Latest Guidance
I attach our revised protocol for boating from TSS, with changes in red. This coming weekend is the first time these changes will be implemented and the Senior men’s and Women’s and Junior men’s and women’s squads return to sculling as groups. We are not quite sure how this will work, so in order to leave the early mornings when most people have been preferring to go out free we have scheduled these groups as follows
Saturday
Senior men 11.00 to 14.00
Junior men 15.00 to 18.00
Sunday
Senior Women 11.00 to 14.00
Junior women 15.00 to 18.00
Please can everyone leave these periods free until 4 hours before the time shown, by when the groups should have booked slots in those periods, after that any free are available for anyone to use. We’ll see how this goes and then assess how to sort it for the following weeks. In changing the booking slot timings some previous bookings got lost, they were reinstated but subsequently disappeared again, but we don’t know why, apologies for this can those who booked rebook please.
Revised protocol as follows
The latest British rowing advice relaxes the rules around sculling a little bit but it makes little fundamental difference, and all must continue to follow the protocol below. If you cannot follow any part of it then you cannot go out, in particular you must be able and ready to self-rescue as described.
With more people now going out as the Senior squads return to active sculling there are some changes and they are highlighted in red, please do read these whether you have been going out or not. The main change is that launches are now allowed out so we will be returning to doing some limited coaching, all those using a launch must have read and follow the mitigating measures set out in the attached risk assessment, and must have advised the Safety Adviser and got his agreement to go out before they first do so. Coaches are responsible for ensuring that the measures in the risk assessment are complied with. The other change is that slots for going out have been reduced to 15 mins to enable more people to get out. We will review how this goes but it does mean when you come in wash and put your boat away quickly. The important thing to do when you come in is to wash your boat with soap and water to minimise the risk of infecting anyone else, if it doesn’t get hosed down that’s a lesser problem.
General
• There is no entry to the boathouse or boatshed and changing rooms. except that necessary to access your boat and blades and get them out, and to access the toilets if really necessary, although you should try to avoid using the toilets wherever possible. Access to toilets should be by a maximum of two people at a time ensuring social distancing, cleaning all door handles with soap and water as is done with boatshed doors. No one else should enter until the initial two have left. If you encounter anyone on the stairs leaving the toilets, please go back downstairs and wait outside socially distancing until they have exited the building. The toilets must be cleaned before and after use using the paper roll and cleaning agents provided for the seat and handle and the toilet cleaner as directed by NHS guidelines below.
NHS guidelines on Toilets and wash basins
Keep the U-bend and toilet bowl clean by flushing after each use and use a toilet cleaner agent
Close the toilet lid before flushing
Keep the toilet seat, handle and rim clean by using a disinfectant and paper roll as provided
The washbasins and taps can be used, but again should be cleaned before and after use with soapy water/spray disinfectant as provided.
Travel to the club in your own transport, preferred cycle or walk, not public, transport.
We are limiting the number of people on site at any one time. Those who want to come down must book a 15 min slot for boating and another for coming ashore
• Anyone with any sort of illness must not come down, if you have any form however minor of cough, fever, cold do not come down.
• You must not stop and talk with others on site. If before or after an outing you wish to chat then go off TSS land and do so there.
• Follow Social distancing rules at all times.
• Only use of single sculls is permitted, except that those who have been living together or are in the same “bubble” may use doubles/pairs or fours/quads. You may scull on your own or with others for safety.
• Anyone going out sculling must have completed and passed the Tideway steering test and be considered by your coordinator to be a competent sculler. If you are not sure if you passed the test please contact the Captain on captain@tidewayscullers.com if you are not sure whether your coordinator/coach considers you competent contact them.
• It has been several weeks since rowing was allowed, do not overexert yourself in the first few outings and check your boat is fully functional before going out
Most of those returning to sculling after a long break will get bad blisters and slide bites, please be very careful not to get these infected. The mid-summer river is not the cleanest time of year, and if you scull with open sores it’s very easy to get these infected and the consequences can be very serious, especially if you get Sepsis. Keep wounds clean and limit what you do in the first few outings.
• The lack of boat activity on waterways has allowed nature to reclaim habitats. Take care to avoid the disturbance of nesting birds and other wildlife that may have returned to the water. (You can be prosecuted for this!)
• If anyone has been down and subsequently falls ill with Covid 19 they must tell Chris Williams on 07785 288347, by call or text. He will then advise anyone else who was down at that time. If anyone has been in close enough contact with the person who falls ill to be potentially infected then we will require them to not come down for 14 days.
Specific procedure
• You must arrive at the club within your allocated time slot. You must have a reliable watch with you so you return in the prescribed period.
• You need to bring soap/detergent and a cloth with you. We suggest washing up liquid, hand soap and all purpose cleaner.
• On arrival you must wash your hands using soap and water, use the taps by the boathouse. Then as you enter the bike cage, boathouse or boatshed wash the handle of the door you are going in through, operate the door then wash it behind you. When operating the chains on the boathouse bay doors wash them as best you can and wash your hands before and afterwards
• Scull handles must be washed with soap and water before and after outings, even your own
• Wash your boat sculls and trestles down afterwards, try and ensure that anywhere you have sweated is especially clean so if anyone else does touch it then infection is minimised.
• Use of club singles and sculls which you have permission to use (check with your coach or coordinator if in doubt) is allowed but must be very carefully washed with soap and water afterwards. Club singles for general use are listed on the google doc
· Launches must be handled as prescribed in the Covid 19 risk assessment attached to this email.
• Look at this to see how this should all be done. https://youtu.be/yjtzYmISr4A
Security
• We need to be closing the doors of the boathouse and boatshed when on the water unless you are aware of another group going out as soon as you leave. Please be really vigilant about this, thieves are seeing strange ways of working as an opportunity, SPGS had an engine stolen we cannot afford to have this happen!
Safety
• Before you leave home tell someone how long you expect to be and which way you will scull
· Either Sign out in the book and back in again when you come in. There are books in the boathouse and boatshed. Wash your hands before and after use.
· Or use your phone to highlight the box with your name on the google doc to show you have gone out and then again when you come back in.
· Do a proper risk assessment before you go out, think about what happens when the tide turns, is the wind rising, will it get dark etc.
· Keep a really good lookout, there are less people around to warn you, you must be looking around and navigate in the right place.
· Take a phone with you if you can and/or scull with someone else who can help you if in difficulty. If you need help call 999 and ask for the coastguard. If you need a waterproof wallet there are some in the boatshed in a box.
· If you capsize you must self-rescue your boat to the bank. Turn the boat the right way up pushing down on the rigger on your side of the boat. Work your way to the bows holding on to the boat then swim to whichever bank is easiest to access in the stream. If you are not happy doing this then don’t go out. Your safety is your responsibility, there is unlikely to be anyone else to help you.