Safety in Fitness Rooms

Also consult the Fitness Activities activity page in the Curricular setting.

• Athletes must be instructed in proper fitness and weight-training techniques and safety procedures, either in physical education class or a training session developed by staff with expertise. This should be reviewed as needed.
• Athletes must be made aware of inherent risks specific to fitness centre activities.
• Athletes and parents need to sign a consent form prior to athlete’s use of weight/fitness rooms (consult the Sample Interschool Parent/Guardian Letter and Sample Interschool Medical Information and Consent to Participate Form, and the Sample Intramural Parent/Guardian Letter and Sample Intramural Medical Information and Consent to Participate Form).
• Athletes must have an identifiable pass/tag to enter fitness room and sign in and out of area.
• Only athletes training are allowed in the room. No spectators.

• For elementary activities, the supervising coach/intramural supervisor must be on-site.
• For secondary activities the supervising coach/intramural supervisor must be in the area.
• Fitness rooms require an on-site monitor. Monitors may be educational assistants, retired teachers, parents, co-op students, teacher candidates or trained senior students.
• Duties of the coach/intramural supervisor include:
  • checking the pass/tag of all students who enter fitness room;
  • opening and locking the fitness room using procedure established by the school;
  • determining that students are following posted rules and procedures;
  • establishing a procedure to regularly disinfect equipment; and
  • making sure the room is left in proper order.

• The minimum number of students using the fitness room at any given time is two.
• Suitable clothing and footwear must be worn.
• Jewelry is not allowed in the fitness room.
• Procedures must be established so that the facility and equipment are inspected by a teacher/coach on a daily basis.
• A process must be in place so that equipment needing repair is identified, removed from use and repaired.
• Any violation of rules may result in some form of sanction being applied (for example, suspension or loss of pass/tag, closure of fitness room).
• A process must be in place where fitness equipment is disinfected on a regular basis (consult with your school board’s facilities services for appropriate/approved cleaning products).