By | February 2, 2019

Dear Member

Following the latest government restriction due to Covid 19 your committee had three choices.

To close the site.

To limit attendance to six people.

To keep the site open but with new levels of behavior.

Clearly, keeping the site fully open is the obvious choice but it requires us to follow new guidelines

We had to carry out a risk assessment and needed to put in place a track and trace system.

The risk assessment

This is all about onward transmission through touch/contact. Having already closed the caravan the only other sources of contamination were seen as the gate/lock, the windsock and helping others to fix their model in the pits or hand launching their models.

We can’t do much about the gate/lock except to ask everyone to equip themselves with a personal sanitizer and use it before and after using the gate/lock.

No guest flyers or non flying visitors are allowed

The windsock will be left permanently in place.

Assistance to other members requiring close contact or handling models is now banned.

The Track and Trace system

This is the essential thing that will allow us to continue very much as when we re-opened after lockdown with the modifications noted in the risk assessment above.

We have set up a system to record everyone’s attendance at the site. What is needed to make it work and to conform to the requirements is a bit tedious but essential to ensure our ongoing freedom.

Every member, after visiting the site must send a simple e-mail to Ian (ianpdavis2@sky.com)

just giving the date and times of arrival and departure. If you don’t have access to a computer then a simple phone call giving attendance information will suffice (02380693495). These records will be kept on a 21 day rolling record on a secure computer. Should you develop ANY symptoms of CV19 after attending the site you MUST inform Ian. Clearly if you develop symptoms but have not been to the site please stay away.

Please recognize the seriousness of this procedure and conform.

Failure to do so will result in site closure and potentially a heavy fine.

Finally would every recipient of this message please confirm by e-mail or phone to Ian that they fully understand the new rules and requirements

.

Thank you for your continued support

Your Committee

Dear Member

I’m very aware that the requirements regarding track & trace are a bit of a pain but they are the essential tool to allow us to continue to operate.

I would like to congratulate all of the members who responded to Ian after attending the site on Tuesday.

We believe we had 100% compliance for the day and that the recording system would bear scrutiny by any authorities should they demand to see it.

The committee meeting, we had a couple of weeks ago set out two elements that with hindsight might have been a bit over the top.

The first is the issue of hand launching other people’s models. I’ve decided that provided the model is put on the ground and then picked by the launching assistant after suitably distancing then there is no risk to either party particularly if the assistant sanitizes his hands after the event.

The second item that needs the Boris U turn regards the attendance of a family member.

I discovered after the committee meeting that a number of members for various reasons have to bring their wives to the site.

Reviewing the BMFA guidance it appears acceptable to bring an immediate family member. So that statement in our earlier guidance notes is rescinded.

Rob Pierson

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