Risk Management Assessment Bill Haines York College of Pennsylvania
R i s k M a n a g e m e n t A s s e s s m e n t P a g e i Table of Contents Introduction... 1 Figure #1 Weight Machine Anchoring... 1... 1... 1 Figure #2 Weight Machine Attachment Storage... 2... 2... 2 Figure #3 Dumbbell Rack Accessibility... 3... 3... 3 Figure #4 Shower Floor Surface... 4... 4... 4 Figure #5 Gym Corner Storage... 5... 5... 5 Figure #6 Loose Wall Covering... 6... 6... 6 Figure #7 Bent Basketball Switch Cover... 7... 7... 7 Figure #8 Bird Nest Railing Safety... 8... 8... 8 Figure #9 Basketball Court Surface Skid... 9... 9... 9 Figure #10 Gym Bleachers... 10... 10... 10
R i s k M a n a g e m e n t A s s e s s m e n t P a g e 1 Introduction The following ten pictures are from the Risk Management Assessment I conducted for a high school in Pennsylvania. The pictures represent various risk management concerns I found while completing my survey packet. For each picture, I will provide my reasoning for what risk management concern is displayed and the solution that I would recommend for eliminating all risk involved. Figure #1 Weight Machine Anchoring Figure #1 represents one leg of a weight lifting machine where the anchor points are not securely anchored to the floor. Not having the machine anchored to the floor or wall raises a risk management concern that while the machine is in use, there is an increased chance that the machine could move or even tip over, possibly on the user themself. This risk management concern appeared on multiple types of weight machines throughout the Weight Training Area that seemed to be built with the purpose of anchoring the machine into the floor. My recommendation for reducing the current risk management concern is to anchor all machines to the floor that currently don t have secure anchor points. By anchoring the weight machines into the floor, the possibility of the machine moving or tipping over while in use, will
R i s k M a n a g e m e n t A s s e s s m e n t P a g e 2 be drastically reduced. Ultimately, this will make the Weight Training Area safer for use and reduce the risk on the high school. Before doing this, I would clean the surface of the floor and move all of the machines that need to be anchored, to their chosen location in the Weight Training Area. Once every weight machine that is going to be anchored is in the right position in the room, the process of securely anchoring the anchor points to the floor can begin. Figure #2 Weight Machine Attachment Storage Figure #2 shows the disorganized storage of attachments that can be used on the weight machine pictured above. Attachments that aren t properly stored and left on the ground underneath of the weight machine raise a few risk management concerns. The user of the weight machine may become injured by stepping on an attachment while using the machine or could possibly become injured by having to bend down, underneath of the machine when trying to reach his/her desired attachment. My recommendation for eliminating the current risk management concern is to make a designated area, within the Weight Training Area, for this weight machine s attachments to be stored. By making a designated storage area for these attachments, the possibility of an injury occurring due to the machine user stepping on one of the attachments or reaching underneath the
R i s k M a n a g e m e n t A s s e s s m e n t P a g e 3 machine, will be eliminated. This risk management concern will be eliminated because there would be virtually no reason for either of these two scenarios occurring, if the solution is followed by the user. Ultimately, this solution will make this particular weight machine safer for use, as well as reducing the risk on the high school. Figure #3 Dumbbell Rack Accessibility Figure #3 represents a dumbbell rack that isn t easily accessible due to two small, movable benches that are placed in front of the rack. Dumbbell racks that are not completely accessible are a risk management concern. This is in the Risk Management Survey under Facility Checklist; section F-7(d). The dumbbell user has a greater chance of sustaining an injury due to the two benches interfering with the user when selecting and/or returning a weight to the dumbbell rack. My recommendation for eliminating the current risk management concern is to move the two small benches away from the dumbbell rack, either towards the camera or to a new location not pictured above. By moving the two benches, the dumbbell rack will be fully accessible and adequately spaced. This will eliminate the current interference that a dumbbell user would have when the benches are placed in front of the dumbbell rack. This solution will make the Weight Training Area safer and reduce the risk on the high school.
R i s k M a n a g e m e n t A s s e s s m e n t P a g e 4 Figure #4 Shower Floor Surface Figure #4 represents the tile floor of a main shower room which can become slippery when the showers are in use. Shower floors that are not nonskid or slip-resistant raise a risk management concern. Along with this first risk management concern, I didn t see any signs noting caution, in or around the shower room area. There is an increased risk that an individual using the shower room may slip and sustain an injury once the shower floor is wet due to the floor not being nonskid/slip-resistant and no presence of a caution sign. My recommendation for reducing the two current risk management concerns is to install a type of non-slip shower floor over top of the existing tile and post a sign noting caution in and around the shower room area. An example of a non-slip shower floor that could be installed is a DuraGrid shower mat. These shower mats are easily moveable and cleanable, and virtually remove all chance of slipping while taking a shower. By making these two changes to the shower room area, there will be a very low risk of a user becoming injured due to slipping in the shower room.
