Guidelines for the provision of Canoeing Ireland awards training and assessment, during COVID 19 Pandemic.

This is guidance for Instructors and Instructor Developers for the provision of Canoeing Ireland awards. These guidelines are not meant to supersede any Government guidelines on the measures to be taken to curtail COVID 19. Please Ensure that you are following all necessary guidelines and that you keep up to date with any changes that may occur.

The purpose of these guidelines is to offer some clarification and guidance for the providers of the awards, and to give some direction for the guideline as they pertain to Paddle sports and the provision of training/assessment within the awards framework.

Please note that these guidelines are speaking in general terms and it will not be able to cover every eventuality or manage every outcome that may occur due to the nature of paddle sports and the many variables that affect it. If in doubt about any of the guidance offered , please use a common-sense approach and make effective risk-based decisions as to your own needs and the needs of the participants. As always, do everything that is feasibly possible to ensure that you and your participants are as safe as they can be.

Canoeing Ireland would strongly recommend that every Instructor or Instructor Developer partake in the online Sport Ireland COVID 19 return to sport online e-learning course.

https://www.sportireland.ie/covid19/course

This course will provide you with all the general info around COVID 19 return to sport protocols and also has some useful resources and signage that you can use.

In summary Canoeing Ireland recommends that these guidelines should be followed in the provision of awards training and assessment.

Here is some guidance related to paddle sports awards training and assessment

  • Do not allow anyone who has symptoms commonly related to COVID-19 attend an awards training or assessment
  • All participants should follow published hygiene protocols.
  • Awards skills training is considered contact training and the guidelines associated with contact training should be followed. Close contact should be kept to a minimum in rescue practice, the teaching of rescue techniques should be altered to accommodate this.
  • Minimise the use of indoor facilities in training and maintain social distancing when indoors and/or use face coverings.
  • Cleaning of shared or group equipment is essential pre and post activity.
  • When off the water social distancing and all other guidelines should be adhered to.
  • In real first aid or rescue situation please follow the guidance of PHECC (see attached doc).
  • Poor water quality can increase the transmission of COVID 19. Avoid Poor water quality areas especially areas where wastewater contamination is known to occur.

Remembers these simple headings

  • BE SAFE
  • BE CLEAN (hygiene and cleaning protocols)
  • BE CLEAR (social distancing minimise close contact)
  • IF IN DOUBT DON’T GO OUT
  • BE RESPONSIBLE (consider your actions and your potential as a vector for COVID 19 transmission).

Canoeing Ireland appreciates that our Instructors are passionate about passing on their love for paddle sports and we encourage all of you to rely on training and your ability to risk assess and take account of ever changing variables and view COVID 19 as a serious risk that we as Instructors have to mitigate.

If you have any further questions or need clarification on any of the guidance offered in this email please contact development@canoe.ie