People using the Dhaka branch of the internationally renowned Gold's Gym chain must ensure the safety of the club's equipments and facilities before using them, unless they wish to share the fate of M.A.Khan.

Khan, a resident of Dhanmondi, was enjoying a dip in the swimming pool of the Gold's Gym in Bashundhara City complex on Thursday last week. Having purchased a day pass for Tk.1000, he took several plunges in the swimming pool to shake off the drudgery of the workweek, and then moved on to the nearby Jacuzzi for relaxation.

With no gym officials attending the Jacuzzi, he assumed that it was in working order and was safe for use. Drained from his swimming session, Khan stretched his tired body in the temperate water of the Jacuzzi. To his utter horror, minutes after he sat down in the tub, boiling hot water started to gush out of the Jacuzzi without any warning.

"All of a sudden, a surge of scorching water hit me from the bottom, and before I could react it engulfed me, scalding my whole body," said Khan.

Apparently, one of the gym officials responsible for overseeing the operation of the Jacuzzi switched on the temperature control mechanism of the Jacuzzi while Khan was in the tub.

"No officials or attendants were around the Jacuzzi to ask me to leave the tub before turning on the boiling water. There were not even any signs or any other notification measures around the Jacuzzi," said Khan.

The 50-year-old man suffered skin burns in several places of his body, including a serious blister on his back, before he managed to haul himself out of the Jacuzzi.

"I was fortunate to have gotten away from that boiling tub of water with injuries that are minor compared to what they could have been. To think that women and children use the same facilities is worrying - they could not have survived even a few seconds in that heat," he added.

According to Abdullah, manager of Gold's Gym, four officials are responsible for supervising the swimming pool and Jacuzzi facilities, and the mishap was due to their negligence.

"The unfortunate incident occurred due to the inattention of the attendants in the swimming pool and Jacuzzi area, and we have already taken action against the careless attendants," said Abdullah, manager of Gold's Gym.

Although the gym authorities virtually dismissed Khan when he tried to post a complaint about the designated incident, they later they promised to compensate Khan for the treatment and other damages caused to him.

When Gold's Gym was inaugurated in the capital city, it promptly earned the regard of city dwellers, including women and children, for its prominence and outstanding services. Lately however, mismanagement has been present virtually everywhere in the world-class health club, said club members.

A good example of this is the swimming pool area, where there are no life guards to oversee the activities either the men's or ladies' department. Although there is an instructor occasionally present to educate the swimmers about necessary precautions and swimming gear, there are no trained lifeguards to react to a sudden accident.

Some of the equipment in this well-reputed health club was also seen to be quite unsafe for use. A fitting example would be a hair dryer found in the men's department. The dryer was haphazardly mended with scotch tape with tips of electric wires hanging outside, exposing its users to the dangers of electrocution.

However, Abdullah, the manager of Gold's Gym at Dhaka denied any allegations about negligence in the health club.

"I assure you that there are no cases of mismanagement in our gym. That particular accident happened not because of any failing in our equipments, rather it happened because of a human mistake, and we have already taken actions against the responsible officials," said Abdullah.

Following the incident, warning signs have been posted around the Jacuzzi, and extra inspectors and lifeguards have been posted around the area. The management has vowed to do its utmost to prevent the recurrence of any accidents in future.