly bloodborne pathogens, such as
Hepatitis B and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
• Proactive vaccination protocols for Hepatitis B.
• Communication measures used to educate employees
• Recordkeeping policies for any such exposure.
• Policies for immediate actions after exposure.

What are bloodborne pathogens?

• Any germ or organism that resides in an infected person’s
bloodstream
• Pathogens may be transmitted by any substance that may
contain blood, including sneeze droplets, urine, feces,
seminal fluid, vomit, and all other bodily fluids
• Most bloodborne pathogens do not cause immediate
symptoms, but they can still be transmitted to other
individuals
• Some bloodborne pathogens can result in death

Hepatitis Viruses:

• Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver.
• when it is inflamed or damaged, its function can be affected, including the ability to process nutrients, filter the blood, and fight infections
• commonly caused by a viral infection, but there are other possible causes including heavy alcohol use, toxins, some medications, certain medical conditions.

Hepatitis B:

• Symptoms include jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes), fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and liver
damage
• “chronic” infection and it can lead to liver cirrhosis,
liver cancer, and death
• virus is found in the blood and body fluids of infected people
• The best way to prevent hepatitis B is by getting vaccinated
• Occupational Hazards: The virus can survive in dried blood
for up to 7 days

Hepatitis C:

• Blood-borne virus
• For some, a short-term illness, but 75-85 percent of people
who become infected with it will have a long-term, chronic
infection
• Chronic _____ is a serious disease than can result in long-term
health problems, even death
• The majority of infected persons might not be aware of their infection
because they are not clinically ill
• Cure rates of 80-90% with a 12-week drug treatment course
• Occupational Hazzard: no vaccine, but there is effective treatment
available

HIV/AIDS:

• Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a chronic, potentially life-threatening
condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus
• ____ interferes with the body’s ability to fight the organisms that cause disease
• sexually transmitted infection and can also be spread by contact with infected blood
• Without medication, _____ gradually weakens the immune system
• Occupational Hazzard: General symptoms may include fatigue, appetite changes,
unexplained fever, and swollen glands
• Occupational Hazzard:The virus survives less than 24 hours outside the body

Protecting yourself from bloodborne pathogens:

• Bloodborne pathogens cannot survive for extended periods outside of the body, but they can survive in bodily fluids for days or
weeks
• Bloodborne pathogens can enter the body from any mucous membrane, including minor scrapes or cuts

Universal precautions and PPE:

• Gloves
• Googles
• Face Shields
• Masks
• Waterproof gown
• CPR mouth Shields
• The amount of PPE worn must match the expected amount of
exposure
• Always wear gloves
• If blood is likely to come into contact with your clothing,
wear a waterproof, disposable gown.
• if splashing or coughing is likely, a face shield or mask may
be needed.

Coming into contact with blood:

• blood on your PPE and/or yourself
1. Take gloves off
2. Wash hands and any exposed skin (Soap)
3. Rinse mucous membranes with copious amounts of water
4. Report the Incident
5. Follow through with employer protocols
• When exposed to potentially infectious material
• Immediately wash the exposed area thoroughly with soap and water

Disposing Sharps:

• Sharps are another source of possible exposure to
bloodborne pathogens
• Sharps include needles, lancets, or any object that is
used to pierce the skin
• Sharps should always be disposed of in a puncture-
resistant sharps container
• These will have the biohazard symbol and indicate
“sharps” somewhere on the container
• Discard sharps in an appropriate container immediately
after use, reducing the chances of sticking themselves
or another person in the process
• Never try to recap sharps