Blue cards for sport, active recreation, gyms and play facilities

Employees, volunteers and people who own or operate a business that work with children in sports, active recreation, gyms or play facilities must hold a blue card.

Employees and volunteers

If you work with children as part of sport or active recreation you need a blue card. You also need a blue card if you work with children in a play facility or gym.

You don’t need a blue or exemption card if you or your business is solely providing food, beverages or equipment as part of a sport or recreational activity to children, and you are not required to have any further contact with children.

A blue card is needed for:

• personal trainers conducting group activities targeted at children
• martial arts instructors gainfully running junior classes, except volunteer parents
• ballet instructors teaching dance to children
• indoor sports or fitness centres providing coaching to children
• staff supervising children within a play centre
• executive members of the sport, gym or play facility who operate child-related services
• amusement park ride operators
• staff providing services to children in an amusement arcade
• volunteers timekeeping at a junior swim meet
• paid sports referees, including those aged under 18 years.

A blue card is not needed for

• parents volunteering as a martial arts instructor for their child’s classes, unless a restricted person
• front of house staff welcoming members or visitors to the gym, sport center or play facility
• canteen or bar staff selling food or beverages
• maintenance workers conducting safety checks of the equipment
• cleaners of the facility
• registered health practitioners providing health services, such as an occupational therapist treating injured athletes
• a child volunteering as a referee.

For other volunteering or paid work see the churches, clubs and associations or private teaching, coaching or tutoring categories and blue cards for amusement parks and arcades.

Business owners and operators

You will need a blue card if the usual activities of your business include running sport or active recreation activities for children.

Examples

A blue card is needed for the owner and operator of a business providing:

• high ropes courses for school camps
• active birthday parties for children, such as paintball, rock climbing, soccer or skating
• jumping castles or other rides targeted towards children
• casual indoor netball, squash or cricket services to children, such as running a junior squash tournament
• children’s discos
• indoor play centres with activities for children, such as trampolines or children’s laser tag games
• re-enactment groups which are targeted towards children, such as medieval sword fighting practice
• children’s fitness programs.

A blue card is not needed for the owner or operator of a business providing:

• services only to adults. For example, if a gym is open to the public and does not provide junior fitness classes, or any other services directed towards children, a blue card is not required
• canteen or food or beverages services at an indoor play facility
• maintenance services, which include conducting safety checks on equipment.