Does My Gym Need a Fire Risk Assessment?
It is a question we hear more and more often from gym owners and operators, particularly as the sector has shifted towards round-the-clock, lightly staffed sites, and the answer is yes. A gym is both a workplace and a place the public visit, which places it firmly within the scope of fire safety law, and the combination of densely packed electrical equipment, high occupancy at peak times and, increasingly, the charging of lithium batteries makes it a setting where fire risk deserves careful thought.
A reminder of how quickly fire can take hold in a busy public building.
The legal position
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, a fire risk assessment is a legal requirement for any premises that is not a single private dwelling, and a gym is plainly within scope. Since 1 October 2023, when Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 amended the Order, the findings must also be recorded in writing, regardless of how many people you employ, so a verbal once-over is no longer enough even for a small studio.
The key pointEvery gym needs a recorded fire risk assessment, and the case for getting it right is stronger still where the site operates with few or no staff present for long periods.
Who is the responsible person?
The duty falls on the responsible person, which for a gym is usually the owner or operator, although it can also be the landlord or a managing agent, and in a franchised or chain operation it is typically the company running the site. Where the gym occupies a unit within a larger building, responsibility for the common parts and the building's overall escape strategy may sit elsewhere, which makes cooperation important. The assessment itself must be carried out by a competent person.
The particular risks in a gym
Gyms carry a distinctive mix of hazards that a good assessment will examine closely:
- A heavy electrical load, with treadmills, cross-trainers and other powered equipment running for long hours, where motors and electronics can overheat if they are poorly maintained.
- Lithium battery charging, from members topping up phones and devices to e-bikes and e-scooters brought inside, which can fail violently and are very difficult to extinguish.
- Round-the-clock, lightly staffed operation, which raises real questions about how a fire would be detected, how members would be warned and helped to leave, and how the fire service would gain access, all of which place greater weight on reliable automatic detection, clear escape routes and emergency lighting.
- High occupancy and crowding at peak times and during classes, with many members wearing headphones who may not hear a sounder, so the alarm needs to be effective for everyone present.
- Saunas, steam rooms, heating and ventilation plant, which introduce heat sources that need to be managed and maintained.
- Arrangements for members who may need help to evacuate, including personal emergency evacuation plans where appropriate and the provision of equipment such as evacuation chairs.
From there, the assessment turns into a practical plan, covering the escape routes and final exits, the alarm and detection system, the fire doors that protect the way out, and the management arrangements such as staff training and the emergency plan.
How we can help
We carry out fire risk assessments for gyms and fitness studios across the North West, North Wales and the West Midlands, including operators in Chester, Warrington and Wrexham, and we are happy to advise on the particular challenges of unstaffed and out-of-hours sites.
Need a fire risk assessment for your gym?
We carry out clear, practical fire risk assessments for gyms and fitness facilities across the North West, North Wales and the West Midlands. To discuss your premises, please get in touch.
Get in touch Fire risk assessmentThis article is provided for general information and does not constitute legal advice or a fire risk assessment. It is based on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 as amended by Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022. Specific advice should be sought for your own premises.