Amenity Fitness Centers – Safety Guidelines

Due to rising liability and lawsuit concerns, the fitness industry continues to step up its focus and educational efforts on overall fitness center design and equipment safety.
This is particularly acute in amenity fitness centers that are unsupervised.
The following are general guidelines to use in providing preventive maintenance for an apartment and/or condominium fitness center:
- Inspect and calibrate cardiovascular equipment per manufacturer’s recommendation.
- Clean cardiovascular equipment per manufacturer’s recommendation.
- Inspect treadmill belts and decks for signs of wear, and lubricate as needed.
- Remove treadmill motor shrouds and vacuum inside.
- Inspect elliptical mechanical parts for signs of wear, and lubricate as needed.
- Check/lubricate bike chains, cranks, pedals and straps and replace as required.
- Inspection and general maintenance of all strength training equipment, including but not limited to:
- adjusting cables, belts, pulley alignment
- tightening bolts
- adjusting range of motion cams
- Test TV entertainment equipment for proper operation.
All of these activities should be monitored on a monthly basis.
Not only is preventive maintenance critical in promoting a clean, organized, and safe wellness facility, but this attention to detail prolongs the fitness equipment’s life expectancy which enhances your fitness center investment. Most light commercial cardiovascular equipment has an estimated five-to-six year life span, while full commercial equipment has an estimated seven-to-nine year life expectancy. However, both product categories will not achieve their intended life cycles unless they are maintained in a diligent and professional manner. Consequently, machines that are not maintained on a regular basis will result in greater short-term mechanical breakdowns (more operating headaches), exposure to potential accidents and liability issues, and early product replacement.
Bottom line, preventive maintenance provides the property management company and property owners peace of mind, not to mention a substantial return on investment.
Heartline offers three levels of preventive maintenance contracts; contact [email protected] for details and pricing. Or call us at (800) 262-3348.