How the leisure sector can best prepare to reopen during COVID-19

Posted 4 years ago

On the 20th of March, the UK Government announced the temporary closure of all gyms and leisure centres as part of its COVID-19 response to stop the spread of infection.

However, as of the 25th of July, all gyms, leisure centres, and indoor swimming pools are allowed to reopen their doors to the public.

A month ago, we wrote a blog on how retail and hospitality sectors can best prepare for reopening during COVID-19, but in this blog, we want to take a deeper look into what the leisure sector can do to keep staff, volunteers, and customers safe when reopening.

Government guidance

Our comprehensive guidance will ensure gyms, pools and leisure centres have the support they need to reopen safely for their customers and staff.

Oliver Dowden, Culture Secretary

The following bullet points are from official government guidance for gyms, swimming pools and indoor sports facilities in England. Those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should refer to guidance from the devolved administrations.

Limiting the number of people using the facility at any one time, for example by using a timed booking system
Reducing class sizes and allowing sufficient time between each class
Ensuring an appropriate number of people are in a swimming pool at any one time
Spacing out equipment or taking some out of service to maintain social distancing
Enhanced cleaning and providing hand sanitiser throughout venues
Considering how the way people walk through their venue could be adjusted to reduce contact, with queue management or one-way systems
Ensuring adequate ventilation
Encouraging the use of outdoor spaces for individual, team or group activities, making sure to comply with the latest restrictions on public gatherings
Exercise or dance studios should have temporary floor markings where possible to help people stay distanced during classes
Customers and staff should be encouraged to shower and change at home wherever possible, although changing rooms will be available

Online training solutions

One way that organisations working in the leisure sector can get their staff back to work safely & smoothly, whilst also protecting the safety and wellbeing of their customers is through the use of eLearning.

Easily accessible, simple to deploy, and cost-effective, eLearning allows organisations to quickly and effectively train their employees in certain areas that might need improvement.

We understand that for many organisations, training right now can feel very ‘last-minute’ and ideally should be done before employees return to the workplace. However, with the average completion time of our online training being 30 minutes, it’s better late than never!

But what eLearning courses are available for organisations working in the leisure sector that would help upon returning to work?

Fire Awareness Training

A course that is legally required to be completed by all members of staff, it is essential that organisations provide employees with the information they need to understand best practice surrounding fires in the workplace.

There is even more importance placed on Fire Awareness Training upon returning to work, as employees may not be as familiar with the workplace after being away from it for so long, so they need to understand the importance of familiarising themselves with exit routes, emergency procedures, and their duties surrounding fires in the workplace.

Returning to Work (during & after COVID-19) Training

Our Returning to Work after COVID-19 Training has been designed to assist organisations in getting their employees back to work safely & smoothly. Whether their employees have been furloughed or were working from home, this course is suitable for all levels of employees and looks at appropriate measures and adjustments to help companies move forward in these turbulent times as well as address any possible anxieties that employees may face.

Infection Prevention & Control Training

Helping to provide confidence to staff and customers alike, providing Infection Prevention & Control Training to your employees helps to emphasise the importance of good hygiene practices in the workplace, particularly during a pandemic.

The 40-minute course covers infection knowledge and best hygiene practices to help minimise the spread of infection among the workforce.

Slips, Trips, and Falls Training

Working in the leisure sector usually entails a lot of moving around, cleaning, and other tasks that have slip hazards associated with them.

Slips, Trips, and Falls Training teachers employees working in the leisure sector all about best practices and how to stay safe whilst performing these tasks. This is particularly important during these times, as cleaning processes are likely to be performed more frequently.

Customer Service Training

For a sector that thrives on good reviews and word of mouth, it is essential that organisations in the leisure sector ensure that their customers are receiving the best service possible, even if that means dealing with complaints.

Customer Service Training helps employees to understand what qualifies as good customer service, how it can help to better retain clients, and how to improve their service.

How iHasco can help you

Now that you’ve seen some of the training courses we can offer, you have a pretty good understanding of how we can help your organisation.

What you may not know, however, is that we also offer useful features for organisations returning to work like our Document & Policy Storage. This allows organisations to upload important documents that the administrator can set as mandatory reading; which has proven to be extremely beneficial for organisations looking to roll out their returning to work policies.

Additionally, we now offer a DSE Assessment feature that allows individuals to check if their workspace is set up properly and safely. After being away from their desks for a while, it is best practice to run a DSE Assessment upon returning to work.

If you’re interested in any of our online courses or you think that your organisation could benefit from them, fill out the form below to claim your no-obligation free trial to see if our training is the solution for you!