Training and Education on COVID-19 Safety Planning is available to all clubs as they complete their return to rugby in 2020.
The COVID-19 Safety Planning Stage is the first and most important stage the IRFU’s Return To Rugby Guidelines For Clubs.
Its objective is to ensure safety measures are taken before activities can resume in rugby clubs.
In order to resume any rugby activity, clubs must complete the COVID-19 Safety Planning Stage and confirm a COVID-19 Club Health & Safety Plan with their province.
COVID-19 Training & Education Resources For Clubs:
- IRFU Return To Rugby Guidelines For Clubs:
The IRFU Return To Rugby Guidelines For Clubs themselves are a comprehensive tool for clubs completing the COVID-19 Safety Planning Stage of their return to rugby.
As well as an overview of the process, they offer general information on coronavirus as well as specific guidelines For players, coaches, parents/guardians & events.
In order to complete the COVID-19 Safety Planning Stage, clubs must complete a COVID-19 Health & Safety Plan, including a risk assessment. There are two key resources within the guidelines to help with this process.
- COVID-19 Health & Safety Plan Template
- COVID-19 Health & Safety Operating Procedures
The COVID-19 Health & Safety Plan Template provides a step by step process for clubs to complete their plan.
It offers clubs complete control in the measures they want to set out while ensuring that all areas are addressed. It has been prepared by industry experts currently specialising in the field of coronavirus risk management.
The COVID-19 Health & Safety Operating Procedures are a companion document to the template and provide examples of best practise in risk management for clubs to use in their planning.
Appointed COVID-19 Club Safety Officers have a wide variety of backgrounds when it comes to health & safety experience. These operating procedures are ideal for officers who may have less expertise, but still needed to be guided by best practise in their approach.
The best advice for clubs is to familiarise themselves with these documents as much as possible for availing of further support.
in a club focused way and give COVID-19 Club Safety Officers with a wide variety of expertise some of the tools they need to
It also includes a number of key documents which will form part of the plan including a risk assessment and necessary declaration forms for members.
- Guidelines For COVID-19 Club Safety Officers and COVID Club Compliance Officers.
Roles, Responsibilities and Guidelines are available for all appointed officers.
All COVID-19 Club Safety Officers must register with their respective COVID-19 Provincial Lead. This will enable them to receive further support for themselves and their club in COVID-19 Safety Planning.
- IRFU Training & Education Webinar
All COVID-19 Club Safety Officers have access to an IRFU Training & Education Webinar.
The purpose of the webinar is to give officers access to experts in the fields of health & safety, law, medicine and rugby ahead of putting COVID-19 safety measures into practice in their club.
Presentations Include:
- IRFU Return To Rugby Guidelines Overview, IRFU COVID-19 Project Team
- Insurance & Liability Overview, IRFU Legal Counsel Sean Brassil
- From The Pitch Out – Making Behaviour Safe In Clubs, IRFU Medical Director Rod McLoughlin
- Best Practise For Safety Planning In Clubs, Eamon O’Boyle and Associates
Experts also address questions submitted directly from clubs.
This Webinar took place on June 9th but is available to all appointed officers.
- Case Studies:
A series of case studies are being prepared to walk clubs through the required steps of completing the COVID-19 Safety Planning Stage. These case studies will be a mix of both expert led and peer-to-peer learning tools.
They will be in both video and written Q&A form and will be available to all clubs.
The first in this series will be:
A Step By Step Guide To Completing a COVID-19 Health & Safety Plan For Rugby Clubs.
Further case studies will be announced in due course.
- COVID-19 Provincial Support
Each COVID-19 Club Safety Officer will have direct access to dedicated support within their province.
Each COVID-19 Club Safety Officer must register with their COVID-19 Provincial Leads as soon as they are appointed in order to avail of support.
Clubs must also confirm to their COVID-19 Provincial Lead that they have completed the COVID-19 Safety Planning Stage before they are permitted to resume any rugby activity.
COVID-19 Provincial Leads also provide dedicated email support for any questions an officer may have throughout the process. Answers to a range of frequently asked questions are readily available with further access available to additional industry expertise where necessary.
- Sport Ireland
Sport Ireland are also providing a number of training & support resources to the sector in relation to Covid19.
They will making an online version of their “COVID-19 Compliance Officer Training” available to clubs.
Published June 5th 2020/Updated June 11th 2020