All home gyms, commercial gyms and single station strength equipment utilize end caps to close off and seal the exposed ends of the square, rectangular or round steel tubing that is used to construct the frames of the equipment.

Although the usually black plastic square, or rectangular or sometimes round end caps are decorative, they serve a more important function than being merely decorative. One would think that it is insignificant if some are missing from a piece of strength equipment. However, they are actually there as safety devices. Without them in place, exposed corners of the metal structural tubing of the frames can be sharp, which can scrape the unwary and even gouge out pieces of human skin when they are accidentally encountered with force. This can happen in a moment of inattentiveness, or in horse play, which is often the case in school weight rooms. That is why their absence should be noted during routine weight room maintenance.

The open ends of the frame pieces can trap fingers and cut hands when they are momentarily leaned on for support. Unfortunately, some people, use the open ends of a gym's frame pieces as a convenient place to stick their trash. Additionally, if the end caps are missing from the frame pieces at the bottom of the weight machines, the lower frames can serve as nesting places for mice.

End caps for gym strength training machines and weight lifting benches come in various sizes to fit the various size frame pieces, but they are inexpensive and should be replaced if missing, both for safety and décor.