It cannot be denied that this is the era of gyms and people love to spend a great deal of money in the pursuit of having a body that they are proud of. There is a lot to be said for paying for a gym membership because this can give you an added level of motivation and incentive to get out of the house and work hard to improve your health and fitness. No matter what your aim in life is, you should be looking to work hard and many people find that holding a gym membership is the ideal way to be fitter and sharper in life.
While people get a lot out of gyms, there is a need for gyms to give a lot back to people. There needs to be a range of equipment, there needs to be support and assistance, there needs to be safe and tidy surroundings and of course, there needs to be a large focus on health and safety. No matter if you are an expensive gym providing a high level service or a budget level gym providing an affordable option in a city centre, you cannot afford to let your focus on health and safety slide.
David Lloyd is a well-known Name in UK Fitness Circles
In the UK, it would be fair to say that David Lloyd is a name that many people instantly associate with health and fitness. This is a company with a wide range of gyms and leisure centres across the country. While there will always be individuals that have complaints and concerns about a particularly gym, you would say that this is a company which has developed a strong reputation in the service that it offers to its customers. However, even firms like David Lloyd struggles at times when it comes to offering a high and expected level of service as gym goers in Ipswich found out.
The firm has recently pleaded guilty to a charge of contravening Health and Safety Regulations. The company pleaded guilty at a hearing which is heard in the Crown Court of the Town, with the offence being one of an employer breaching its general duty to people other than employees. The company denied an additional charge relating to two members of staff, and the prosecutors have agreed to not pursue this case at the moment, leaving it on file.
A Serious Health and Safety incident occurred back in 2012
The incident took place back in February of 2012 and involved swimmers using the pool at the club. One 70 year old who regularly swims at the centre spoke to local media, saying; “I was swimming along and all of sudden there was a burst of liquid and I was enveloped in what I believed was a yellow cloud of chlorine. It was like breathing in fire. It left me feeling sick and breathing hard.”
The pensioner was placed on a course of steroid treatment and he was informed that he would require a lung capacity test after three months to ensure that he hadn’t suffered any serious or long-term damage. He said; “It’s still early days but my lungs are bad at the moment.”
Another gym user that backed up this story was Wendy Turner, who was one of 13 people that had to exit the swimming pool area. She said; “There was pure yellow liquid pouring into the pool from a pipe or a vent.”
Not long after the incident occurred, David Lloyd Leisure released a statement, saying; “We can confirm that three routine pool tests were carried out, two at 5am and one at 6am, prior to the club opening at 6.30am, which revealed that chlorine levels in the pool were well within the normal parameters. There were four first aiders in the vicinity at the time of the incident and we complied with our standard health and safety procedures. We take the health and safety of our members extremely seriously.”
When it comes to health and safety cases, there is often a very serious crime being debated, and this is why there is a need for the highest standard of support and representation at all times. Any company which is facing Health and Safety charges needs to ensure that they have the best legal representation, which means that they need to find a solicitor firm that has considerable experience and expertise in this line of work.
Andrew Reilly is a freelance writer with a focus on news stories and consumer interest articles. He has been writing professionally for 9 years but has been writing for as long as he can care to remember. When Andrew isn’t sat behind a laptop or researching a story, he will be found watching a gig or a game of football.
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