1.1 Studio Health and Safety

Objectives

A small proportion of self-employed Pilates Instructors have been given any education related to their legal obligations with regards to the Pilates studio or gym Health and Safety regulations UK.

The Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA): The HSWA is the primary legislation governing health and safety in the workplace in the UK. It requires business owners, and this includes self-employed fitness instructors and instructors, whether or not they employ staff or contractors, to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and clients.

An equally low number of Instructors and even Pilates studio owners can point a client to their Health and Safety Policy or lay their hands on their up to date Risk Assessments relating to their classes, studio/venues etc. 

When do you and when do you not require insurance - what types of insurance are a legal requirement and which types are optional for a business owner?

Given the above it would be a surprise when reading this if you are not thinking to yourself that you are not up to date with the law and your obligations or perhaps you understand the law but know that you are not at present compliant and would face all sorts of issues if there was a serious accident on your watch!

The objective is is to explain, in simple terms, the law as it applies to you and to start you thinking about what you do and how you can go a step further to minimise the risk of an accident which exposes you to a negligence claim.

Prerequisites

The course is designed for :

  • All instructors who teach with or without Apparatus.
  • Studio owners offering their services to the public, whether the studio is at home or in a commercial setting
  • Contractors working in somebody elses studio

Duration

This short course,  comprises 2 hours of lectures and a multi answer summative test to check your learning.