A Coronavirus Update For Our Policyholders

Last updated: 13th May 2021

On May 17, England will enter Step Three of the lockdown roadmap, and this means restrictions on indoor exercise will be lifted.

Certain restrictions will also be lifted in other parts of the UK come Monday.

We understand that you’ll be raring to go – but we need to flag a few important details so that you don’t do anything we can’t cover you for.

Here’s the full lowdown.

England

Are indoor exercise classes permitted?

Indoor exercise classes can resume in England as of May 17. This includes sports like yoga, dance, spin, Zumba, and gymnastics for children.

All indoor gyms, exercise venues, and swimming pools will be reopened.

Our insurance will cover you to work in the above settings, provided you follow the correct guidance around social distancing and ensure you sanitise your equipment before and after each session.

Visitors to indoor exercise venues are also permitted to use saunas and steam rooms.

How many people are permitted in each class?

This depends on the space available in your venue, i.e., how many people can you fit into one space while still ensuring 2mx2m social distancing? This rule still needs adhering to.

Government guidance for providers of grassroots sports and sport facilities currently states that an indoor venue must be big enough to allow at least 100sq feet of floor space for each participant and this could also determine the maximum number of a participants able to attend a class.

There’s some confusion around how this rule will apply, and the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) is expected to provide further clarification on this in the coming days. Therefore, you should continue to check for updates across the relevant websites.

Can I train people in my own home?

Yes, this is permitted. Up to six people or two households can mix indoors in England as of May 17.

What about outdoor exercise?

Outdoor group exercise classes in England are no longer subject to number limits as of May 17 (although the maximum coach to participant ratio will still apply as shown in the Insurance Scope). However, these classes must still be socially distanced, and you need to maintain a high duty of care to your participants if you’re increasing your class size.

Wales

Indoor group exercise classes and swimming lessons are permitted for up to 15 people, including the instructor.

Organised outdoor activities for up to 30 people are also allowed.

Gyms, leisure centres, and fitness facilities have reopened, and indoor supervised activities for children have resumed.

As we mentioned above, please follow the social distancing guidelines and ensure a high duty of care to your clients/participants.

Scotland

Indoor group exercise classes will return on May 17, as will adult outdoor contact sport. The same rules as England apply, i.e., appropriate safety measures are followed.

Up to six people from three households will be able to meet in each other’s homes or gardens without social distancing.

Northern Ireland

It is hoped that indoor group exercise will resume on May 24, provided a suitable number of people attend the classes in proportion to the size of the venue.

As of April 23, up to 15 people can participate in structured outdoor activity such as group exercise. This is provided the instructor is affiliated to or have membership of an organisation like EMD UK that has oversight of the standards of their provision. 

As we mentioned above, please follow the social distancing guidelines and ensure a high duty of care to your clients/participants.

Which outdoor spaces does our insurance cover you for?

Our insurance will cover you to train in private gardens and the below outdoor public places, provided you’re following the correct protocols around social distancing:

• Parks
• Beaches
• Countryside which is accessible to the public
• Forests
• Public gardens (regardless of whether or not you pay to enter them)
• The grounds of a heritage site
• Playgrounds

Can I use my own equipment for PT sessions?

Where possible you should run sessions without using equipment, or the client should provide their own. If you need to provide equipment to one of your clients, you need to ensure that it’s been thoroughly sanitised before and after each use.

Can I train multiple clients per day?

If you’re working in a COVID-secure manner and environment, i.e., an outdoor public space specified above, you’re free to train multiple clients per day.

Can I train clients online?

Under the terms of your Insure4Sport policy, you will be covered if you train your clients or conduct your classes online. We’re also delighted to announce that we have taken steps to enhance this cover for you at no extra charge in response to the current situation.

Where previously we only covered you to teach up to six people in an online session, regardless of the ratio outlined in your Insurance Scope, we have now enhanced this cover so that the coach to participant ratio for your sport now applies to online sessions. However, where the ratio is Unlimited, this will be a ratio of 1:30 for online sessions unless agreed with us in writing. This means you can teach up to 30 participants in one session.

Online training is permitted for all sports within Risk Group A, as well as non-contact Martial Arts sports.

Live two-way sessions which involve leading or coaching a two-way session are permitted with your clients. However, any new clients must go through the normal onboarding process before training with you, e.g., by filling out a Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q).

Please note that the activities you carry out must be completed within the UK, i.e., you must be based in the UK.

However, we will cover online clients from abroad, with the exceptions of the USA and Canada.

An important disclaimer

If you want to hold sessions using pre-recorded footage or public one-way streaming such as Facebook Live, YouTube, or Instagram, all of this is permitted. However, you need to include the below disclaimer at the beginning of each recording:

“You accept responsibility for providing all of your own equipment, clothing and footwear and the instructor will not accept any liability arising out of defective equipment.

“You acknowledge that the instructor is not present with you and cannot make an adequate assessment of the area where you are exercising and it is your responsibility to ensure the area is clear, safe, and free from any hazards which may cause injury to yourself or to others.

“You acknowledge that you are responsible for exercising within your own skill and fitness levels. If you feel the moves you are completing are above your current skill level you must cease immediately. Likewise, if you feel any discomfort, pain, sickness or dizziness you will immediately stop the activity.”

What isn’t covered when training online

• Any exercises where participants are suspended above the floor, i.e., aerial hoop and rings.
• Any exercises where participants are completing gymnastic moves such as handstands, cartwheels, and somersaults.  

If you’re a pole fitness or pole dancing instructor, click here for more information.

Am I covered if someone I train with gets coronavirus?

Some personal trainers and fitness instructors have asked us if they’re covered under Loss of Earnings if one of their class members gets coronavirus and they have to self-isolate.

Unfortunately, Loss of Earnings only covers you for physical injuries sustained while carrying out the activity for which you’re insured. It doesn’t cover you for personal illness or consequent income loss from quarantine procedures.

Is there anything else I need to know?

If you’re on the receiving end of a claim made by one of your participants who is a resident outside of the UK, this claim will need to be brought before a UK court.

Furthermore, when participating in training or coaching, you should avoid:

• Touching surfaces
• Sharing equipment
• Touching your mouth and face

If you’re still unsure about anything, there are a couple of steps you can take.

If you’re an existing Insure4Sport policyholder

1. Log in to your online account. Here, you can access your insurance documentation and find out about the conditions of your policy.
2. If you’re still unsure, you can call us on 0333 400 9429 or email us at admin@insure4sport.co.uk (Monday – Friday, 9am – 5:30pm).

If you’re not an Insure4Sport policyholder

1. You can build your quote in a few minutes here. You will be shown what you’re covered for as you build the quote.
2. If you have any questions about what we’ll cover you for which you’d rather discuss over the phone, you can call us on 0800 158 5530.