TFA certified fitness trainers (hereby known as certificants) and candidates for certification are required to adhere to professional ethics and safety standards when working with clients and/or other health and fitness enthusiasts. TFA test candidates and certificants agree to uphold these ethics and safety compliance standards. TFA may revoke or take other action against certificate holders in violation of these standards in accordance with the Ethics Committee’s disciplinary policy. TFA Board of Certification will ensure that information pertaining to these codes of conduct and administrative procedures, as they pertain to complaint processes for reporting violations of these codes, will be published and available from appropriate TFA website locations to consumers, certificant employers and fitness consumers. TFA certificants and candidates agree to:
●Provide safe and effective fitness program design through appropriate screening, consultation, and evaluation of the apparently healthy client’s physical fitness goals and limitations
●Uphold professional courtesy and consistency by implementing standards for client confidentiality, client to trainer relationships, and allied health professional references
●Maintain clear business standards and an understanding of limitations and responsibilities as they pertain to best business practices, client and public safety, and legal and professional liabilities
●Comply fully with all certification renewal requirements and continuing education requirements for trainer maintenance and advancement
●Represent the certification credential, organization, and industry in a way which furthers health and fitness efforts and initiatives
●Complete all documents, applications and declarations made to TFA truthfully
●Protect the confidentiality of TFA certification material including, but not limited to, certification exam material, exam questions, and score reporting documentation
●Follow TFA policy for the appropriate use of the TFA certificate, certification mark or other logos (also known as ‘TFA Branding’). TFA Branding may only be used by currently active certificants and never associated with activities which are illegal, obscene, or inappropriately construed. Visit https://tfaworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Logo-Licensing-Agreement.pdf For detailed information with regards to the logo licensing agreement.
●Never knowingly provide trainer services to individuals who are at risk and/or not apparently healthy, or without proper medical release and/or without the performance of proper screening and evaluation procedures
●Refrain from the performance of unethical and/or negligent activities to include lewd and immoral conduct, inappropriate sexual advances or abuses, misuse of trainer/client confidence, reckless exercise instruction, unprofessional behavior which mentally or physically harms the client or general public.
●Refrain from any substance that may cause mental or physical impairment that impedes trainer’s ability to safely and effectively evaluate, implement and perform an appropriate fitness training program
●Refrain from any liable, slanderous, or damaging remarks or literature that discredits the fitness trainer profession and/or certification organizations who appropriately certify the fitness training professional In addition, candidates and certificants must report any conviction of a criminal offence at the court of law.
All complaints, reports and appeals must be sent to the TFA Ethics Committee at [email protected] , Reports of offences will be reviewed by the assigned ethics coordinator, on a case by case basis. Criminal offenses which have occurred seven (7) or more years prior to submission of application, will be reviewed on a case by case basis, with an eligibility decision that is at the sole discretion of TFA Board of Certification.
Criminal offenses which occur after the application eligibility or certification award and are grounds for applicant ineligibility or certificate revocation include, but are not limited to, all sexually based crimes and/or the intent or actual use of a weapon to cause or threaten harm to another person and/or the involvement in the illegal use, sale, or distribution of anabolic or controlled substances.
Investigation and disciplinary action will occur in compliance with the TFA Ethics Committee’s Complaints and Disciplinary Action policy.