Health and fitness company Ingesport – which operates the GO fit chain of gyms in Spain and Portugal – has secured an official certification by AENOR for its protocols against COVID-19.

AENOR (the Spanish Association for Standardization and Certification) is responsible for standardisation and certification across all Spanish industrial and service sectors – and is similar to ISO certification.

Ingesport is the first physical activity and wellness group to achieve the award – and the certification is considered the first of its kind anywhere in the world.

The AENOR "badge" is seen as an external guarantee on the effectiveness of the measures applied by Ingesport across its GO fit gyms and in its spas.

It assures that initiatives comply with the guidelines set by the Spanish Ministry of Health regarding COVID-19 prevention and hygiene measures.

The certification is validated annually and is also subject to follow-up reviews every three months.

After being given permission to reopen, GO fit has launched a comprehensive plan of preventive safety and health measures for employees and customers.

These include the use of air purification equipment with HEPA filters, which allows the air to be kept in optimal conditions – in terms of viral and bacterial load – and is also "renewed" throughout the centre every seven minutes.

Other measures include temperature checks for gym users upon entry, viricidal rugs, and protective screens around equipment.

• To read an interview with GO fit's chief transformation officer, Steve Ward, in which he discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the group, click here for the June 2020 issue of HCM