As with any business, conducting a safety risk assessment must be practiced in order to address the risks and hazards involved in running a facility. Performing a safety risk assessment will help identify problem areas for costumers and promote possible solutions that will promote health and well-being. Risk assessments are necessary for gym owners to avoid potential litigation and to know the risks within their premises. Most risks can be avoided, if ample time were given to organize it and to provide solutions for the problems that arise during the assessment.
Conducting a Risk Assessment in the Gym
Gyms are like any other place, in which hazards exist. A Gym Risk Assessment involves breaking apart several aspect of the gym and calculating the probability of an accident occurring. Gym owners could perform their own gym assessment and discover the weak and hazardous areas in their properties.
What are the steps to performing a risk assessment?
- Identify Dangerous Situations and Hazards
- Who Does this Hazard Affect?
- What are the Risks? Think of Possible Solutions to Contain and Minimize the Threat.
- Implement Precautionary Methods
- Regularly Review and Update Risk Assessment File
A proper assessment is crucial to creating a safe and sanitary environment in which people can feel safe in. Because of the risks posed by the workout machines, and weights, gym owners must take care to address the risks found in their premises swiftly and decisively.
Safety Measures in a Gym
Gym floor mats are important in the operations of any gym or wellness center. These floor mats serve to protect the patrons and the floor from the damage that could be incurred while exercising. While most mats serve to protect both the customer and the floor, the variety of patrons and the various areas within the gym also require different levels of care. Gym mats are not necessarily the all in one solution for every aspect of the gym.
What is the Risk Assessment for each area of the gym?
1. Entryways
Entryways are the gateway into the gym. This area has the heaviest foot traffic and can pose a high risk for slip and fall accidents. Gym owners must provide safety matting for this area in order maintain its cleanliness and safety. Entryways also give rise for an opportunity to consider branding and image of the facility as well.
2. Free Weight Areas
Most people associate the gym with free weights and lifting the most. The area in which these items are located can be the most dangerous in all of the gym because of the heavy weights used by patrons who can become exhausted lifting these weights. Because of the combined weight of patrons and the weights, this area can have significant damage on the floor as well as the patron’s body. It is crucial that protective safety mats are used to limit injury. A great gym mat will be able to handle enormous pressure and help alleviate patron fatigue.
3. Class Studios
Not all gym patrons want to lift weights. There is a large demographic that takes classes such as yoga, aerobics, Zumba, among other things. Unlike the free weight area, these areas have hard wood floors and mirrors. Most of the time, these areas double as stretching rooms when not in use. The hazards found in this place are very different from other areas because they mostly come from the patrons. Providing some sturdy gym matting can give customers support as they stretch in-between classes or in-between workouts.
4. Locker Rooms
Locker rooms pose a high risk for gym patrons because of its humid and moist environment and slippery floors. Gym owners should take care and provide ample gym mats in this area so that patrons would be safe from potential slip and fall accidents. Locker rooms must also have ample ventilation in order that mold and other bacteria would not develop. The warm and moist environment of locker rooms and saunas helps in the breeding and proliferation of these harmful substances.
Invest in the Right Products
Gym ownership can be a rewarding experience given the proper assessments of the risks involved in running it smoothly. As with any business endeavor, the first step is always the definitive one. Owners of gyms, spas, and wellness centers cannot go wrong when investing in commercial matting and other safety products that protect patrons, as well as the structural integrity of the facility.
