Illness Prevention Policy

First, and most importantly, if you are sick, please STAY HOME. The biggest sources of infection are people who are unwell, and what might be a small sniffle for you could be a career-ending event for someone who is trying to make a national team, or a life-threatening event if someone picks up a bug and takes it home to a sick relative with a compromised immune system. If in doubt, please err on the side of caution and stay home. If you show up to a practice sick, you will most likely be sent home immediately (this includes parents / drivers!).

Another common cause of infection is through direct and indirect bodily contact. Whilst we take precautions to keep our equipment clean through regular washing, the use of antiviral wipes and such, if you are using shared equipment, you are very strongly encouraged to be proactive in your own welfare by taking precautions. For example, you might consider bringing hand sanitizer with you, and using it regularly throughout practices – shaking hands is something that tends to happen frequently at practices since it is integral to bouting, so good hand hygiene is vital. You might also consider bumping gloved hands rather than shaking ungloved hands in order to minimise contact within the club environment.

If you choose to bring your own antiviral / antibacterial wipes or sprays, please ensure that they are unscented, and are hypoallergenic. Remember that Lysol and other cleaning products are toxic when inhaled. Many cleaning products recommend at least 4 hours delay between cleaning and use, so please be careful, and check with any of the coaching staff before using cleaning products on club equipment.

If you are concerned about using shared equipment, please consider purchasing your own. Our staff will happily make recommendations, or you can check out the vendor websites in our links section.

Plastic water bottles have also been identified as a potential risk, so please only use water bottles which you can clean thoroughly. Disposable plastic bottles should only be used once and then recycled. Water bottles should never be shared, even between family members.

If you have any questions about any of the above, please don’t hesitate to talk with any of our coaching staff.

Thank you for your cooperation with keeping our club, and all of our fencers, healthy!