Guidance on hygiene
Maintaining basic good hygiene standards at our events is important because the risk of a communicable disease spreading quickly amongst the participants and event team is a possibility and this could ruin, or even end, someone’s race.
By communicable disease we are primarily referring to diseases that cause diarrhoea and vomiting, and these are most often caused by poor personal hygiene practices such as not washing hands after using the portable toilets.
Our events pose some special risks because of the close proximity of the participants and event team ‘living together’ at the overnight camps and sharing facilities such as the portable toilets and tented accommodation. Additionally, because full washing facilities are limited in an expedition racing environment, keeping clean requires a bit more effort than normal, which can be hard to muster after a gruelling day of running.
We hope that this brief guidance article will reassure participants that we consider these risks carefully and provide some insight into why we have certain rules at the event. We also hope that by reading this article everyone involved in the event will be reminded of the importance of their personal hygiene regime.
The close proximity of the participants and event team ‘living together’ at the overnight camps means that excellent hygiene standards are vital ©No Limits Photography
Our responsibilities as the event organiser
Ensure an updated risk assessment for communicable disease at the event is completed and that the event management plan is up to date based on the risk assessment results.
Provide a guidance article for participants and event team members on good hygiene practice (you are reading it!).
Ensure that a Food Safety Management System is in place to manage and monitor all aspects for catering provided at the event. This includes providing only vegetarian and vegan food (i.e. no meat and fish) which substantially reduces certain risks, ensuring that food is stored and transported in appropriate specialist refrigerated and/or freezer vehicles, and ensuring that all catering staff hold a minimum qualification and maintain the highest standards of personal cleanliness that we would expect from professional caterers.
Ensure that water provided at the overnight camps is potable. When participants are expected to source their own water (for example on the course) - this is made very clear pre-event.
Ensure that wastewater from washing and catering is disposed of appropriately.
To always provide adequate dish washing and hand washing facilities for participants and the event team.
Ensure that all catering areas (the kitchen, mess tent etc.) are kept clean and tidy at all times.
We will ensure that water provided at the overnight camps is potable ©No Limits Photography
Your responsibilities as a participant
We will take reasonable measures to protect our event staff and participants from communicable diseases whilst participating in the event. However, we need all to cooperate with us to achieve this. We insist that:
You should ALWAYS wash hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, and dry them thoroughly, or use hand sanitiser:
before eating or handling food
after using the toilet
after coughing, sneezing, blowing your nose
If you feel unwell or have any diarrhoea or vomiting symptoms please report to the medical team for advice and assessment.
You should never handle any food that is provided to you by the catering team until it is on your plate i.e. do not reach over to pick up a slice of cake, the catering team will serve this to you.
Coughs and sneezes should be covered with disposable tissues or by coughing/sneezing into your elbow.
Used tissues should be disposed of in an appropriate bin immediately after use.
All our catering staff hold a minimum qualification and maintain the highest standards of personal cleanliness that we would expect from catering professionals ©No Limits Photography