You strive to keep your locker room clean, but is it clean enough? If your locker room isn’t clean enough to prevent bacterial growth, you could be putting your clients at risk for MRSA. In case you’re unaware, MRSA isn’t becoming a big deal with clubhouses and locker rooms; it is already a big deal. Across the country, gym patrons and sports teams alike are facing this frightening infection, and locker room owners who don’t take action to prevent it are likely to face dire consequences. In fact, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are currently being sued by Lawrence Tynes, a former kicker whose brush with MRSA prematurely ended his career.
So what, exactly, is MRSA? Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus infection, commonly called MRSA, is caused by an antibiotic-resistant strain of staph bacteria. It typically manifests as a painful skin boil and is spread by skin-to-skin contact. In this post, we’ll offer some practical solutions to the problem, in order to help you operate a safe facility and locker room, and to protect your patrons against MRSA.
- Keep your locker room scrupulously clean. That’s your first and best line of defense! Using a bleach solution, disinfect hard surfaces such as desks, tables, doorknobs and light switches. Floors are best cleaned using a spray and vac system, in which metered amounts of chemicals are sprayed on floors and restroom surfaces, then rinsed and vacuumed up.
- Encourage hand washing. Provide alcohol-based hand sanitizer in prominent locations and urge everyone who uses your locker room to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds after eating, using the bathroom or working out. It may sound silly, but a good rule of thumb is to sing Happy Birthday to yourself twice while washing your hands to ensure you’ve killed all the germs.
- Urge athletes to hit the showers. Players should shower immediately after activities, especially after contact sports such as wrestling and football.
- Discourage sharing. Personal items should not be shared between guests and shared equipment should never touch bare skin. If it does, it should immediately be cleaned and allowed to dry. If you’re designing a locker room, try to focus on items that are for individual use: stools rather than communal benches, for example, can help halt the spread of MRSA.
- Fabrics need to be cleaned, too Make a point to tell athletes that they need to wash all athletic clothing or workout gear after each workout and make sure there’s always a supply of clean towels available to your guests.
When it comes to locker rooms, Legacy Lockers has everything you need, from luxury lockers to important health and safety information. Legacy not only offers high-quality wooden lockers and locker room furniture but also provides exceptional customer service. Follow Legacy for more locker news, updates and blog posts by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter. Visit the website for a free estimate or to learn what Legacy Lockers can do for you.