Leisure Facility Management II

This course looks closely at facility design and maintenance, covering water facilities and pools, sports turf, gymnasiums and public buildings. You will study ergonomics and interior and equipment design for recreation facilities, finishing with managing construction work on a facility. Suitable for those with existing broad experience or knowledge of leisure facility management wanting to go further into design and maintenance.

Train to work in Leisure Facility Management Learn about the nature and scope of Facility Management Study factors of design and ergonomics Learn about the elements of interior design including those such as surfaces, ventilation and colour Course duration: 100 hours of self paced study - the course can be studied as a stand alone subject or as part of a Certificate or higher qualification. COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT The course is structured in 2 halves, as follows:- Part 1: The first half of the course relates to the management and maintenance of both indoor and outdoor facilities and equipment, including swimming pools, locker rooms, buildings, gymnasiums, and sports turf. Content includes monitoring the condition of equipment, routine maintenance programming and simple repair procedures. Part 2: The second half of the course looks at developing a manager's ability to participate effectively as part of a design team for major works, or to plan and direct contractors in the development of minor facilities. The lessons are as follows: 1. Introduction to Facility Management Nature and scope of the work Developing management procedures Quality (compliance) systems 2. Water Facilities Water treatments: salt, bromine, ozone etc pH management Control of water temperature Filtration systems Air maintenance in an indoor pool area Routine pool maintenance Maintenance of spas, saunas and steam rooms Common problems with swimming pools Pool surrounds Ancillary facilities Managing use of swimming pools 3. Sports Turf Facilities Advantages and disadvantages of turf as a sporting surface Turf condition: what affects the condition of turf Maintenance practices for turf 4. Gymnasiums Sports equipment: track, athletics Gymnasium maintenance Health and safety in a gym Gymnasium standards 5. Public Buildings General building maintenance tasks Health and safety issues Managing building repairs 6. Toilets and Locker Rooms Components of toilet locker room areas Health and safety concerns Routine maintenance 7. Introduction to Design Design factors Types of facilities Site selection Planning process 8. Ergonomics Scope and nature of ergonomics Understanding posture Furniture design Ergonomics for a gym Layout of interiors 9. Outdoor Facilities Pool design: pools and surrounds Water slides Spas Other water features Fountains Playground design Planning for play Community participation Park design Fitness trails Skateboarding Multi purpose courts 10. Indoor Facilities Floors Walls Lighting Heating Ventilation Use of colour Macro design for indoor facilities Local community recreation centres 11. Interior Design Exercise facilities The space The equipment: types of equipment Layout of a gym Interior design 12. Equipment Design Design of fitness equipment Exercise bikes Rowing machines Treadmills Step machines Strength training equipment 13. Managing Construction Nature of the task Safety Aims Identify work tasks involved in the maintenance of recreation facilities. Manage the condition of recreational water facilities, including swimming pools. Manage the condition of a sports turf facility, including monitoring and maintaining the condition of turf. Manage the condition of a gymnasium, including monitoring the condition of structures and equipment. Manage the condition of a public building, including monitoring. Explain design factors for recreation facilities. Explain the concept of ergonomics related to recreation facility design. Explain the design of an outdoor recreation facility used in the industry. Explain the design of an indoor recreation facility. Arrange moveable equipment and furnishings in a way to maximise predetermined criteria, including safety and function, within the physical confines of a facility. Explain the design of fitness equipment. Develop a management strategy for the construction of part, or all, of a recreation facility. Careers in Leisure Facility Management This is an exceptionally diverse industry; only limited by the imaginations of those who work in it. Often people will start out with a particular idea about what their career might look like; but almost inevitably; it will look very different at the end of their career to how it looked at the beginning. If nothing else; the rate of change in our world is almost certainly going to guarantee that. Some will forge a career in the world of elite sports, others in events, some in the theme park or accommodation and tourism industry and others with local government. What is involved in Managing a Swimming Pool? Every swimming pool is different; and needs to be managed differently; according to the type of facilities and design; the clientele you are catering to and the resources you have available to manage it. Here are some of the things a manager may need to consider: New Pools Establish clientele, recreation needs and usage. Do you include provision for disabilities, gyms, aerobics, baby-sitting etc. Number of users and when. What types of pools are needed, learner pool, conventional pool, leisure pool, spas, saunas. Establishing atmosphere and social goals. This will determine the clientele eg, Naturalistic pool or a tropical leisure area or water slides and wave machines. What is needed for the poolside viewing areas Financial constraints. The pool must be the right size for the community that will use it. What do you want and what can you afford. Cost of initial building and surrounds. Running costs and estimated income. Overall Layout if outside locate for maximum sunlight and privacy, screened from southerly and away from heavily shaded areas and those with extensive root systems. Any leaf fall makes the water hard to keep clean. space needed to handle air movement, high humidity atmosphere and to seal the building correctly. check for soil bearing capacity and that you do not need to remove too much soil from the site, ideally cut and fill should roughly balance. Some access soil can be used for mounding as wind protection or sitting areas. type of pool needed eg. conventional or flexible (eg. with a movable floor that can cover the pool, allowing the facility to be used for alternative events/activities). filtration system needs to be carefully designed (chlorination, salt, etc). heating also needs careful consideration. safety, first aid and emergency procedures, reception and offices. It is necessary to design these areas so that they are sealed off from the hot, humid pool areas. Condensation can damage computer ware and the reception area can act as a heat lock to prevent heat escaping in winter months. food outlets, although you want these near the pool areas you do not want health problems and most are in defined areas, near the entrance or in deck-level areas overlooking the pool. shower and toilet facilities, recently we have seen the incorporation of the family\group style change room. They include family and individual changing cubicles and feature a wet and dry movement system in which you enter your cubicle from one side (the "dry passage") and exit the cubicle towards the pool along the "wet" corridor. Showers can be located so that they are easy to use "before" getting into the pool. maintenance areas and consider overall cleaning of building staff areas parking and access shading and planting surrounds lighting furniture and equipment. Design of the pool tank It is useful to design pools so that one pool can be shut down without interference to others Renovation of Pools. Many pools are over 25 years old, the building needs upgrading and safety considerations have changed since these pools were designed. Check for safety of any new equipment such as diving boards or slides especially in relation to pool depth. Consider improving slippery surfaces (eg. painted cement). There may be a wish to upgrade facility to make it financially viable attracting more customers, in which case consider: overall management; what are the strengths and weaknesses of the operation. advertising, local community newspapers, letterbox drops, editorials, press releases. personal approach by staff, meetings with clubs, schools etc. addition to present facilities eg. playground, baby-sitting facilities, providing new retail outlets selling goggles, swim caps, kick boards, swim club, gymnasium, etc. OTHER FEATURES Various other features may be incorporated into a swimming/water recreation facility, including: Diving Boards Wave Pools Swirl Pools Swim jets Water falls Caves -allowing for undercover swimming Water life (Fish) Scuba facilities (ie. deep pool) Under water viewing area Learn to swim pool Aerobics pool Hydrotherapy Pool Disabled entry facility Classes Activities and Events So ... Why should I take this course? You want to move on in your career towards a management position in the leisure industry To learn about the management and maintenance of indoor and outdoor facilities Contribute knowledgeably as part of the team to major design projects Understand the factors involved with the maintenance of both buildings and equipment WHAT NEXT? Register to Study - Go to panel toward top of this page (right column) or Get Advice - Use our FREE COUNSELLING SERVICE to contact a tutor CLICK TO CONTACT US