INSURANCE CHECKLIST, P.2

 

8) Swimming Pools

This breaks down into safety, staffing and maintenance. New York State Health codes require that every facility have a Certified Pool Operator (CPO) involved whether, it be a super, a board member or an employee. Many buildings hire an independent pool management company to handle the day-to-day operations and keep the facility up to regulatory standards.

9) Playgrounds

Faulty equipment, improper surfaces and unsupervised children can lead to an unforeseen visit to an emergency room and most likely will result in a lawsuit. You need to look for things that can entangle, impale or entrap a child. Check for broken equipment and make sure intact equipment show no signs of weakening, splintering or rusting.

Rubber surfacing mates and tiles that are safety tested should be mandatory. This is also a common requirement with most insurance carriers. For more information of this topic you may want to check out the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commissions (CPSC) website and search for "playground safety."

10) Recreational Facilities

The rules and regulations should be posted for everyone to see. These rules should contain an age requirement, hours of operation and whether or not guests are allowed. Door should remain locked when the facilities are not in use, or lock automatically when closed. Equipment should be in full working order and inspected regularly. Pay special attention to locker rooms, showers, saunas or steam rooms by keeping the floors dry and slip-free. This can be difficult when you have multiple residents using the facilities at a given time.

 

All told, minimizing your co-op or condo's liability it is a joint effort between the board and the residents. Everyone needs to work together and develop a plan to address any existing exposures. The old adage holds true, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Patricia M. Batih is vice president of sales and marketing at Mackoul & Associates, Inc . She is a member of the New York Association of Real Estate Managers (NYARM) , and represents her firm as an Industry Partner with the I nstitute of Real Estate Management (IREM) . A speaker and lecturer, she also provides educational seminars to property management firms on insurance related issues. This is adapted and greatly expanded from her article " An Ounce of Prevention " in the Mann Report , October 2008.