Bristol Booking Terms, Health Notice and Guidelines

Our service. Suvi Sauna Ltd ("we") runs a staffed electric sauna, three cold plunges and a cold shower in the gardens of The Pickle Factory Community Centre, 13 All Hallows Road, Easton, Bristol BS5 0HH. Our service is the sauna, the cold plunges and the cold shower only. The Pickle Factory Community Centre is separately owned and managed, and the rest of its building and grounds are not part of our service.

Health notice. You must not use the sauna if you:

• suffer from high or low blood pressure or any heart or circulatory disorder or suffer from epilepsy or diabetes;
• are pregnant; or
• are prone to dizziness or fainting.

The same applies to the cold plunges and the cold shower. Do not use any of them either if you feel unwell, have a fever, or have drunk alcohol or taken drugs. If you have any other medical condition, or take medication that heat or cold can affect, check with your doctor first. You are responsible for deciding whether the sauna, the cold plunges and the cold shower are safe for you.

Children. Under-8s are not admitted. Anyone aged 8 to 15 must be accompanied by an adult, who must be a parent, guardian or other adult family member and stay in the sauna with them or just outside with a clear view of them throughout. The adult making the booking must be over 18. When booking for an under-16, you confirm that you are their parent, guardian or other adult family member and you accept these terms on their behalf. You must also ask our staff on arrival for the under-16 waiver form, which records your relationship to the under-16, and sign it before the under-16 enters. 16 and 17 year olds may use the sauna without an adult only if a parent or guardian over 18 made the booking and has accepted these terms on their behalf. Under-16s must not use the cold plunges or the cold shower, and signs at the cold plunges say so.

Using the sauna. The sauna is heated by an electric heater and usually runs within 70 to 100°C. Take it steady: we recommend up to about 15 minutes at a time, then take a break and cool down. Leave at once if you feel dizzy, sick or unwell. Drink water before and after. Swimwear must be worn. No eating, alcohol, smoking or exercise in the sauna, and no glass, metal or flammable items. You may pour water on the stones yourself: pour a little at a time, keep your face and hands back from the rising steam, and take care around other guests. The heater has a safety rail: stay behind it and never touch the heater or the stones. Take off jewellery and take care with glasses and contact lenses. Sessions last 60 minutes. Individual changing rooms are provided. Bring swimwear and a towel to sit on, and arrive about 5 minutes early to change and meet your host. Suvi Sauna is alcohol- and drug-free. Our hosts may refuse entry, or ask you to leave without a refund, if we believe you are unwell, under the influence or not following these rules. Leave the sauna tidy, close the door and take your belongings with you.

The cold plunges and cold shower. We have three cold plunges, each about the size of a bath, where you sit or lie. The water is chilled and kept at between 8 and 15°C, and is filtered and treated with chlorine, which can irritate eyes, skin or airways, so tell your host if you are sensitive to it. There is also an on-site cold shower. The area around the plunges has non-slip decking, but it can still be slippery when wet, so walk and don't run. Enter slowly and don't jump or dive in. Control your breathing and stay in for no more than about 3 minutes at a time. Get out straight away if you feel numb, dizzy, confused, short of breath or unwell. Cold water can cause cold shock (affecting breathing and heart rate within the first minute), and longer exposure can cause loss of muscle control and hypothermia, which can lead to confusion, unconsciousness or death. Do not use the cold plunges or cold shower after drinking alcohol or taking drugs, or if you do not meet the health notice above. Under-16s must not use them. A host is on site during your session, is a trained first aider, and a first aid kit is available, but our host cannot watch every guest at every moment, so look out for each other and tell the host straight away if you need help. Using the cold plunges and cold shower is your own decision.

Risk and responsibility. Sauna and cold water use have inherent risks, including dehydration, burns from the heater, stones or steam, dizziness, fainting, heat-related illness, cold shock, hypothermia, strain on the heart and slips on wet surfaces. Other risks include other guests and equipment. You take part voluntarily and accept those risks. We take reasonable care but cannot remove every risk. Nothing in these terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or anything else the law does not allow us to limit. Otherwise, we are not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged belongings. We do not provide lockable storage, so please leave valuables at home. You are responsible for damage you cause to the sauna, the cold plunges or other equipment by misuse or by not following these rules.

Emergencies. If someone needs medical help we may call emergency services and share relevant details with them.

Booking for others. If you book for other people, you confirm that you have their permission and that you will share these terms and the health notice with them before the session. The health notice is displayed at the sauna, and the under-16 rule is displayed at the cold plunges and cold shower. Each person who enters confirms by doing so that they have read the notices and meet them.

Your data. We use your details to run your booking and keep records for safety and legal reasons, including this declaration. Full details are in our Privacy Policy at suvisauna.co.uk/policies/.