Andy Devaney
When most people walk into David Lloyd Clubs, they’re thinking about treadmills, tennis courts and whether anyone witnessed that last wobbly lunge. What they probably don’t expect is that the place is also quietly gearing up for the sort of worst-case scenario you hope you’ll never see. Yet that’s exactly what’s happening, as the UK’s leading health and wellness group becomes the first health club group and national leisure operator in the country to install bleed control kits across all its sites.
More Than First Aid: From Foam Rollers to Lifesavers
Bleed control kits are designed for one thing only: to keep someone alive when they’re losing blood fast – whether through an accident, an incident in the car park, or something more sinister. It’s a level of preparedness you’d expect at a stadium or a major transport hub, not necessarily next to the Pilates studio.
But that’s the point. With new legislation on the way – officially titled the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, better known as Martyn’s Law – David Lloyd Clubs has decided not to wait for the legal starting gun. It has moved early, putting itself out in front of the fitness sector on safety as well as spin classes.
Iain Denny, Health & Safety Training Manager at David Lloyd Clubs, is clear that this isn’t a box-ticking exercise: “Installing bleed control kits is the right thing to do, and we wanted to be ahead of the game. We work very closely with RLSS UK, and their expertise has been invaluable in ensuring that we have the right equipment to respond in an emergency.”
In other words, this isn’t just about having a fancy metal box on the wall. It’s about making sure the people inside the building know exactly what to do when every second counts.
Martyn’s Law: The Tragic Story Behind the Statute
Martyn’s Law is not the kind of legislation you celebrate; it’s the kind you wish had never needed to exist. The Act received royal assent on 3 April 2025 and is designed to improve public safety and preparedness at venues and events across the UK. It follows a tireless campaign by Figen Murray, mother of Martyn Hett, one of the 22 people killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena attack.
There will be an implementation period of at least two years before the Act fully comes into force in 2027. Many venues will use those two years the way some people use a gym membership – with good intentions and occasional guilt. David Lloyd Clubs, by contrast, has already done the hard work, installing centrally located bleed control kits in each of its 108 UK clubs.
The kits – sourced from RLSS UK – are positioned so trained staff can reach them quickly in the event of a serious injury. Much like an AED for cardiac emergencies, the idea is simple: the right equipment, in the right hands, at exactly the right time.
Training for the Worst, So Members Can Enjoy the Best
Of course, the most sophisticated kit in the world is about as useful as a chocolate dumbbell if no one knows how to use it. That’s where RLSS UK and its expert groups come in.
Following updates from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the duties under Martyn’s Law Act, RLSS UK worked with its Clinical Governance Group and Operator Steering Group to create robust training resources and an assessment strategy for managing life-threatening bleeding. The Clinical Governance Group provides guidance on clinical and medical practice, while the Steering Group brings together key industry stakeholders – including Denny himself – to ensure the training is grounded in real-world operations.
This new bleed management training can now be bolted on as an optional element to several established RLSS UK qualifications:
- Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW)
- First Aid at Work (FAW)
- First Aid at Work Requalification (FAWR)
- National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ)
As part of its rollout, David Lloyd Clubs has woven bleed control training into its own in-house first aid courses. All duty managers and team members with First Aid at Work qualifications are being trained in how to use the kits. They’ll be followed by the group’s RLSS UK-trained lifeguards, ensuring that staff across the board have both the skills and the confidence to respond when a routine day takes a very non-routine turn.
“We Hope Their Example Will Inspire Other Operators”
For RLSS UK, this isn’t just a pilot scheme – it’s a marker in the ground for the whole leisure industry.
Nick Grazier, Senior Head of Commercial at RLSS UK, said: “We’re proud to support David Lloyd Clubs as they set the standard for safety in the fitness sector. With membership numbers ranging from 3,000 to over 10,000 at their clubs, their early adoption of bleed control kits demonstrates their commitment to the safety of both their members and staff. We hope their example will inspire other operators to follow their lead.”
When you’re dealing with clubs where thousands of people come and go every week – families, juniors, older members, beginners, die-hard gym rats – the odds are that something unexpected will eventually happen. The difference is whether you’re ready for it.
Every Second Counts
Beyond the partnership with David Lloyd Clubs, RLSS UK is also helping other operators prepare for Martyn’s Law. It offers “Management of Life-threatening Bleeding” as an optional course element, and the RLSS UK Shop stocks life-threatening bleed equipment aimed squarely at helping the leisure sector get ready before the Act bites.
Every second counts when dealing with a catastrophic bleed, which is why RLSS UK’s training uses tourniquets and gauze that mimic real-world equipment. Staff can practise the practical skills required to manage severe bleeding, so that when it’s no longer a drill, they’re not learning on the job.
Training equipment for the management of life-threatening bleeding can be purchased from the RLSS UK Shop at:
https://shop.rlss.org.uk/collections/life-threatening-bleeds
Raising the Bar on Safety in the Fitness Sector
In a landscape where most gyms advertise new kit as something shiny in the weights area, David Lloyd Clubs has chosen a different type of upgrade – one measured not in reps, but in lives potentially saved.
By embracing bleed control kits and embedding serious, clinically informed training into everyday club life, the group isn’t just complying early with forthcoming legislation. It’s setting a benchmark that others in the fitness and leisure industry will find hard to ignore.
Members might never notice the discreet boxes on the wall or the extra modules in their duty manager’s training. And if all goes well, they’ll never need to. But in those rare, critical moments when everything depends on what happens in the next 60 seconds, this quiet, early move from David Lloyd Clubs could prove to be the most important piece of equipment in the building.
