Peak Strength

Business and Personnel Information: Terence and Paul first met in a remedial massage course they both attended in 2018. With Paul's vast knowledge of human anatomy and movement, and Terence's decades-long experience with powerlifting and strongman coaching, they began building the strength system that Peak Strength was founded upon.

Both Terence and Liz have a Certificate lV in Personal Training. Paul Tyrrell has a Bachelor of exercise and sport science, Australian weightlifting federation Olympic lifting level 1, Titleist performance institute level 1 and level 2 fitness, junior golf coach level 1, Australian strength and conditioning association level 1. He is a sports scientist, movement specialist, myotherapist, strength and conditioning coach and rehabilitation expert who specialises in injury prevention and rehab in athletes, team sports players and active individuals. 

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They decided in 2019 to find an old school center for all things strength, centered around their system of programming, coaching, pre- and rehabilitation that turns anyone with enough willpower into a brutal strength athlete. And with countless world records under his belt, Terence is proof in himself that the Peak Strength system works. Together, they stripped out an old radiator factory they found in Werribee, painted it black and filled it with the best quality strength equipment in Australia.

Liz Blackthorn, Terence's partner and self-professed student of strength, got on board and turned their system into a tangible program that every Peak Strength athlete walks around with in their hands. Thus, completes the Peak Strength team, with the unified goal of making a home for strength athletes in the West.

Job overview - Work Environment, job longevity, knowledge, skills and attributes needed for the businesses, including types of duties: Gym owners and managers undertake similar duties to managers of recreation and leisure centers. 

The daily tasks of a gym manager include, but are not limited to:

• Recruiting - members, clients, employees and sponsors 

• Training and supervising staff - ensuring that staff are doing the right things and have the knowledge that is required for the job

• Payroll - ensure that employees are paid 

• Managing budgets - ensuring that money is being spent appropriately, profit is coming in and accounts and records are secure 

• Enhancing profitability - organising and delivering an appropriate range of fitness activities and programmes

• Keeping statistical and financial records

• Ensuring compliance with health and safety legislation

• Undertaking administrative tasks - such as taking phone calls, responding to emails, organising appointments, sorting files, reports and records

• Promoting and marketing the business - designing a website and other social media platforms for the business, finding sponsors

• Dealing with enquiries, complaints and emergencies

• Ensuring clients are aware of and adhere to safety and injury prevention procedures

• Reporting accidents and preparing accident reports - following steps provided by resources to ensure workplace is safe  

The daily tasks of a Personal Trainer/gym employee include, but are not limited to:

• Maintaining fitness equipment - ensuring that equipment is in good working order, is clean and lose equipment is in its place

• Maintaining customer service standards - making sure customers, clients and colleagues are treated fairly and with respect

• Demonstrating and teaching body movements and skills used in fitness routines

• Designing personalised fitness programmes based on assessment of the client's age, level of fitness, goals and abilities

The daily tasks of a Cleaner include, but are not limited to:

• Vacuuming - carpets, curtains and upholstered furniture

• Sweeping, mopping, waxing and polishing tile and vinyl surfaces

• Tidying  - rooms, emptying waste paper bins and removing refuse and recyclable material

• Cleaning, disinfecting and deodorising  - kitchens, bathrooms and toilets

• Dusting, cleaning and polishing - furniture and other homewares

• Cleaning - windows and other glass surfaces

Due to PEAK Strength being a smaller establishment to others, this means that the staff have frequent contact with customers and members, suppliers and employees.

There are a variety of pathways into this profession for both university graduates and school leavers. Employers may prefer graduates with qualifications in sport science, recreation or leisure studies, health management, physiology, life sciences, business or management. A relevant postgraduate qualification for example an MSC in sports science, can be useful, particularly for graduates without appropriate first degrees. Related work experience is normally required. This can be gained through part-time or seasonal work. 

Candidates must be physically fit and should possess sound customer service, business, management, sales and marketing skills. Good problem solving, interpersonal, organisational and communication skills are also essential when working anywhere. Candidates should also be prepared to be trained while on the job. This could be experiencing an incident first hand and having to respond, assisting manager/employer with admin tasks etc. First aid and CPR qualifications are also beneficial for most work force positions.

