Case Study: Rebuilding A Fitness Facility’s Cleaning Protocol Amidst COVID-19

The Challenge

A 25,000 square foot fitness facility that specializes in fitness classes for all ages was planning to reopen when the COVID-19 quarantine restrictions were lifted. To comply with CDC guidelines and keep all patrons safe, the organization had to:

  • Build patron and workforce confidence
  • Rearrange their class programming for reduced class sizes
  • Reconfigure their classrooms to ensure social distancing during classes
  • Build time between classes for sanitation
  • Increase sanitation throughout the entire facility while operating on a reduced budget

 Having conquered the virtual dance world, BalletNova was still calculating when and how to return to other studio safely when Kathy came across WellNest, a professional janitorial company skilled in infection prevention protocols for facilities of all sizes and uses. “The masks and the distancing were easy enough for everybody to understand. The hard part [of cleaning] was the barres,” Kathy says. “WellNest was so helpful in writing protocols and giving us confidence.”

On top of its consulting work for BalletNova, WellNest performs a monthly electrostaic deep cleaning of the studio to maintain cleanliness and confidence.

How We Helped

You’ll The studio’s Operations Manager reached out to us in regards to setting up professional janitorial services as well as helping them build their COVID-19 protocol. In our role in supporting the organization with Infection Prevention protocols, WellNest performed the following:

  • A detailed risk assessment of key infection risks
  • Built a customized, lengthy and comprehensive COVID-19 risk protocol that incorporated
    • Social distancing measures, e.g. reduced class sizes and common area policies. 
    • Personnel policies, e.g. establishment of a COVID-19 coordinator and sick leave
    • Detailed cleaning program, which included touch-point disinfection in high-risk areas, nightly cleaning, and the use of advanced disinfection technologies.
  • Built and delivered a COVID-19 training program with exam for all 60+ instructors, staff, and faculty within the studio. This training covered science-based topics such as:
    • What is SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19
    • How it spreads
    • How to prevent it
    • Warning signs, symptoms, work protocols
    • The science of cleaning – how to properly clean and disinfect the barres within the studios

Results

With arobust and comprehensive COVID-19 protocol in place, the studio opened for in-person classes for the fall semester. Patrons were thrilled with the confidence of knowing the staff and faculty were thoroughly trained in infection prevention measures, that social distancing policies and procedures were in place, and that the facility was cleaner than its ever been.

WellNest worked with the Operations Manager to develop a cleaning protocol that remained within the organization’s budget while ramping up cleaning and disinfection. The cleaning program incorporates daily, weekly, and monthly risk-based procedures to keep costs down and touch-point disinfection using electrostatic spray technology, the most advanced form of disinfection technology on the market.