Make the Most of Downtime by Improving Safety and Cleanliness

    Posted by Ryan Wilby

    Jun 9, 2020 10:47:31 AM

    gymnasium-maintenance

    With the warm summer months upon us, kids out of school, and adults wanting to get in shape for swimsuit weather, it’s the time of year when gyms and athletic facilities are normally busting at the seams with activity. However, the “stay-at-home” orders and forced closings for non-essential businesses due to COVID-19, have disrupted routines for businesses and individuals alike.

    Of course, these empty facilities have impacted the industry but for many organizations, the downtime offers the perfect opportunity for catching up on equipment repairs, evaluating cleanliness protocols, and scheduling routine maintenance and inspections without inconveniencing clients. Additionally, it allows staff members to stay busy and continue earning an income, while enabling facilities to improve various aspects of their business.

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    Topics: Athletic Facility Maintenance, Athletic Facility Safety

    Folding Partition Replacements for the Ottawa Carleton District School Board

    Posted by Ryan Wilby

    Feb 20, 2020 5:59:59 AM

    Nepean-High-School-new-gym-divider-curtain

    The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board is the largest school board in Eastern Ontario and the seventh largest by school population in the Province of Ontario. With a heavy presence in the Ottawa region and close to our corporate HQ, we naturally are fortunate to do a great deal of business with this particular board.

    Spanning 143 schools, it is no surprise that we have long-established relationships with key stakeholders not only from the board but also from many of the individual schools as well.

    In addition to a number of upgrades performed in the latter portion of 2019, we were asked to visit three schools here in the Greater Ottawa Area that were in need of folding partition replacement. Given the often unsafe nature of outdated gymnasium dividers, it is often the mandate of schools and school boards to have these systems replaced well ahead of any problems that might surface over time with repeated use.

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    Topics: Gym Divider Curtains, Athletic Facility Safety

    Gym Folding Partition Replacements at Three Eastern Ontario Schools

    Posted by Ryan Wilby

    Aug 20, 2019 4:59:46 AM

    centre-drive-gym-divider-curtain-holy-trinity

    Headquartered just south of Canada’s capital, the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO) proudly offers quality Catholic education and programming to students across the eastern regions of the province. Blending specialized learning opportunities, athletics, and faith, the school board is committed to social justice and serves as the board of nearly 40 schools in Ontario.

    One of the most common safety risks in gymnasiums across North America today is undoubtedly outdated gym partitions. These massive dividers were commonplace in most gymnasiums throughout the 80s and 90s but with the development of new technology, improvements in design and additional safety mechanisms, they are quickly becoming dangerous relics of the past.

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    Topics: Gym Divider Curtains, Athletic Facility Safety

    Ensuring Your Bleacher Installation Meets NFPA Safety Codes and Standards

    Posted by Ryan Wilby

    Aug 9, 2019 8:41:22 AM

    carletonu_bleachers

    A global self-funded nonprofit organization, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) devotes itself to preventing death, injury or economic loss due to fire and other related hazards.

    With such a broad reaching mandate, this organization sets the standard in safety by utilizing over 300 consensus codes and standards and has been a leader in safety since its inception in 1896.

    Specifically designed to minimize the risk and effects of fire, the organization develops and distributes educational programs, tools and resources for all ages and audiences in addition to their internationally recognized code of standards.

    While these regulations and guidelines can be far reaching, they also extend into the nature of our business in many ways as well. When it comes to setting the safety standards to bleachers and grandstands, the NFPA updates their codes and standards regarding these products once a year based on public and industry input.

    Here are a few main conditions that must be considered when designing your next stand-alone seating structure.

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    Topics: Bleachers, Athletic Facility Safety, Grandstand Seating

    When Outdoor Bleachers Require Guardrails

    Posted by Ryan Wilby

    Aug 1, 2019 5:10:23 AM

     

    bleachers-miracle-league-ottawa-back 

    One of the most common questions we field is whether or not a prospective bank of bleacher seating requires a guardrail or not. With these seating structures varying widely in size and design, the answer can be hard to determine, depending on who you talk to.

