Disinfection in Gym (Covid free fitness centre)
How Disinfected is your Gym or Fitness centre? This question is one every personal trainer should ask themselves. With the onset of the COVID-19 virus and the presence of other harmful germs (bacteria, viruses, fungus), trainers need to review their disinfecting procedures to protect their clients' health and question is redrafted as.... whether your Gym is virus free or germs free?
- A 5 step process for disinfection in gym.
- Client education in 3 steps
- Facility cleaning and documentation in 3 steps
Let's start with an overview of how the gym can be a breeding ground for bacteria.
THE GYM: A COMMON ENVIRONMENT FOR HARMFUL GERMS
Personal trainers work in a wide variety of different workout spaces: commercial gyms, small studios, and client's homes - to name a few. In all these locations, there are surfaces and equipment that are touched by many different individuals.
Several research studies found that gyms contained high amounts of viruses and bacteria on various surfaces
(e.g., floors, counters), and exercise equipment.
One research study found that exercise equipment was contaminated with viruses more than bacteria. Specifically, weight equipment was more contaminated than aerobic equipment. The busy fitness facility often involves multiple individuals touching the same surfaces and equipment, which can increase the spread of harmful germs. Sanitization in gym is the only key to keep healthy environment.
Necessary & important steps to be adopted to reach to a corona virus free gym level can be as below..
- Health of the Managing Employees (Including incoming Contracted Workers) (checklist as per present law)
- Up-to-date sop & guidelines for Staff for Maintaining Personal Hygiene (Checklist as per law)
- Regular Cleaning & Sanitization of Gym Equipment
- Develop a Gym Hygiene Checklist for all incoming guest/Client and their belongings
- Regular Cleaning & Sanitization of other contact surfaces in the Gym area (Facility Cleaning And Documentation & it is important to understand difference between cleaning, sanitizing, disinfection - 99.9% germs free)
- Ensure Proper Ventilation
- Social distancing during usage of Gym equipments
- Use of Gymnasium batch wise & with a break to disinfecting the gym. In Usa & developed countries
This method is proving great results for germ free gym environment.
100% achievement of covid free gym may not be possible but these disciplinary actions will surely reduce the infection rate over all.
How To Ensure Proper Disinfection in Gym.
When doing this you'll need to bear in mind the length of time that COVID-19 can survive on different surfaces, in order to focus efforts on the most problematic areas. According to the information we have up to now, we know the following about how long the virus lasts on these common surfaces:
Different Kinds of Surfaces
Metal (Examples: doorknobs, jewelry, silverware ) / Ceramic (Examples: dishes, pottery, mugs) / Glass (Examples: drinking glasses, measuring cups, mirrors, windows)
5 days
WoodExamples: furniture, decking
4 days
Plastics (Examples: milk containers and detergent bottles, subway and bus seats, backpacks, elevator buttons) / Stainless Steel (Examples: refrigerators, pots and pans, sinks, some water bottles)
2 to 3 days
Food & vegetables items Up to 24 hours
These timings are typical guidelines which would help to understand how important is the sanitization in gym (The process) and how longer the ultra violet disinfection process should be conducted to get best results and a step towards making corona virus free gymnasium.
Still how Clean Are Gyms & Fitness Centers? whether contact surfaces are really 99.9% germs free?
In recent TV news features and magazine articles, we have learned of the threat from germs and bacteria in health clubs and gyms. Cleaning products make claims saying they disinfects, sanitize, kill germs, and more. But what do these terms really mean? Which is best? What do they have to do with your gyms and fitness centers? whether contact surfaces are really 99.9% germs free?
Part of the challenge in defining appropriate
In recent TV news features and magazine articles, we have learned of the threat from germs and bacteria in health clubs and gyms. Cleaning products make claims saying they disinfects, sanitize, kill germs, and more. But what do these terms really mean? Which is best? What do they have to do with your gyms and fitness centers? whether contact surfaces are really 99.9% germs free?
Part of the challenge in defining appropriate-ate cleaning is that cleaning of Gyms & Fitness centers rooms presents some unique management issues.
Limitation of Cleaning & Disinfection time
1) Its always challenging to designate the sanitization activities to the routine staff as it is an additional responsibility but as a need of the hour uvc disinfection gym is a must.
2) The users of the gymnasium generally carry out multiple activities so the tendency to touch equipments is very high,that's why in foreign countries gyms are working in batches for
Eg.. 6am to 10 am
1hour disinfection break for uvc sanitization.
11am to 3pm
1hour disinfection break for uvc sanitization
And follow on .
3)Challenge to save Electronic equipment due to harsh chemicals for disinfection - There no confirmed guarantee that the chemical disinfection or herbal chemical sanitization can really disinfect the surfaces , ifact as these are liquid based the have tendency to damaged electronic stuff on the treadmill or cycle or steppers , they may also blur the digital panels.
4) Damage to painted equipment & walls - Certain fogger nozzles when used to make covid free gym , creates sweat like visuals on walls. They even remove the paints and damages the powder coated equipment.
5)Disinfection in gym locker & changing rooms - Most important area that need to be sanitized frequently for a germ free gym , but with routine spraying methods its highly impossible. So added methods need to be done to disinfect this area.
At the same time, little academic research has been done to assist managers in the Gyms & Fitness centers with these challenges. If Gyms & Fitness centers knew the areas presenting the highest risk of contamination, cleaning protocols could be targeted for these areas.
Why Microbiological assessment is necessary - Gyms & Fitness centers cleanliness is based on observation and not on microbial assessment even though recent reports suggest that infections may be acquired while exercising in Gyms or Fitness centers.
Data suggested the presence of microbial contamination that was not reflective of visual assessments. Unfortunately, no standards exist for interpreting microbiological data and other indicators of cleanliness in Gyms & Fitness centers.
In summary, many Public spaces no longer consider visual assessment adequate for assessment of cleaning and other indicative standards are being researched. Although the correlation between microbial contamination and infection rates would appear to provide the strongest evidence for where to set the objective standards for cleaning levels, research results on the relationship is mixed. The concept of looking at microbial levels after "best practices of cleaning and chemical sanitization" however may be useful.
General Microbial contamination has been quantified through aerobic plate counts (APC). Results are reported as CFU/ cm2. These tests give specific information relative to bacterial contamination, but are more expensive and time consuming than ATP tests and can be carried out on once in a monthly basis as a monitoring efficacy of sanitization.
Conclusion - microbiological testing is used as a Gyms & Fitness centers cleaning bench-mark, almost all tested surfaces (Equipment controls and screens, drinking fountains, shared keyboards e.g.- treadmill, Rowing machine, Elliptical machine, Upright bike, Stair mill, chest press machine, Shoulder press machine, leg press machine, Smith Machine..Etc..Bathroom and room door handles, shower floors, bathroom sink and faucet, mug, toilet paper holder, entry carpet, TV remote keypad, light switches)
Almost all Gyms & Fitness centers surfaces may be failed when microbiological prevailing standards if implemented in the Gyms & Fitness centers .
Click Here for information on UV radiations & our UV products