Management of OHS concerns: As a team of three, each member is responsible for their safety. The group meets weekly to discuss OHS concerns. Both Terence and Paul as founders of PEAK Strength Werribee are ultimately accountable for the safety of their employees (Liz), clients, members, delivery people, visitors from neighboring businesses, cleaners, trade workers such as plumbers, electricians etc., general visitors who enter the business premises, as well as themselves. Regular Members that come into the business are informed by OHS practices through their membership contracts that are signed and filed. Terence and Paul believe the safety and wellbeing of staff are managed correctly as no reports have been filed due to small employee and client numbers. To ensure employee and client/member/visitor safety the following steps are taken:

• Person approaches Paul or Terence

• Paul and Terence meet to discuss and conduct risk assessment

• Precautions are discussed and applied

• Review in 1 month or when required

The OHS processes followed by this company follow those indicated in the OHS ACT as well as WorkSafe Vic online website. The WorkSafe website has a bunch of different sources for health and safety, licenses, insurance, claims and recovery. As an employer is an OHS incident does happen within the workplace, all employers must:

1. Identify if the situation is still dangerous or high-risk, call emergency services immediately on 000

2. Confirm if the incident is notifiable

3. Find out what type of incidents must be notified.

4. Ensure the incident scene is not disturbed until a WorkSafe inspector arrives

• However, incident scenes can be disturbed if necessary to:

• protect a person's health or safety

• help someone who is injured

• make the area safe (for example, if a person with a confirmed diagnosis of coronavirus (COVID-19) has attended the workplace during the infectious period, it is essential the site is cleaned and disinfected, in order to prevent further transmission of the virus)

5. Notify WorkSafe immediately by calling 13 23 60

• We'll lodge details of the incident and email you a link to an online incident notification form.

• WorkSafe will then advise if an inspector will make a site visit and whether the incident scene can be disturbed before the inspector's attendance.

• Call 13 23 60.

6. Report the incident in writing within 48 hours

• Once you have completed and submitted the online incident notification form, you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your records. 

• If you are having trouble completing the online incident notification form, download a print copy of the incident notification form, and email the completed form to: info@worksafe.vic.gov.au or post to:

7. Save a copy of the incident notification form

8. You are required to keep a record of the form for at least five years.

If you fail to meet these responsibilities, penalties may apply. These two resources ensure that the company is safe at all times. Given the small team and working closely with their client/member base, the procedures in place comply with the working environment.

Employee entitlements, workplace agreements - PEAK Strength staff are entitled to:

PEAK Strength are covered by the Fitness Industry Award [MA000094].

• Meal breaks- A 45 minutes meal break when working 5 hours or more or a break when needed/there are no clients.

• Span of hours- Ordinary hours are worked between 6:30 am to 10:00 pm Monday to Friday, and 10:00 am to 10:00pm Saturday and Sundays

• Payment of wages - Employees are paid daily, weekly or fortnightly for a number of different reasons. Via bank transfer or cash in hand.

• Overtime Rates - Where an employee works overtime the employer must pay the employee overtime rates as follows: Monday to Saturday—150% of the minimum hourly rate for the first 2 hours and 200% of the minimum hourly rate after 2 hours; and Sunday—200% of the minimum hourly rate.

• Superannuation - Due to PEAK being such a new establishment and the staff being self employed, they do not have rights to any superannuation, unless, for other reasons they are eligible. However, if an employee does not choose a superannuation fund, the superannuation fund nominated in the award covering the employee applies.

• Leave and Public Holidays - Employees are entitled to 5 weeks of Annual Leave. Employees are entitled to all public holidays.

• Annual Leave - During a period of annual leave an employee must also be paid an annual leave loading of 17.5% of their minimum rate of pay.

• Allowances - Fair Work Regulations 2009 set out the requirements for pay records and the content of pay slips including the requirement to separately identify any allowance paid.

• Merchandise/uniform - Staff are required to wear company uniform at all times while working within the business. Uniforms are supplied to employees for free.

Employment opportunities (including work Experience): At PEAK Strength Werribee both Terence and Paul work full-time. As it is a team of three, Liz works only part-time. Paul and Terence work an average of 45 hours a week and take home $1,136 per week (reference on Job Outlook) not including any side one-on-one sessions/jobs. Liz is the only part-time employee who works 20 hours a week. As a small company, the business employs on a needs basis. 

The employment level in the Sports and Physical Recreation industry has risen substantially over the period between 2000 and 2019 (from around 54,700 to 117,800 employed), however levels have dropped by almost half in 2020, to 61,200 (reference on Australian industry and skills committee). Due to COVID, PEAK Strength has had a hard two years and will be recovering from the fallout for the next coming months. PEAK Strength have yet to have their first Work Experience student, but for now are not looking for any specific individuals.

COVID Information: PEAK Strength, along with many other businesses around Victoria have created a COVID Safe plan. 

• It demonstrates their actions to help prevent the introduction of coronavirus (COVID-19) to the workplace

• The type of face mask or personal protective equipment (PPE) required for their workforce

• How they will prepare for, and respond to, a suspected or confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in their workplace

• How they will meet all the requirements set out by the Victorian Government.

www.joboutlook.gov.au  

https://www.fairwork.gov.au/awards-and-agreements/awards/find-my-award/step-2