Mandatory safety rules as customers return to work out

Gym rats can rejoice.

Gyms and fitness centers across Florida can reopen their doors today, weeks after being forced to close due to the coronavirus pandemic.

There is one holdout: Broward County has ordered gyms to stay closed. Fort Lauderdale officials are challenging that order and have said gyms in their city can open.

But that’s another story.

The state Department of Business & Professional Regulation

has issued mandatory safety rules for gyms.

The rules are as follows: ■ Monitor building occupancy and restrict customer access to no more than 50% of the building’s occupancy.

■ Offer readily-available dispensers of a disinfectant listed by the Environmental Protection Agency for use against COVID-19.

■ Provide patrons with sufficient cleaning materials, including disposable wipes.

■ Instruct patrons to clean touched surfaces upon each use of fitness equipment.

■ Thoroughly clean and disinfect all seating, counters, weights, weight bars, mats, machines and other fitness equipment upon closing the facility each day.

■ During daily operation, routinely clean and disinfect surfaces, particularly high-touch surfaces like faucets, toilets, doorknobs and light switches.

■ Maintain restrooms with functional toilets, clean and disinfected surfaces. Handwashing supplies should be available for use, including soap and materials for drying hands or hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

■ Employees who appear to have symptoms upon arrival at work or who become sick during the day must immediately be separated from other employees and customers and sent home.

The following best practices are recommended:

■ Display posters and signs throughout the facility to remind visitors to take steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including the wiping and sanitation of touched surfaces upon each use of fitness equipment.

■ Open doors between separate fitness areas or rooms of the facility to reduce surface touching by multiple people.

■ Open windows where feasible to improve ventilation in the facility.

■ Remove all unnecessary, frequently touched items like magazines, newspapers, service menus and any other unnecessary paper products and décor from customer waiting areas and locker rooms.

JENNIFER LETT/SUN SENTINEL Lindsay Ashby, manager of Cyclebar, had the gym cleaned Friday to prep for its reopening in Fort Lauderdale.