What are you doing to ensure social distancing?
- There are social distancing guides in our entrance corridor, reception area and pool hall which customers will be expected to follow.
- We’ve introduced a one-way system around the building are some of our corridors to narrow to allow the social distancing. Customers will enter through our front door, pass through reception to the pool hall, and exit through our rear fire doors.
- There will be signs throughout the building reminding customers to stay 2 m apart.
- We have reduced the number of people allowed in the pool at any one time.
- If first aid is needed, it will be administered by trained staff wearing PPE to reduce the risk of transmission of infection.
What new cleaning measures are in place?
- Our dedicated staff and volunteers will be cleaning throughout the day and particularly between swim sessions and we have developed a new cleaning rota.
- All high frequency touch points will be cleaned and disinfected between swim sessions.
- Hand sanitiser is available in our reception area and all customers will be expected to sanitise their hands.
- There is a sink and hand sanitiser poolside so the customers can clean their hands again before leaving.
Are there new rules to follow?
- You must stay at home if you have any Covid-19 symptoms – high temperature, the new continuous cough, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste.
- Customers must follow social distancing guides at all times.
- Customers must sanitise their hands at reception.
- Please use contactless payments if possible.
There is more information on our new pool rules on our website.
Why am I being asked to wear a face mask?
- It is now mandatory to wear a face covering indoors in most public buildings to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 and we are asking customers to do so for their own safety and for that of other swimmers and staff and volunteers.
- If you cannot wear a face covering for medical reasons please let us know.
Why is the tearoom closed?
- Our tearoom is quite small and it will be difficult to make sure that customers can remain an adequate social distance away from one another.
- While the tearoom is closed, we will not be providing free glasses of water to members of the public due to the risk of coming into contact with Covid-19.
Do I need to pre-book?
- No, swimming will remain as “pay-as-you-go” and customers can just turn up to swim.
- We do not yet have IT systems in place to enable us to pre-book swim sessions and may introduce a booking system later in the year for people who would like this option.
- Some of our customers will not be able to access online pre-booking systems and so we are committed to offering a “pay as you go” option to ensure that all members of our community can swim at Moseley Road Baths.
Why are there fewer swimmers in the pool?
- Government guidance recommends allowing 3 m² of pool space per person. However this would make it difficult for swimmers to pass one another and so we have followed swim England’s suggestion of 6 m² per person. For a public swim session this means that we can have a maximum of 30 people in our pool.
- Swim England have also published guidance on lane swimming, recommending that we allow a distance of 5 m between swimmers while travelling along a lane with 2 m in between. This means that we can have a maximum of 16 people in our adult lane sessions.
- For some sessions we have a mix of lane and public swimming and so we will allow up to 8 people in a double width lane and up to 15 people in the more relaxed general swimming area, a total of up to 23.
Why can’t I borrow equipment?
- Government guidance recommends reducing contact with surfaces and avoiding using shared equipment unless it can be thoroughly cleaned between users. With limited numbers of staff and volunteers working poolside and cleaning between sessions we cannot guarantee that our equipment will be ready in time for you to use.
- You are welcome to bring your own swim equipment but you must make sure that other swimmers who are not part of your household do not come into contact with it.
- We will also try to obtain some equipment for you to purchase at reception.
Why can’t under 16’s swim without an adult?
- Following official guidance from RLSS, our poolside team are not responsible for ensuring social distancing between swimmers and we therefore need an adult to accompany anyone under the age of 16 (maximum of two children per adult) to ensure that children behave appropriately and do not put other swimmers at risk.
How long is a swim session?
- Although each session is listed as an hour long on our timetable, this includes the time swimmers take to get changed at the beginning and end of the session and means that there will be 45-50 minutes to swim.
- In order for our customers to continue to use our poolside changing cubicles, we will need to clean all of them in between every session.
- Getting out of the pool before the end of the session means that swimmers will be able to change and exit the pool leaving enough time for essential cleaning to take place before our next group of swimmers arrive.
- Because you will be asked to get out of the pool before the end of the session, anyone arriving more than 20 minutes after the session start time may have to wait until our next session as there won’t be much time to get changed and swim.
Why aren’t showers available?
- Swim England guidance is for swimmers to shower at home before they arrive at the pool and to shower at home afterwards to avoid congregating and queueing around showers.
- With only a few poolside showers at MRB it will only be possible for one person at a time to shower and the resulting delays would mean very little time for our customers to actually swim.
Why can’t I leave through the front door?
- Although government guidance on social distancing has changed there is still a need to keep 2m apart from people who are not part of your household wherever possible and at least 1m apart if it is not.
- We’ve created a one way system through our building to stop one group of swimmers on the way out from passing too close to the next group of swimmers on the way in. By asking swimmers to leave through the rear fire doors, we are doing our best to keep both our staff and our customers safe.
- There’s also a one way system around our pool as the poolside decks are only 1m wide and there are designated entrances and exits to get into the pool.
- Non swimmers who are making enquiries but not entering the pool hall may be able to exit via the front door at quiet times but may be asked to wait for a little while so that we can get all of our swimmers into the pool hall first.
Will spectators be allowed poolside?
- There is only a small amount of space in our pool hall and numbers of spectators will be reduced to allow for social distancing.
- There are 2m guides on our poolside decks which will also apply to our spectators’ bench and non swimmers will have to remain 2m away from people who are not part of their household.
- During swim lessons parents may be asked to remain in their child’s changing cubicle to maintain a safe social distance.
Will you be running lessons?
- From the beginning of September we will be starting our own swim school and will be running lessons for children and adults on Friday afternoons. There may also be other times when lessons can take place and one-to-ones will be also be available.
- Diamond Swim Academy will be running crash courses during the summer holidays on the weeks commencing 15th and 22nd August and will resume term time lessons on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings from early September.
- It may not be possible to run lessons for younger children at first as Swim England guidance recommends that swim teachers should remain on poolside instead of getting into the water to help.
Can I book a pool party?
- Private hire of the pool may be possible for large family groups or those who are getting together in a “bubble” but swimmers will be expected to maintain an adequate social distance from people who are not part of their household.
- Numbers of swimmers allowed into the pool may vary depending on the type of session requested.
- It may be possible to use some of our pool equipment for these sessions as we will have time to ensure that it has been cleaned both before and afterwards.
I paid for lessons or a pool party before lockdown – how can I get a refund?
- At the moment we have only a few part time staff working at the pool and their main focus is getting the pool ready for reopening.
- Once we are open again and have all of our staff back at work, you can contact us at admin@moseleyroadbaths.org.uk for advice on obtaining a refund or re-booking lessons or private hire of the pool.
If you have any other questions or concerns about returning to swim at Moseley Road Baths please email us at keepswimming@moseleyroadbaths.org.uk
