Jumping Up And Down Over Gyms
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday April 29, 2000
Booking into a hotel room after a long flight, then stretching the legs at the in-house gym may be wonderful for guest, but a potential legal nightmare for the hotel.
The same concern affects gyms in commercial properties.
While all organisations no doubt have the proper insurance, the Australian fitness industry would like to see that these small in-house operations also have qualified staff on the premises.
There is also a need for signage indicating the hours when the supervisor is available.
Proper upkeep of the whole area, such as wiping water spills and clearing up after step classes, is important, but sometimes ignored.
In the past couple of years, there has been an explosion of gyms opening in the CBD, either as separate leases or within the newly constructed skyscrapers.
In-house gyms can be used as a drawcard for new employees, particularly in the finance, business and property sector where the hours are long and unfriendly to normal gym times.
The problems of bad supervision and improperly maintained equipment also affect gyms in residential developments.
This will become a bigger concern as more projects are completed in the inner-city districts favoured by young professionals interested in fitness.
In these new developments, there is virtually no kitchen, with space saved used in a large personal entertainment area and communal gym and pool.
Using strange equipment in an unsupervised environment can lead to injury.
While most people are aware of the basics of personal training, injury may result from overzealousness or ignorance, particularly if it has been some time since the person last used gym equipment.
In addition, exercise bikes and stepping machines are often much more complicated than they seem, and it is important not to overstress. And it is the tenant or property owner and body corporate that usually bears responsibility for injury.
Mr Ian Grainger, chief executive of Fitness NSW, said there were a number of concerns facing the fitness industry that also affected commercial property projects.
He said there was a code of practice for the fitness sector written and controlled by the Department of Fair Trading, which should be properly adhered to by the new gyms.
But there is growing concern within his industry that a faulty gym could give the entire sector a bad name. And, worse, turn companies off providing the facilities.
``It is not that the code is ignored by the companies or operators, but, unwittingly, guests and customers are being put at risk and that affects everyone," Grainger said.
``If someone is hurt, such as a child, then the building owners and body corporate will have to get involved.
``Under the code there must be a fitness instructor available at all times, which is not the case in many buildings. There must also be proper maintenance of the equipment to the legal health and safety requirements."
Grainger said in-house corporate gyms were often poorly set out in a limited space, which might lead to accidents.
Leasing agents were aware of the issues and should advise tenants that all insurance for such activities be kept up to date.
With fitness now becoming a more important aspect of life, companies, particularly those in warehouses and smaller heritage properties, are converting the former dining rooms into small gyms.
Grainger said some smaller companies which offered gyms to staff often bought the right equipment but neglected to keep up the maintenance.
``There are some instances, with all the pulleys and protruding steel bars, where equipment needs to be more spaced. However that is hard in a small room," Grainger said.
``In the end the users are bumping into each other and getting injured and that could lead to legal problems for the tenant and friction with the landlord.
``In the case of gyms in residential blocks, there is even more of concern where children are involved.
``Body corporates need to be aware that anecdotal evidence does suggest the number of accidents are high in these apartment blocks.
``One of the drawcards for apartments, particularly the new inner-city developments, are the facilities, such as in-house gyms. We are concerned that these areas are poorly signed, in some cases, and have cheap equipment.
``It is fine if the resident is used to the area and is aware of the potential dangers, but they may have visitors who could hurt themselves."
© 2000 Sydney Morning Herald