Evacuation Diagrams for Gyms and Fitness Centres in Australia

Gyms and fitness centres have evacuation considerations that differ from standard commercial spaces. Heavy equipment creates fixed obstacles, loud music can mask alarms, members are often wearing headphones, and 24-hour facilities may have no staff on site during emergencies.

This guide covers what gym operators need to know about evacuation diagram compliance under AS 3745.

Gym-Specific Challenges

Factors that make gym evacuation different:

• Heavy gym equipment (squat racks, cable machines, treadmills) creates fixed corridors and can block natural exit paths
• Free weight areas with barbells and plates on the floor create trip hazards during rushed evacuation
• Members wearing headphones or earbuds may not hear fire alarms
• Loud music through speakers can mask alarm sounds
• Wet areas (pools, saunas, steam rooms, showers) have slip risks during evacuation
• Group fitness classes with 20+ people in one room need clear exit routes
• Climbing walls, boxing rings, and speciality equipment areas may have limited exits
• 24-hour gyms may be unstaffed during overnight hours

What Diagrams Must Show

Beyond standard AS 3745 requirements, gym diagrams should account for:

• Equipment layout showing main aisles and pathways through the gym floor
• Clear exit routes that do not require navigating through equipment clusters
• Group fitness room exits (these rooms often have only one door)
• Wet area exits (pool, spa, sauna, change rooms)
• Reception and entry/exit points (turnstiles or access gates must not impede emergency exit)
• Car park access if the gym is below ground or above ground level
• AED (defibrillator) location prominently marked (gyms are high-risk for cardiac events)

24-Hour and Unstaffed Gyms

The growth of 24-hour access gyms creates specific challenges:

• During unstaffed hours, there is no warden to coordinate evacuation
• Members must be able to self-evacuate using diagram information alone
• Entry turnstiles and access gates must fail-safe to the open position during fire alarm activation
• Diagrams should include clear instructions: "In an emergency, proceed to the nearest exit. Do not use lifts."
• Emergency lighting must be functional for safe evacuation in all conditions
• Consider voice-over alarm systems that give verbal instructions in addition to the standard alarm tone

Pool and Wet Area Requirements

If your gym includes a pool, spa, or aquatic area:

• Wet area diagrams must show exits that lead to dry ground (not through glass doors onto tiled areas)
• Pool chemical storage locations should be marked as hazard areas
• Diagrams near pools should be in waterproof frames or laminated to IP65 standard
• Change room diagrams must show exits from both the change area and the pool area
• Sauna and steam room locations should be marked to remind wardens to check these enclosed spaces during sweep

Common Compliance Issues

Fire inspectors commonly find these problems in gyms:

• No diagram in the group fitness room (considered part of the main gym floor, but it has its own distinct layout and exit)
• Exit doors propped open or blocked by equipment storage
• Diagrams mounted behind reception desks where members cannot see them
• Turnstiles that do not release during fire alarm (trapping people inside)
• No AED location shown on diagrams despite having one installed
• Sauna and steam room not checked during evacuation drills

Get Gym Evacuation Diagrams

EvacPath creates evacuation diagrams for gyms, fitness centres, yoga studios, and aquatic facilities across Australia. We account for equipment layouts, wet areas, and 24-hour operation requirements.

Send us your floor plan and we will deliver AS 3745-compliant, print-ready PDFs in 3 to 5 business days. Pricing starts at A$70 per diagram.