In a COVID19 environment, it is critical for all fitness businesses to put in place the highest clean and hygiene protocols to mitigate the risk of a COVID19 outbreak. Coming up with a strategy to ensure your members feel safe and comfortable about returning to your facility is important.
In this blog, we will explore 5 steps to take to keep your facility clean during the pandemic.
Follow the government-provided guidelines
During COVID19, the guidance released by the government for sports and recreational fitness facilities provides valuable information for the business owner and operations in this industry to examine the situation and develop better cleaning protocols. Therefore, it’s necessary to research and understand the local government jurisdiction guidelines and resources available to plan for your business, follow the guidelines to avoid the activities and offerings prohibited, and refer to these documents to develop thorough cleaning protocols. For the sports and recreational fitness businesses in Ontario, there are a number of guidelines available:
Select the right disinfection products
To effectively and efficiently clean and disinfect your facility, choosing the right disinfection products is essential. When it comes to a disinfectant solution, be sure you have a good understanding of what disinfecting products meet the Health Canada criteria and can be used against COVID19 and check if the product can be used to clean the various surfaces within your facility.
Vital Oxide (DIN: 02422654) is an EPA approved and Health Canada authorized hospital-grade disinfectant solution for use against COVID19. It’s 100% biodegradable, non-corrosive, non-hazardous, and non-irritating to the skin. Vital Oxide can also be used as a sanitizer on soft and porous surfaces like carpeting, rugs, upholstered chairs. It is widely used by gyms, fitness studios, gymnastics clubs across Canada and the States for effective disinfection.
To cut down your cleaning time, we recommend using foggers for efficient disinfection. If you have a large-scale facility, go with Max and Matrix fogger. Onix and Junior foggers are both great for small applications.
For air purification, Surgically Clean Air is one of the most advanced air purifiers on the market today. It is medical-grade air purification unit that kills germs and viruses, removes airborne chemicals and odours, filters dust and pollen, and re-energizes stale indoor air, making the air you breathe cleaner and healthier.
Create a cleaning and disinfecting plan
Having a clear cleaning and disinfecting plan can really help the facility to create and maintain a cleaner and safer environment. By developing and reviewing protocols and procedures, you can easily see where improvements or additional cleaning and disinfecting may be added. Assign staff to complete environment cleaning and disinfection duties. Do a dry run for your cleaning procedures to determine the time you’ll need to properly clean between classes and adjust your schedule accordingly.
What should be included in your cleaning procedure:
- Each piece of equipment must be cleaned and disinfected between each use.
- Prioritize disinfecting frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs, bathroom facilities
- Clean before disinfecting as dirt and grime can reduce the ability of disinfectants to kill germs
- Wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting and wash hands immediately after the gloves are removed
- Create a cleaning schedule for both facility and equipment
- Put used disposable cleaning items (e.g., mop heads, cloths) in a lined garbage bin before disposing of them with regular waste. Reusable cleaning items can be washed using regular laundry soap and hot water (60-90°C).
- Read and follow manufacturer’s instructions for safe use of cleaning and disinfection products
Provide staff with proper training
A well-developed cleaning plan will not be enough if it is not being implemented properly. Your entire team should have a good understanding of the procedures and be able to follow the plan as needed. Therefore, it’s extremely important that your staff are provided with proper training on the cleaning procedures.
Walk your staff through the cleaning protocols. Update your employee handbook with the information for the staff to refer to when needed. Be sure that they follow product instructions and know how to operate certain cleaning equipment such as foggers. If you don’t know how the disinfection products work either, we offer free demonstration for fitness businesses including gyms, dance studios, gymnastics clubs, and fitness centres, etc., to help the owners and operators like you gain a better understanding of the product.
Give your members peace of mind
Some members of your community might be worried about the risk of getting infected with COVID19 from sharing the training equipment with others or being inside the facility. Give them peace of mind by effectively communicating the effort you put in to create a cleaner and safer environment. Publish your cleaning and disinfecting protocols on the website, post a video of the facility being cleaned on your social media platforms, or send an email to announce the message. The information would help encourage your members to feel more confident about the cleanliness of the facility.
We have helped many of our clients in the fitness industry make high quality videos, as shown below, to inform their members of how they work to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness.
If you are interested too, contact us at [email protected] for further discussion.
Cristini Athletics with Matrix fogger
Toronto Aspirals Gymnastics with Junior fogger
Urban Strength with Max fogger
