Risk Management: Peeping Tom Incidents (A Peeping Tom Is No Average Joe)

It’s disturbing, but “peeping Tom” lawsuits are all-too-common in the indoor-tanning industry.

First, a quick definition: “Peeping Tom” is an expression used to describe people who get pleasure from secretly watching others and invading their private space.

Reported claims can happen to either sex by either sex, and when a client feels that someone has invaded their privacy, they may have a reason to bring in legal action. Then, you are dealing with a lawsuit—which can be for thousands of dollars in damages—and the legal fees of representation in the suit. On top of that, your other clients may no longer feel comfortable tanning at your salon. (Would you want to tan at a salon where you didn’t feel you had 100-percent privacy?)

Here are some tips to reduce the chances that a peeping Tom incident happens at your salon:

Consider room construction. Specifically, look at whether the partition walls in each tanning room go all the way up to the ceiling. If not, the potential for problems is there. It is best to opt for higher dividing walls when constructing or remodeling your salon.

Limit ladder/stepstool use in the salon. Be especially careful when having contractors work on ladders—if they are next to a tanning room, they can easily see inside. Avoid this by scheduling contractors’ work at less-busy times of day and do not let any clients tan in rooms near where the contractor is working. The same goes for employees using stepstools and ladders in the salon for daily duties (which, by the way, is not recommended because of its own potential liability issues regarding injury).

Take preventative measures. Visible security cameras can be a great deterrent to potential offenders (just make sure the cameras are not directed at the tanning rooms!) And, of course, the best defense is a good offense—ensure you have the right insurance protection, including legal defense outside your limit, sufficient limits and a specialized tanning-salon program.

Jenny Bortman is an account executive for Phoenix-based Universal Insurance. For more information or to get a quick, no-obligation quote, call (800) 844-2101 or visit www.universalinsuranceltd.com.