R i s k M a n a g e m e n t A s s e s s m e n t P a g e 5 Figure #5 Gym Corner Storage Figure #5 represents the current state of one of the two gym s corners which shows a moveable baseball net, a 10 foot ladder and moveable wall pads leaning against the wall with nothing securing them. This is a risk management concern because there are gym classes with young children that run around playing games, and the children could either run into one of these obstacles or have the ladder fall on top of them. By having a ladder, secured or unsecured, in a gymnasium where young children run around playing games, the high school is exposing itself to the risk that a child could become hurt. My recommendation for eliminating the current risk management concern is to move the ladder out of the gym corner and take it to one of the storage closets outside of the white door pictured to the right of the ladder. By moving the ladder out of the gym, the possibility of a child being injured because of the ladder being in the gym will be eliminated. The moveable wall paddings and baseball net also could be moved to a storage closet either inside or outside of the gym, to reduce the risk of a child tripping over the edge of the object. This solution will make the gym safer for the young children to use and reduce the risk on the high school.
R i s k M a n a g e m e n t A s s e s s m e n t P a g e 6 Figure #6 Loose Wall Covering Figure #6 represents an electrical/technological wall covering that is hanging off of the wall, at least 10 feet up in the air. This is a risk management concern because this loose wall covering could detach from the wall and fall on a person who is standing under it, up against the wall. By having an object in the gym that could fall on a child or adult, the high school is opening itself up to the risk of somebody getting hurt if that covering falls on a person below it. My recommendation for reducing the current risk management concern is to re-install the cover over the object that it is meant to protect. This could be done by having a maintenance worker climb up a ladder (possibly the ladder from Figure #5) and apply whatever method is holding the cover to the wall right next to the hanging cover. By reattaching the cover to the wall, the possibility of the cover falling on a someone s head and causing an injury will be drastically reduced. This solution will make the gym safer for children to use and reduce the risk on the high school if somebody is to become injured while using this gym in the athletic facility.
R i s k M a n a g e m e n t A s s e s s m e n t P a g e 7 Figure #7 Bent Basketball Switch Cover Figure #7 represents another type of wall covering that has become a risk management concern. The bottom portion of this cover has been tilted up and outward, away from the position it should be in order to fully protect the basketball switches. The cover would likely be at eye level for children and students who are in lower school. Due to the bottom portion of the cover, which is designed to form into pointy ends, being tilted outward, there is the possibility that a child could poke their eye on the pointy bottom of the cover. My recommendation for eliminating the current risk management concern is to create a way that the covering can be securely attached to the metal bars but also be able to be detached at the bottom when a person needs to operate the switches that the cover is protecting. By doing this, the cover will not be at an angle where a child can realistically injure themselves unless doing so on purpose. This solution will make the gym safer for children to use and reduce the risk on the high school if somebody was to hurt themselves while playing around the basketball switches on the wall.
R i s k M a n a g e m e n t A s s e s s m e n t P a g e 8 Figure #8 Bird Nest Railing Safety Figure #8 represents an elevated platform that is used to film basketball games played in the larger of the facility s two gyms. To get up to the platform, a person would have to go up moveable scaffolding and enter through the side closest to the window (left side of picture). The risk management concern I found with this platform setup is that the side a person would enter and exit from, only has one railing while the other two sides have two. This could be dangerous as a person sitting near the side with one railing, could possible fall out of the platform through the opening under the top railing. My recommendation for reducing this current risk management concern is to install a middle railing that has the capability of swinging away from the platform, on the side where people enter and exit from. The railing could be attached to a type of hinge/joint that could allow the railing to move in the desired direction. Adding a middle railing on the one side would allow the person recording the game to still be able to enter the platform as well as increase their safety while on the platform. This solution will make the elevated platform in the main gym safer for use and reduce the risk on the high school if somebody was to hurt themselves by falling through the opening on the side of the platform.
R i s k M a n a g e m e n t A s s e s s m e n t P a g e 9 Figure #9 Basketball Court Surface Skid Figure #9 is a picture of a skid mark/substance on the basketball court surface that should not be on the playing surface. This skid had a gritty type of feel to it and affected how easily I could move my foot along the court surface. This type of court issue is a risk management concern because a player, or any person in the gym, could sustain a leg injury if stepping on this area of the court. It is to be noted that this type of court issue was found in multiple areas on and off of the playing surface, and the markings were of various sizes. My recommendation for reducing this current risk management concern is to either clean the gym floor or find a surface cleaning product that is safe to use on hardwood gym floors and is strong enough to fully remove the skid. Removing the skid is a must, as it can cause harm to people and the floor as well as making the floor look like it is in worse condition than it truly is. This solution will make the basketball floor surface in the main gym safer for use and reduce the risk on the high school if somebody was to hurt themselves when running on or making a cut move on the basketball court.
R i s k M a n a g e m e n t A s s e s s m e n t P a g e 10 Figure #10 Gym Bleachers Figure #10 represents how the bleachers in the main gym were closed and put away after their last use. The bleachers are an older design and are pulled out and pushed in manually, by the bottom portion. The way that the one section of the bleachers sticks out demonstrates a risk management concern that goes along with this type of gym bleacher because a person could become injured by how easy it is to move the bleachers and even go under the bleachers while they are stacked up the way they are in the picture above. My recommendation for reducing this current risk management concern is a two part solution. First, when the bleachers are to be put away after being used for an event, all bleacher sections should be completely stacked up with no portions sticking out further than the others. The other part of my recommendation is that there should be some sort of object (rope, cord, etc.) that could run up tight against the bottom portion of the bleachers and be attached to the wall next to the bleacher. This would allow the bleacher restraint to be moved away from the bleachers when it is time to pull out the bleachers for an event. This solution will make the gym bleachers in the main gym safer to be around and reduce the risk on the high school if somebody was to hurt themselves by running into the edge of a section that is sticking out or going underneath of the bleachers while they are stacked up.