Running the room
Staff training and competence for ice bath and sauna rooms
By ThermaCare team · Published 2026-09-16 · Reviewed 2026-09-16 · UK guidance
Staff who run a recovery room need to be trained and recorded as competent in: the opening and closing routine, water testing and what to do with an out-of-range result, safe chemical handling under COSHH, the cold water immersion emergency procedure and the sauna emergency procedure, first aid arrangements, fault and incident reporting including RIDDOR thresholds, and the equipment's basic operation. Refresh training yearly and record it per person with dates; a training record is one of the first things asked for after an incident.
The competence list
Daily routine and checklist. Water testing, reading results and recording them. Corrective actions when a reading fails and when to close the bath. Chemical handling, storage and the safety data sheets. Emergency release, unresponsive bather, and who to call. Sauna overheating and collapse. First aid kit location and the appointed person. How to report a fault and an incident, and what counts as reportable.
Proving it
A signed record per person: what was covered, when, by whom, and the refresh date. Pair it with the daily evidence that they actually did the routine. Together they answer the question every insurer asks: was the person on shift competent to be there?
Questions operators ask next
Do sauna and ice bath staff need a lifeguard qualification?
Not usually for a supervised single-user tub, but they need training in the immersion emergency procedure and first aid arrangements set out in your risk assessment. Larger plunge pools may change that; take advice.
How often should staff training be refreshed?
Yearly as a minimum, and whenever equipment, chemicals or procedures change.
See where your room stands
ThermaCare tracks every requirement on this page against your own records, with the daily checklist, water tests, certificate reminders and asset history to prove it. Start with the free five-minute risk score, or create your account.
This guide summarises UK legislation and HSE guidance as understood on 2026-09-16. It is a working guide, not legal advice; decisions about your premises rest with you and your professional advisers.