Right Directions, the health and safety management company, has been awarded a two-year contract to deliver the Fitness Industry Association's (FIA) new Code of Practice.

The new code will assess health club and leisure centre operators on a series of criteria and covers statutory health and safety requirements relating to quality, standards and welfare. Each venue that is assessed will receive a full written report under the new Code of Practice, with non-compliant sites provided with a comprehensive action plan to help address issues.

Right Directions, which also delivers Sport England's Quest accreditation scheme, said the agreement will enable operators to achieve the FIA code as part of the Quest process. "Under the new Quest 2011 model, operators can pick and choose some of the modules they are assessed on," said Right Directions director Caroline Constantine.

"Of these, some will link with the FIA's Code of Practice - for instance, health and safety and fitness - meaning that FIA member operators passing their Quest assessment will automatically achive their FIA Code of Practice too." FIA CEO Dave Stalker added: "The Code of Practice is an important statement to the government and other regulatory bodies that the physical activity sector is a professional industry, which takes its operation and duty of care seriously."

Image: shutterstock.com/Dean Mitchell