Why is fitness instructor insurance important?
If you’re an instructor teaching in gyms, studios, clubs, leisure facilities, community centres, village halls, private homes, outdoors and/or online, fitness instructor insurance is vital to protect against expensive liability claims from your clients or participants in the event of an injury.
You have to put the safety of your clients as a top priority – this means making sure you are appropriately qualified in the specific area(s) of instruction and making sure you have Public Liability Insurance just in case a client is injured.
It’s also important to note that, if you were to teach an activity outside of your area of training and someone got injured, you may not be covered because you are instructing participants in an area you may not be qualified to teach. If in doubt, ask your insurer to make sure you are appropriately qualified for your specific area(s) of instruction.
Always read the small print
It’s vital to read the small print to ensure the cover provided is right for you. Details to consider include:
- Liability – What is the financial amount for which you are covered in the event of a claim?
- Cover – Does the insurance cover your specific area/s of instructions?
- Exclusions – Are there any policy exclusions?
- Excess – Will you have to make a contribution towards a claim?
You should hold a minimum Level 2 Gym Instructor certificate or Level 3 Personal Training qualification for insurance purposes. If you’re teaching more than one discipline, you’ll need supporting certificates in each area of instruction.
If you are a self-employed personal trainer, the responsibility for sorting out your fitness instructor insurance rests with you.
Insurance is also available to you if you are a student working towards gaining your instructor qualification. Imagine being subject to an expensive insurance claim before your career has even started – it doesn’t bear thinking about.
As the instructor, you should also take steps to minimise the risk of a claim being made against you. You should always make clients aware of the risks of exercise and give them the choice of whether they wish to participate by asking them to sign a waiver and agree to informed consent. You should also complete a health and safety risk assessment.
Special offer on fitness Instructor Insurance for YBFit Students
The good news is when you do training with us, we can help you with a 10% discount on your insurance as we have teamed up with FitPro to give you this great deal on instructor insurance. So, when you have enrolled on any of our courses ask for the discount code and we can direct you to their website to book.
