With the Queensland Government lifting some Covid-19 restrictions, many bodies corporate will be looking to open up their gym facilities.
However, these gyms must comply with same health directives as commercial gyms and follow the ‘COVID Safe Industry Plan for the Fitness Industry’.
Failure to comply with plan could leave bodies corporate exposed to hefty fines of up to $13,345.
Gyms are recognised as ‘high risk’ locations for catching coronavirus due to sweat and dampness heightening the spread of germs, the high risk of the virus remaining on hard surfaces, and the number of people using equipment in close proximity to each other.
QLD Government health directives require that:
• all gyms must be supervised around-the-clock
• a register kept of all users
• a maximum of 20 people per designated area or just one person per 7m2
• all equipment must be cleaned frequently.
Read the ‘COVID Safe Industry Plan for the Fitness Industry’ for a full list of requirements.
Bodies corporate who do not have the resources to strictly adhere to these requirements would be well advised to keep their gym facilities closed to avoid breaching the health directives.
There are risks and difficulties for bodies corporate that are associated with both opening gyms and closing gyms.
In any body corporate’s response to the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, it is important to clearly communicate the importance of social distancing, hand and respiratory hygiene, and frequent environmental cleaning and disinfection.
If you have questions and/or concerns about your scheme re-opening shared facilities, get in touch with your body corporate manager today.
The information contained in this article is general information only. Advice should be sought before you take any action or otherwise rely upon its contents in any way.
