Gym COVID Procedures

Returning to the Gym at WWSC
Version Draft 0.2 – 20th July 2020

Contents
1 Introduction 2
2 Before you consider going to the gym 2
3 Risk Assessment 3
4 Procedure 3
4.1 Booking and Arrival 3
4.2 In the Gym 3
5 Accidents and Emergencies 4
6 Club Precautions 4
7 Updates 4
1 Introduction
The gym and fitness industry will have a vital role in ensuring the ongoing health and wellbeing of the nation following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. We believe this role has never been more important for our members to regain and/or maintain their health.
These guidelines are written specifically for West Warwickshire Sports Club, they include guidance provided by the NHS and the Government and Public Health England (PHE). This procedure cannot be implemented until the UK Government guidance allows indoor sports, currently scheduled for the 25th of July. The procedure protects the members, staff and others at the club. To use the indoor gym and fitness and dance studios at the club these procedures must be followed.
The virus is transmitted in saliva and nasal fluid, either directly as airborne droplets or from surfaces, entering the body through the mucus membranes of the mouth, nose and eyes. You can’t get it from sweat, however, heavy breathing increases the exposure from an infected person. Due to the nature of exercise often within a closed environment, gym activities are considered to have a higher risk, all are mostly indoors and hard work.
2 Before you consider going to the gym
Follow all other current guidance, do not go out if you, or anyone in your household have symptoms of COVID-19, or if you have been told to self-isolate through the contact tracing system, test and trace.
According to NHS.uk, 20/05/20, symptoms are:
• high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
• new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
• loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal
Most people with coronavirus have at least one of these symptoms.
To help trace any possible contacts, if you have been to the club and subsequently become ill or are tested positive for COVID-19 you must let the club know, the booking system will be used to inform others that may have been affected.
3 Risk Assessment
A risk assessment is a legal requirement for a place of work like the Club.
Before attending to use the gym, you must acknowledge understanding of this document and declare that, to the best of your knowledge you nor anyone in your household has COVID-19. If you have had or suspect that you have had COVID-19, you must observe the current isolation periods and should consider taking medical advice before returning to the club.
The hazard is the COVID-19 virus, the risk is the likelihood of catching or transmitting it. The longer you are exposed to the virus the more likely you are to catch it, walking past someone outside has a much lower risk than talking face to face.
To reduce the risk of transmission and/or contraction of COVID-19, we have to reduce the likelihood of bringing it to the club, picking it up at the club or taking it out of the club.
There are five steps to safety
• Carry out a risk assessment – this document is the result of that assessment
• DO NOT leave home if you or anyone in your household have symptoms or have tested positive. Think about your own situation, if you are classed as clinically vulnerable you should consider not coming to the club.
• Ensure that cleaning, handwashing and hygiene procedures are stepped up in line with government guidance and maximise the ventilation in the club.
• Maintain 2 m distance as much as possible.
• Where 2 m distance is not practical, manage the transmission risk by limiting the exposure of face to face time.
4 Procedure
4.1 Booking and Arrival
• All of the usual membership requirements continue to apply, check the club website for changes to opening times.
• All gym sessions must be pre-booked using the on-line system or by telephone to the club, the screen in reception cannot be used. The gym will be restricted to a maximum of 12 people using the equipment at one time.
• Toilets are available, however the changing room and showers are not available.
• The gym is equipped with antibacterial wipes and hand sanitiser.
• The water dispenser is not available and there are no cups, there is no bin, bring everything you need with you, take everything your brought home. Don’t share anything.
• There is a one-way system, come into the club through reception, stay 2 m back from the desk to book in, the doors to the corridor, leading to all the sporting facilities will be open, avoid touching anything. There are arrows on the floor to help.
• Don’t arrive at reception early, wait outside until you can come in. You must register with reception when you can then pass straight through to the gym.
• You will need your club membership card to access the gym.
4.2 In the Gym
• Enter the gym and if necessary, wait until the last members have vacated the gym.
• Sanitise your hands, use the sanitiser and the blue towels provided. Sweat towels cannot be bought into the gym.
• You MUST wipe down every piece of equipment before and after you have used it.
• Take a drink into the gym in a closed sports bottle, labelled with your name, and always have it with you.
• No sports bags are allowed in the gym. During COVID-19 restrictions there is no-where to store your kit bag in the club.
• Enjoy your workout. Train within your limits to minimise the risk of any injury requiring hospital treatment. See section 5 below.
• Extra signage regarding social distancing will be in place around the free-weights area.
• Allow time to leave the building 2 minutes before your session is due to end.
• Observe social distancing, leave the building through the back-door fire escape 2 minutes before your time is up.
• Shower and wash your kit at home as soon as you possibly can.
5 Accidents and Emergencies
If there is an accident, emergency treatment may override the need to maintain social distancing, judgement of the individual circumstances is required.
If the fire alarm sounds, leave the building as quickly as possible through the back door or through the corridor, do not re-enter the building until you are told it’s safe to do so. The assembly point is in the car park, there is enough space to maintain social distancing.
6 Club Precautions
The following actions shall be taken to help reduce the risk.
• Appoint a COVID-19 Officer with an overview of the entire operation and risk assessments.
• Toilets and contact points, such as doors, including the court doors and surfaces will be cleaned on a more frequent basis.
• Use of face coverings where distancing is not practical
• Corridor windows and all internal doors to be left open as much as practical
• Extract fans to be run continuously while the courts are in use.
• Cover or remove the water dispenser, remove the bin and paper cups
• Install arrows and additional signs to help the flow through the building.
• Update booking times to allow phased change-over and time for cleaning.

7 Updates
21/07/20 Added Details from UK Active