What is a gymnastics risk assessment?
A risk assessment is an essential legal need for your gymnastics club. It identifies current and future hazards within your gymnasium that are most likely to cause harm to your employees and members. As well as gives you the opportunity to identify additional measures which could reduce those risks.
Carrying out a risk assessment may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you’re a complete risk assessment novice or are looking to give your gymnastics risk assessment a refresh, we’re here to help.
Keep reading for information on what you should include in your assessment, examples, and control measures. As well as information on a free webinar and a downloadable template.
Download your risk assessment template.
What should your risk assessment cover?
Gymnastics risk assessments should identify general hazards such as slips, trips, and falls. It should also highlight specific risks associated with gymnastics, trampoline, foam pit, aerials, pre-schools, competitions, 1:1 sessions, and much more. It’s important to update your risk assessment and policies as and when needed to ensure compliance. It is especially important to review your risk assessments following any major incidents. For more information, read our article: Five effective ways to update your club policies.
What gymnastics specific risks should you include?
Trampoline specific examples:
- Trampoline/DMT set up/set down
- Landing awkwardly on head/neck/arms/legs
- Falling from a trampoline
- Overexertion
Gymnastics specific examples:
- Apparatus set up/set down
- Landing awkwardly on head/neck/arms/legs
- Falling from apparatus
- Overexertion
Foam pit specific examples:
- Landing awkwardly on head/neck/arms/legs
- Falling from raised apparatus
- Being landed on by another gymnast whilst in the foam area
- Injury from foreign objects in the pit
- Overexertion
What are control measures in a risk assessment?
Control measures are actions that can reduce exposure to hazards. They also include how to remove the hazard or reduce the likelihood that a risk will happen.
Control measures you can put in place at your gymnasium could include:
- Good housekeeping maintained by daily sweeping and mopping of all un-matted floors including corridors and toilets
- No food or drink on any of the gymnastics equipment or matted areas
- Trampoline/DMT equipment to be set up/set down only by permitted and qualified individuals and insured British Gymnastics Coaches present
- Only one gymnast to use the equipment at any one time
- Full visual inspection of all apparatus carried out at regular intervals during the session
- All gymnasts are required to be coached by a suitably insured coach
- Trained spotters to be present, as well as crash mats, and floor mats to be deployed throughout the entire area
Who is responsible for conducting a risk assessment?
It is a legal requirement under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 for the gymnastics club owner/manager to carry out an assessment of any risks carried out at your club. If you have more than five employees, then you must also document your risk assessments.
What support can you receive?
If you are a British Gymnastics member, you have access to a wealth of support and advice. British Gymnastics have teamed up with Agility Risk & Compliance to provide bespoke training and support to registered clubs.
They offer a risk assessment training webinar for club owners and managers, coaches and those responsible for the risk assessment at your gymnasium. The training aims to provide the knowledge to produce sufficient risk assessments and will cover training for all employees, coaches, and volunteers to be risk-aware.
What will be covered in the free two-hour gymnastics risk assessment webinar?
- The legal requirements for risk assessments
- Five steps to carrying out assessments
- Identifying various hazards and risk control
- Principles and practical approach to risk assessments
- Other areas of risk assessments include fire, asbestos, chemicals and substances
View the risk assessment webinar dates here.
Free risk assessment template
The following downloadable risk assessment template can easily be customised to fit your gymnastics club’s needs. There are all the fields that you need to complete a comprehensive risk assessment. Risks and hazards can be recorded, along with control measures and the probability and impact of each risk.
Download your risk assessment template.
How can LoveAdmin help you manage your paperwork?
LoveAdmin’s gymnastics club management software removes the need for stacks of paperwork in your office. Using the software’s online file storage feature, you can easily upload risk assessments, insurance policies, and much more to one secure portal. Having the ability to access the software on the go allows you to use it from wherever you are.
How else can the gymnastics club software help?
- Parents can quickly sign up, pay, and book gymnastics classes online
- Medical information, registers and emergency contact details are accessible on the go
- Automate your entire gymnastics management process
- Track payments, manage members, run camps, or create one-off events in one secure place
- Sell branded merchandise through your customisable personalised shop
- Communicate seamlessly with parents via email and text messages
Discover more about how our gymnastics management software can help.
