Cryotherapy centre ordered shut after worker is found frozen in liquid nitrogen chamber
Nevada officials have ordered the closure of a cryotherapy centre just outside Las Vegas where police say a worker was found dead and frozen last week in a liquid nitrogen chamber that exposes a person's body to extremely cold air.
The facility operated by Rejuvenice LLC was ordered closed on Tuesday because it could not provide proof it had a worker's compensation insurance policy, said Teri Williams, spokeswoman for the state Department of Business and Industry.
Ake-Salvacion's death has raised questions about the regulation of whole-body cryotherapy, which was offered at the clinic. The treatment has in the past few years become increasingly popular in the United States, especially with professional athletes and celebrities.
Supporters of whole-body cryotherapy say it helps with recovery from injury or intense exercise and can improve mood. A person walks into a chamber that exposes the body to air hypercooled by liquid nitrogen to temperatures as low as minus 151 degrees Celsius, while the person's head remains outside.
Ake-Salvacion was discovered dead in a chamber at the facility by another employee who called police, authorities said.
Her death, which occurred when she was alone, has been determined to be accidental and no foul play was involved, said Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Officer Michael Rodriguez.
The local coroner is still working to determine Ake-Salvacion's exact cause and manner of death.
A representative for Rejuvenice did not immediately return a call or email seeking comment.
It appears the facility was operating without a county business license, because it had not completed building and fire inspections, said Clark County Commissioner Mary Beth Scow.
The death is of great concern to the local community, said Scow, who said the oversight of cryotherapy seems to fall between different state agencies.
“It appears that there's not a category for that because it is such a new industry,” she said.
Hailey Cap, office manager at Rejuvenice, told the New York Times that gases used to chill the air in a cryotherapy chamber can be debilitating.
“I don't know why she would go in there alone,” Cap told the newspaper.
Cryotherapy is promoted as aiding weight loss, improving healing and increasing blood circulation, leading some salons to offer cryotherapy facials as an anti-aging remedy. Liquid nitrogen has long been used to treat and remove warts.
Rejuvenice advertised 30-minute sessions for US$60 through an Internet discount, with the regular price set at about US$100.
Additional reporting by Associated Press
