covid officer mark nicholls last updated 1-11-2020
completed by Rhino safety ltd- Mr Simon Walter CM1OSH
Activity
Matters to consider
Control measures and action plan
Pre-planning
Large numbers of players and officials attending
The club must ensure that social distancing guidelines can be maintained where activities are taking place. This should include assessing the maximum numbers of players and officials that can safely operate in each space/area.

There should be a sufficient number of club officials present to help ensure and maintain social distancing during sessions.

Depending on player and/or officials numbers eligible to attend a session, staggered arrival/exit time slots for groups may need to be considered to minimise player and officials interaction.

High-risk players and officials with underlying health issues within the household
Request that any players or officials within the club communicate such circumstances with the us so that we can make a decision on how to proceed with reducing risk. Consider limiting the number of high-risk persons present at events or shielding them away from others.
Communication
Communicating with players and officials about the risks involved and
Information should be distributed by the club to players and officials regarding;
• The COVID-19 risk and symptoms, and the practices that should be undertaken to mitigate risks.
• Awareness that although COVID-19 infection risks can be minimised through adherence to the club’s policies and procedures, they cannot be eliminated and risks remain for at-risk populations, their families, and the potential for unintended transmission.
• The club’s approach, standards, and policies to mitigate the risks.

Before leaving home to attend a session, players and club officials should assess whether they have any symptoms of COVID-19, for example, a high temperature or fever, a new continuous cough, new unexplained shortness of breath, loss of taste, or smell etc.
Players and officials should be instructed in communications to stay home and not attend any sessions when they are showing symptoms of COVID-19, or have had close contact with a person with COVID-19.
Information should be communicated by way of email, social media, coach talks, and public announcements where applicable and practicable.
Transportation
Use of public and private transportation to attend club activities
For those attending activities through the use of private transport, discourage the use of car pools to transport participants who do not live in the same household.

For those attending by public transport, consider setting activity times outside of busy hours on public transport. Face coverings should be used on public transport as required by present legislation.
Pre-event (training, social, match)
Arrival of players and officials to venue
Players and team staff should not congregate and should ideally stay in cars until just before the start of the session.

All participants should abide by the policies or procedures implemented by the particular venues with regards to social distancing control measures introduced. These may include reduced or removed use of changing facilities and access to toilet areas. Wherever possible, it is advised that participants arrive to the venue ready to play or train and avoid the use of changing facilities. Where these are necessary, clubs should plan to avoid overcrowding and set up safe, clean, socially distanced spaces for changing.

When arriving at team seating or sideline areas, team staff should disinfect all hard surfaces, such as benches, railings, equipment and equipment racks.

Train all players and staff on appropriate cleaning and disinfection, hand hygiene, and respiratory etiquette. Staff and players should ensure that hand hygiene/sanitisation is being undertaken upon arrival, during and leaving the facility.

Pre-event health checks
Conduct pre-event observation and/or questioning of all players and staff about;
1) The existence of any COVID-19 symptoms in the last 7 days, for example:
• New cough.
• Fever/temperature.
• Unusually short of breath during exercise or at rest.
• Loss of smell.
• Red eyes or sticky eyes.
• New abdominal pain or diarrhoea.
• New blocked/runny nose.
• New unusual fatigue with muscle and joint pains.
• Headache.
• Feeling generally unwell in any other way.
2) That they have not been in contact with a COVID-19 confirmed or suspected case
in the 14 days, and that no one in the same household is unwell.
During event
Particular training activities
The type, duration, layout, and location of the activity should be considered closely.

Training sessions should be designed and pre-planned in advance to ensure that social distancing can be maintained wherever possible and structured to enable adherence to the risk assessment at all times.

Shared use of equipment at training and matches presents a risk of transmitting infection to others
Only equipment deemed as essential should be used during training. Any equipment used by a player should be thoroughly cleaned/sanitised before it can be used again by another person not from the same household.

The use of team shared equipment, (e.g. protective gear, footballs, cones, etc.) should be limited whenever possible to one group of players at a time and sanitised between uses.

Cleaning routines during sessions
Hand sanitiser to be made available by the club for use between play periods, as well as antibacterial wipes for disinfecting player provided equipment, hard surfaces and shared equipment. Additionally, where appropriate, face masks and gloves to be provided to club officials where the risk assessment deems these items necessary, e.g. bagging up of rubbish, whilst cleaning surfaces, etc.

Food and drink
Players and officials to bring their own personalised water bottles to all team activities to help reduce the transmission risk. Individuals should take their own water bottles home
for cleaning and sanitisation. Consider storage/holding area for any bags maintaining
adequate spacing. Ideally, no food should be consumed on site.

Ensuring player conduct reduces risk of transmission
Players and officials must be told to refrain from spitting and the use of chewing gum, both of which can increase the risk of transmission.

Players and officials should refrain from unnecessary physical contact, including handshakes, high fives, chest bumps, group celebrations, etc.

Provision for safe first aid and physio treatment for participants
Consider the first aid provision and arrangements for first aiders and physiotherapists

Formulate a plan of the steps to be taken in the event that a player is injured and requires first aid treatment/attention including the provision of PPE to those who may need to provide the treatment i.e. face masks and/or gloves.
Post-event
Ensure that activity spaces are cleared and waste disposed of safely
Team staff should clean and dispose of all rubbish from player seating or sideline areas when departing sessions using dedicated PPE and refuse sacks to prevent risk of transmission with other user groups.

All pitch furniture, hard surfaces and shared equipment to be cleaned down thoroughly using antibacterial wipes.

Players and officials leaving the venue
Players and team staff should quickly exit the session location after the event and go directly to their cars/public transport without congregating with other players or using changing/shower facilities.

Cleaning of kit and clothing
Wherever practically possible, kit or clothing worn by participants should be taken home by that individual to be laundered after all activities.

Where this is not possible, for instance in the case of football kits, these items should be stored securely in a bag and handled with the use of PPE i.e. face mask or gloves.

Witham Town Football Club

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