According to Stephen Tharrett of the American College of Sports Medicine, the continued expansion of the health and fitness industry has brought increasing scrutiny from government and private-sector regulation agencies. He states that self-regulation by the fitness industry is required as a tool to reduce external oversight from governments. These standards help to improve the experience of equipment users and gym owners.
ASTM F08
The American Society for Testing and Materials, or ASTM, has a special group called Technical Committee F08 on Sports Equipment and Facilities, which was established in 1969. Since the committee began to regulate fitness equipment in the mid-1980s, it has developed specifications for treadmills, strength-training equipment and exercise bicycles, among other products. The committee meets twice a year to discuss new standards that can improve equipment and facilities in the fitness industry.
CSAFE
In 1997, the company FitLinxx created the communications protocol CSAFE for fitness equipment. This standard helped to create uniformity in the communications and media software used in fitness equipment, such as treadmills and elliptical trainers, similar to the way USB ports standardized computer communications. Equipment that meets CSAFE specifications can be networked together within a health-club setting.
WEEE Recycling Certification
Some commercial fitness companies adhere to the regulations outlined by the European Union's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, or WEEE, although those standards are not restricted exclusively to the fitness industry. Companies that meet this standard do not use any restricted hazardous materials for their products. These companies also reuse or recycle fitness equipment that ceases to be functional, as per the guidelines of WEEE.
US Consumer Product Safety Commission
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission does not place direct regulation over the fitness equipment industry, but it does require a recall on any equipment posing a danger to consumers. The organization estimates that children under the age of 14 incur more than 250,000 injuries a year from home-fitness equipment, such as stationary bicycles, treadmills and stair climbers.
References
- FitLinxx: Communications Specification for Fitness Equipment
- European Commission: Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
- American College of Sports Medicine: Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines
- American Society for Testing and Materials: Enhancing Product Safety in the Fitness Equipment Industry
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Prevent Injuries to Children from Exercise Equipment
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