    With spectator safety in mind, it’s no surprise that facility operators and owners want to ensure they get this part of their bleacher order correct. The risk of having an unnecessary injury looming over your facility or league is just not something that anyone wants. It is one of the reasons that we take a proactive approach to safety precautions by recommending solutions tailored for every product or situation.

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    Topics: Bleachers, Athletic Facility Safety, Guardrails

    Guarantee Basketball Safety with these Products and Accessories

    Posted by Ryan Wilby

    Jun 18, 2019 4:37:40 AM

    college-basketball-players

    The NBA Finals may have just recently come to a close, but the spotlight on player and spectator safety with regards to basketball is something that never truly goes away. As one of the fastest-paced indoor sports and one of the most popular here in North America, safety is always of chief concern for coaches, planners, facility managers and operators alike.

    While there are a number of safety precautions and products that already likely exist inside your gymnasium such as strategically placed wall padding, we wanted to touch on some of the basketball-specific items than can go above and beyond protecting both players and spectators.

    With the action centred on the court, as operators we must not forget how much is above the floor level. With a variety of moving parts, adding additional layers of safety overhead is something we all should think about.

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    Topics: Basketball Equipment, Athletic Facility Safety

    The Three Common Types of Athletic Equipment Theft

    Posted by Ryan Wilby

    Apr 4, 2019 3:00:00 AM

    stadium-lights

    It’s happening at community centres, sports fields, colleges, universities, and municipal properties across Canada and the United States. No, we aren’t talking about petty theft such as stolen cell phones and other small objects of value; we are talking about large-scale theft of valuable athletic equipment.

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    Topics: Bleachers, Players Benches, Athletic Facility Safety, Turf

    Introducing the 3rd Generation of Aut-O-Loc Basketball Safety Straps

    Posted by Ryan Wilby

    Mar 21, 2019 4:00:00 AM

    aut-o-loc-basketball-safety-updates

    Celebrating over 30 years of gymnasium safety, the revolutionary Aut-O-Loc safety system  has undergone a massive transformation. Since releasing the third generation of their patented technology in 2017, facility owners and operators across Canada and the United States have been taking a second look at their existing Aut-O-Locs and assessing whether or not they are in need of an update.

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    Topics: Basketball Equipment, Athletic Facility Safety

    Slip Resistance Safety for Bleachers

    Posted by Ryan Wilby

    Mar 5, 2019 4:00:00 AM

    grandstand-bleacher-seating-3

    Anytime you are building something that is intended to host a large amount of people, safety should be at the forefront of your design plans. When it comes to bleacher seating, slipping is among the biggest and most important safety threats to account for during the design and manufacturing process.

    Whether located indoors or outdoors, aluminum bleachers ultimately present certain safety hazards to the people who use them. For outside bleachers, with constant exposure to the elements and varying weather conditions, the risk for slippery surfaces is somewhat obvious. Wet surfaces, particularly those constructed of aluminum or steel, can quickly become hazards if not properly designed and treated. In fact, there are an estimated 8 million cases of injury related to slips and falls each year in the United States alone.

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    Topics: Bleachers, Athletic Facility Safety

    The Purpose and Functionality of Egress Points on Bleachers

    Posted by Ryan Wilby

    Feb 28, 2019 5:39:06 AM

    bleachers-fort-erie

    It's probably safe to say that we have all found ourselves sitting in some bleachers at one time or another in our lives. Sports and community events are deeply weaved into North American culture and cheering on our favourite team is a pastime we hold close to our hearts.

    These large seating structures are found across sports fields, parks and recreational areas, and educational facilities. As our family members, teammates, classmates, friends and family hone their skills out on the field, ice or turf, we support them from the aluminum and steel bleachers that sit along the sidelines.

    In addition to items such as handrails and guardrails, there is much that goes into the complex design of bleachers when it comes to safety. As nothing ruins an event more than an injury, our industry has spent decades perfecting our products to make them safer for all to use.

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    Topics: Bleachers, Athletic Facility Safety, Accessibility

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