Fitness facilities offer conveniences to make exercise both expedient and sensible, but those comforts almost always come with heightened responsibility for gym owners. Overlooking locker room safety standards and solely focusing on main exercise rooms is a major mistake.
Locker rooms allow gym patrons to squeeze in workouts just before work or during a lunch break. Most people don’t have the time to hit the gym and travel all the way home to shower afterward, making onsite washrooms are a major plus. But, without the proper protocol and preparedness, gym locker rooms can quickly become a hazardous zone for slips, trips and falls – also knowns as STFs.
According to the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI), falls account for over 8 million hospital emergency room visits – 0r 21.3 percent – making them the leading cause of visits. Slips account for over 1 million visits or 12 percent of all fall-related incidences. Don’t let your facility contribute to the scary statistics. Instead, protect your gym locker room with these three approaches:
Locker Room Safety Tip 1: Outfit Your Floors
In most states, public or private locker rooms must feature anti-slip mats that drastically reduce the risk of slip and fall accidents. In addition to its anti-slip properties, many locker room mats control germs to eliminate the spreading of common fungal infections like athlete’s foot.
Locker Room Safety Tip 2: Post Visible Warnings
All slip prone areas, such as locker rooms, showers, saunas, spas and pool decks, must include clear and legible caution signs. Consider using this list of popular gym etiquette guidelines:
- No food or beverages in locker rooms or pool areas.
- No running in locker rooms, showers or spa areas.
- Please lock up your belongings – Gym XYZ is not responsible for any stolen or misplaced items.
- Do not leave personal items in unrented lockers. Any leftover clothing will be removed at the end of each day and sent to the nearest donation center.
- Absolutely NO pictures, cell phone or computer use in the locker room. Please respect others’ right to privacy.
- Please report any injuries or suspicious activity to the front desk.
- Please dispose of towels in the bin near the exit.
With a locker room matting system in place, coupled with patron guidelines and signage, gym and spa owners effectively eliminate many hazards that could cause common gym accidents and injuries. For more information on how to outfit your gym facility with proper floor safety materials, contact Eagle Mat at 877-333-1018.
