Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Sports & Recreation and Health Clubs

Exercise has been shown to increase health and decrease morbidity in many ways, however some exercisers are at an increased risk for problematic events based on a variety of factors including age, experience, pre-existing conditions, etc. One untoward event that has grave consequences is sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). When a person experiences a SCA, the time to get adequate attention is critical. One method to decrease the response time is with the use of an onsite Automated External Defibrillator or AED. AEDs, along with cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR, have been shown to increase SCA survival rates to about 75%. As of January 2004, only ¼ of the more than 23,000 exercise clubs in the U.S. are equipped with AEDs. Several states have mandated that health clubs must provide at least one AED and a trained operator on staff at all hours of operation. Keystone Engineering Consultants, has experts who are helpful in framing a variety of cases including personal injury, product liability and supervision issues in health club settings. We can also add understanding to the actions or inactions of the participants and answering the questions that might be in the thoughts of all the jurors, which might otherwise go unresolved and unanswered. Some common questions include: Was proper equipment provided?
Was the equipment or product defective by design? Was the equipment properly used, misused, or abused? Did the facility staff act appropriately? Did the facility provide appropriate supervision and maintenance? Were appropriate standards and guidelines followed? Through experience gained from our associated company, Keystone Recreational Consultants, LLC, we provide a full range of playground and recreational facility services, by certified playground safety inspectors and installers. See profiles of David Kassekert, PE and Joseph Micikas, PE