Covid-19 | Reopening Fitness Centre & Sports Facility

Sports Field and Center Reopening Checklist

The global COVID 19 pandemic has hit the world of sports hard. Whether professional sportsman or amateur: all of them had to restrict their activities considerably to comply with the state requirements. With the worldwide easing of the rules, the sports community is also getting some exercise again. Gym and sports facility operators and sports clubs are taking preventive measures to continue to mitigate the effects of the virus and slowly return to sports activities.

This article deals with the following topics:

1. Possible hygiene and safety measures for fitness studios, sports facilities and sports clubs

2. Best practices for sport during the corona pandemic

3. A digital solution to implement hygiene and safety measures

Hygiene and Safety Measures for Fitness Studios and Sports Facilities

State health authorities and local industry associations have issued guidance to help companies and employers protect their employees at work and customers during sports from COVID-19. Employers, employees and athletes benefit from the hygiene and protective measures for fitness studios and sports facilities by reducing the risk of infection, fewer absences due to infection and the need to close facilities again.

1. Cleaning and Disinfection

The sports federations and business associations of the sports industry recommend that companies and clubs intensify their cleaning and disinfection procedures to reduce the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus. There are EPA-approved disinfectants, including ready-to-use sprays, concentrates and wipes that help clean and effectively disinfect the facilities. Besides, the proper use of protective equipment (PPE) for employees should be introduced to prevent the spread of infection in the company.

2. Business Pension Plan

As the Corona pandemic will continue to affect the sports industry after the reopening of gyms and sports facilities, it is important to adapt your business plan to the "new normality" to cope with the local and global impact. For companies, the focus is on the safety of customers and their employees. For this purpose, it is recommended to include the following points as business precautions in the company business:

1. A workplace coordinator should be appointed who is responsible for all matters relating to COVID-19.
2. An emergency communication plan should be drawn up so that authorized persons can be easily contacted in an emergency.
3. Business pension plans for all employees must be created and coordinated.
4. Sick employees should not show up at work. A medical certificate must be presented when returning to work.
5. It must be identified at which time which employee is important so that rotating shifts can be introduced. This minimizes the contact between them.
6. Workers should wear a face mask for their protection.
7. It is recommended to check the temperature before entering the sports fields or centers.
8. The number of athletes, coaches, and if necessary spectators must be limited.
9. Markings must be made in the required places to maintain the social distance of 1.5 meters to 2 meters. For sports with high aerosol emissions, a distance of 3 meters should be maintained.
10. Instructions on the change introduced should be clear and concise for customers and staff to avoid confusion.
11. Healthy hygiene practices should be promoted, such as regular hand washing and appropriate etiquette when coughing and sneezing.

Best Practices for Sport During the Corona Pandemic

Adapting work processes and sports activities to the new circumstances is the most important task of managers in companies during the pandemic. Procedures and strategies must be developed to protect the health and safety of employees, customers, and business partners. At the same time, efficient and reliable operation of the sports studios and fitness centers should be possible after reopening.

The following are some of the best practices currently used to contain the spread of coronavirus in gyms and sports facilities.

1. Perform Risk Assessment

Before reopening the gym or sports facility, a competent person should be assigned to conduct a risk assessment to identify COVID-19 risks and other problems and develop appropriate controls. Another risk that threatens a building that is out of operation for a long period is legionnaires' disease caused by the legionella bacteria. Facilities that have been out of service for some time may have stagnant water in pipes and should therefore carry out a legionella risk assessment before reopening.

2. Social Distancing Measures

Social distancing is an effective means of minimizing the risk of infection in fitness studios and sports facilities. Some of the most important measures are:

• Restrict access to the gym or sports facility.
• Always assign the same employees to the same shifts.
• Minimize customer contact and keep sufficient distance.
• Social distancing also in break rooms and staggered breaks.
• Provide changing rooms with signs and markings.
• If showering is allowed, in multiple showers only allow showering alone.

3. Strict Monitoring and Logging Procedures

A well-documented monitoring process helps to easily identify the causes in case of a new COVID-19 case and to strengthen compliance with the corona guidelines. The monitoring/logging procedures include:

• The regular completion of a health questionnaire for employees and customers.
• The carrying out of temperature controls for everyone who enters the gym or sports facility and the surrounding area. The measured values are documented.

4. Improved Cleaning Processes and Procedures

In the corona pandemic, the focus is on cleaning and disinfecting sports and work areas, break rooms, and sanitary facilities. It has been proven that the virus can survive for days on surfaces such as cardboard, plastic, and stainless steel. Therefore, contact-intensive contact surfaces such as handrails, desks, elevators, etc. should be cleaned and disinfected frequently.

5. Monitoring of Measures

Companies should routinely check the hygiene and safety measures taken to ensure that they are being observed. Regular inspections and. audits are a proven tool. However, other methods, such as video surveillance or real-time location, can also be used. However, the consent of the employees and customers must be obtained for this.

Stay Safely in Business with Lumiform After Reopening

To ensure the safety of the general public, sports facilities and fitness studios need to implement precautionary measures for the reopening and afterwards. With Lumiform's mobile app, sports centers can perform their inspections digital via tablet or smartphone on site - online or offline.

Digital checklists facilitate the implementation and monitoring of the measures. All data is immediately available to the entire occupational safety team. In this way, violations and problems are detected immediately and can be remedied immediately.

With Lumiform, operators of fitness studios and sports facilities benefit from the following advantages:

• With the flexible forms toolkit, it is possible to create checklists for all hygiene and safety measures that can be adapted again and again.
• The digital platform enables frictionless cooperation in the team.
• Real-time data about the implementation of the measures. This makes security measurable, and processes can be continuously optimised based on data.
• Keeping track of everything that's going on on the ground.
• Automatically generated reports can be submitted immediately to the responsible authorities.

We have put together some checklists to help you reopen your gym or sports facility after Corona. All templates can be easily adapted to internal company requirements and regional guidelines of state authorities.