Updated: COVID-19 Guidance from 19 July 2021 (England)

Monday 19 July 2021

To download a PDF version of the updated Guidance for England click below:

Competitors, Multicar Preparers, Officials, Marshals, Recovery and Rescue

The contents of the guidance have been carefully considered in light of the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic and current UK Government guidelines. Requirements made within Motorsport UK events are centred around the importance of keeping our events and community safe from transmission of the disease and allowing all persons involved to feel ultimately safe and comfortable. 

This document supersedes the previously published guidance for events in England.  Any club or organiser may however continue with the previously published guidance or parts thereof, in lieu of this document.   

Within your roles, you will be governed by our guidelines explained below. The following criteria details reasonable and practical steps to safeguard the health and safety of everyone working together in relation to COVID-19. 

Health Declaration 

  • You are not required to complete a Health Declaration; however, we do request that you monitor your own health and wellbeing, stay aware of potential COVID-19 symptoms, and do not attend the event if you suspect any illness 
  • If you develop COVID-19 symptoms at any time, please report it immediately to the club COVID Officer via mobile phone and leave the premises, with as little contact with other individuals as possible 
  • Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms must not attend any events, or if on site, leave and self-isolate immediately 
  • If you are identified as a close contact of a COVID-19 positive person, do not attend the site. If already at the event, leave and self-isolate immediately 

Clinically Vulnerable 

  • Please refer to the government guidance on protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable HERE  

COVID-19 Testing 

Social Distancing 

  • Whilst the public are now not required to social distance, we encourage our members to maintain their distance from other individuals outside of their social bubble to avoid becoming a close contact of COVID-19. 
  • A close contact is defined as: 
  • Anyone who lives in the same household with another person who has COVID-19 symptoms or has tested positive for COVID-19 
  • Someone who has had any of the following contact with a person that has tested positive for COVID-19:
  • Face-to-face contact under 1m, including being coughed on, or having face-to-face conversation 
  • Been within 1m for one minute or longer without face-to-face contact 
  • Been within 2m of someone for more than 15 minutes (either as a one-off contact, or added up in total over one day) 

Track and Trace 

  • Organisers are encouraged to continue retaining details of participants where practicable 

Face Coverings 

  • We strongly encourage face coverings to be worn in high density areas, all public areas, indoor settings – except when eating or drinking 
  • Individuals may choose to wear a mask and officials in certain circumstances may request that you do so, and these situations/requests must be respected 
  • See international traveller section below 

Cleaning and Hand Hygiene 

  • Wash hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds regularly, and before eating, drinking, or touching the face 
  • Sanitise hands before and after handling equipment or shared objects 
  • Ensure regular cleaning of work items with enhanced attention to touch points in working areas 
  • Radios should continue to be sanitised at pick-up and drop-off due to aerosol risks 

Ventilation 

  • Ensure windows and non-fire doors are kept open whenever possible to enhance flow of fresh air 
  • Make sure ventilation systems are kept running, as they run fresh air through the buildings from the outside 
  • Any necessary contact activity should be outside if possible; COVID-19 virus particles disperse most efficiently in open air

Signing on and self-declaration 

  • Each individual club can now choose their preferred approach to signing-on and self-declaration  
  • Signing-on and self-declarations by the use of paper copies before the event is permitted, however we strongly encourage the use of online signing-on systems  
  • Clubs are permitted to generate a self-declaration form to accommodate for their discipline needs. If this is the case the form must contain the Motorsport UK declaration and required fields unmodified. Additional information is permitted  

Pre-Event Scrutineering 

  • The format of scrutineering can now be decided by each individual club, allowing the return of the pre COVID-19 Scrutineering format, or amending the current approach by increasing the number of cars scrutineered on the event but no less than 10% 
  • All Competitors must continue to submit a pre-event Declaration 

On-Event Documentation 

  • While we encourage that electronic document exchange remains, organisers may revert to printed documentation where it is considered appropriate 

Marshals, Scrutineers, Clerks and Stewards 

  • Marshal posts and Scrutineering teams can return to full capacity in all disciplines 
  • Radio Marshals can return to using one vehicle during the event, it is recommended windows are open where possible to increase ventilation and radio sanitisation applies as above  
  • Scrutineers are permitted to carry out Safety and Technical checks with physical contact on the equipment. We encourage the use of hand sanitizer before and after handling the competitor’s equipment  
  • Track Inspections must continue to be undertaken by the Clerk of the Course who will report back to the Event Steward(s) 

COVID-19 Officer 

  • The role of COVID-19 Officer can now be undertaken by the Meeting Steward(s) who will include their observations within their submitted report. A briefing document supplied to the Motorsport UK Steward will be copied to the Organiser. Where a Motorsport UK Steward is not appointed for an event, the Clerk of Course can take on this role. 

Trainee Scrutineers, Marshals, Clerks and Stewards 

  • Trainee Officials are now permitted to attend events to continue their on-event training and carry out their upgrade assessments, this includes entering Race Control and other areas in a shadowing capacity 

Vehicle Occupancy / Driver Changes 

  • It is strongly recommended that a record of occupants sharing a vehicle be retained and contact areas be sanitised between driver/occupant changes 

Alcohol Testing 

  • Organisers wishing to undertake breathalyser tests should do so only where single use apparatus are used under sanitised conditions 

International Travellers  

  • International Travelers and holders of a Motorsport UK Travel Exemption Letter will be required to socially distance from non-participants of a meeting and wear a Face Covering/Mask when social distancing is not possible 
  • Garages or hospitality areas must be restricted access separating the international traveller from spectators, or individuals not within the team. This can be done using tape or barriers.  

Spectators 

  • Spectators are now permitted to attend events; however, we encourage reducing the mixing of the spectators and competitors by keeping both bubbles separate where possible