Many health clubs have a pool, hot tub, or sauna. Learn how to keep your family as safe as possible when using these facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
NOTE: This article has been significantly updated as new research and data on COVID-19 emerges, including the latest statement and infographic from the World Health Organization (WHO) confirming the safety of swimming pools. Visit the IHRSA Forum for more information from IHRSA members and experts around the world.
Paul Hackett, Chartered Health and Safety Specialist and OSHCR Registered Consultant, contributed to this article.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, fitness and sports facilities around the world have taken additional measures beyond standard protocols to ensure their facilities are safe and clean. Industry experts Kilian Fischer (M.Div., C.M.Div., FCIMSPA, D.Sc.) and Paul Hackett (M.Sc., CMIOSH, PIEMA, FCIMSPA, MISPE, MIIRSM) share their thoughts on safety measures for pools, saunas and steam rooms to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Fisher is an international public policy consultant for IHRSA and has extensive experience in the pool and spa industry in the UK and Ireland. He has also led the development of national guidelines and training for the UK and Ireland and was Chair of the IHRSA Board of Directors’ Standards Committee. Hackett is a Chartered Occupational Health and Safety Professional and an OSHCR Registered Consultant.
In addition to monitoring the latest developments in pool safety, IHRSA launched the Active Commitment to Safety program in December 2020 to reaffirm the fitness club industry’s continued commitment to safety at a time when exercise is more important than ever to global public health.
The Proactive Commitment to Safety was developed by industry experts based on key public health recommendations and has three key objectives:
“The Proactive Safety Pledge publicly expresses our highest values ​​as an industry,” said Brent Darden, former interim president and CEO of IHRSA. “I urge every health club operator to sign this pledge, show courage and solidarity with their peers across the industry, and confidently state that health clubs are an essential community resource during these challenging times.”
In addition to their commitment to proactive safety, IHRSA encourages all clubs to use key considerations, mitigation checklists and risk assessment tools to help clubs reopen and maintain operations. These resources are extremely valuable for clubs to demonstrate to their members, governments and other stakeholders that they are conducting risk assessments and mitigation measures in line with the best available global guidance. Join our webinar with the WHO (World Health Organization) Health Emergencies Team to discuss these key considerations and mitigation measures to help keep clubs open or reopen around the world.
A well-functioning, clean swimming pool, properly treated with internationally approved chlorine, should have sufficient disinfection to neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
Operators should ensure that chlorine levels in pools and spas are maintained between 1–3 mg/L and pH levels between 6.8–7.4. Spas using bromine should maintain bromine levels in the water between 4–6 mg/L or chlorine levels between 3–5 mg/L. Regular microbiological quality testing should also be carried out in accordance with national guidelines.
Given that the virus is new, experts cannot say with absolute certainty that it is safe. However, most experts agree that adequate disinfection of water in pools and spas does not contribute to the spread of the disease. The greater risk comes from personal interactions between pool and spa users. This advice is supported by the latest WHO news on pool safety.
Continue to follow all normal guidelines, do not shake hands, cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throw it away immediately.
Operators are required to maintain strict hygiene standards in changing rooms, toilets and showers. Operators are required to test the water regularly to ensure it is in optimum condition and take action if the water quality does not meet acceptable standards.
It is important to remember that pools and spas can be contaminated with various germs if users do not follow a pre-swim/treatment/spa regimen. Personal care products such as perfumes, hairsprays, face creams, etc. can introduce “harmful” chemicals into swimming pools, spas, and hot tubs that can negatively impact the pool chemicals and water treatment systems.
“Since I entered the industry as a swim teacher and coach, I have always recommended that all patrons (adults and children) wear flip-flops from the locker room to the pool to avoid potential infections, including common fungal infections like warts,” Fisher said.
In some European countries and in many clubs it is customary, and often mandatory, to take a shower before visiting the pool; some even require wearing a swimming cap.
“If showering before swimming or visiting a spa became the norm, pools, spas and hot tubs would have cleaner water, be more effectively disinfected and be more convenient to use,” Fisher said.
The high temperatures in saunas (70–100 °C or 158–212 °F) and porous wooden furniture make it difficult for any virus to survive for long. People who are unwell are advised not to use the sauna, for example to avoid “catching a cold”. Regular cleaning with a mild degreasing detergent (mild soap) is sufficient. However, the safe distance is proportional to the size of the sauna. This means that most commercial saunas can accommodate a maximum of 2 people, which may make them commercially unviable, especially if they need to be cleaned between visits. The time it takes for the sauna to cool down so that operators can enter and clean it safely will make it difficult to be commercially viable.
Steam rooms operate at temperatures much lower than those that can affect the life cycle of the coronavirus, so they can be a potential source of infection. Thorough sanitization is required after each use, and the number of baths should be limited by the size of the room. Not many modern types of steam rooms allow for social distancing and intensive cleaning. Turkish/Russian steam rooms can be quite large and can therefore accommodate many visitors at a time without violating social distancing recommendations. In addition, the low operating temperature should allow for virtually continuous cleaning. A risk assessment will compare cleaning performance with the number of potential clients. The number of massage sessions in the steam room should be reduced.
Each operator will need to decide whether it makes sense to reopen saunas, steam rooms and other heat therapy rooms based on their own circumstances and operating procedures. Some operators will be able to reopen without changing their daily routines, while others may find it unsafe or commercially unviable to reopen. Maintaining social distancing of at least 1 metre, and possibly up to 2 metres, may be a deciding factor. If social distancing and cleaning of the premises are not possible, then reopening to the public may not be feasible.
A complete list of IHRSA resources to help health clubs respond to the coronavirus outbreak. This page will be updated regularly.
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Kilian Fischer served as IHRSA’s Director of International Public Affairs and Manager of the Global Health and Fitness Alliance, IHRSA’s international advocacy arm.
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