COVID-19 advice for course maintenance

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COVID-19 advice for course maintenance: What is classed as ‘essential maintenance’ during the Covid-19 outbreak? The R&A and BIGGA have had their say.

How much maintenance does a golf course really need during the coronavirus pandemic?

After the Government put new curbs on personal movement as the outbreak intensified, greenkeeping teams were advised by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport they could still attend work for “security and essential maintenance purposes”.

That led the body that represents greenkeepers, the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association, to urgently seek clarification on what ‘essential’ actually meant. Now the R&A, in conjunction with BIGGA, have given their view. Here is the statement in full…

Essential Maintenance Statement for Golf Courses during COVID-19 Outbreak

The following industry statement sets out a reduced, essential maintenance regime for greenkeeping that protects workers, jobs and secures golfing facilities for the physical and mental wellbeing of millions of golfers who will resume play when social distancing rules are ended. The UK’s £2bn GVA golf industry is only sustainable if greenkeepers continue to work, safely and securely.

Our industry statement outlines those treatments considered essential for the safe maintenance a golf course during the current government restrictions. It is accepted that golf courses exist in many different forms, on many different soil types and in differing landscapes and that this guidance may require adaptation.

Working practices

The primary consideration must be the health and wellbeing of greenkeeping staff. All golf facilities should implement stringent measures to ensure staff members are not at risk. The amount of time that greenkeeping staff are at work should be kept to a minimum and be tailored to fit with the agreed essential maintenance programme.

Measures should include but are not limited to:

  • Focus on hygiene and social distancing
  • Ensure staff members work separately
  • Allocate individual machinery to one worker only
  • If multiple staff on site, then stagger working hours and break times
  • Limit or prohibit use of communal areas
  • Regularly disinfect any surface that is contacted e.g. door handles, fuel pumps, communal machinery
  • Ensure there is a robust lone working policy

Mowing

Greens should be mown according to the rate of growth to a maximum of three times per week. Dew removal should be considered on non-mowing days as required to prevent disease spread.

Tees and green surrounds should be mown according to the rate of growth to a maximum of once per week.

Fairways should be mown according to the rate of growth to a maximum of once per week.

Managed roughs and grass paths should be mown according to need to a maximum of once every two weeks (fortnightly). Only roughs considered to be in direct play should be mown allowing for naturalisation to areas largely out of play.

The height of cut adopted for all these areas is site specific but the elevation of the cutting height on fine turf areas is advised to minimise unnecessary stress on the turf. The aim of the above operations is to maintain uniformity, density, texture and health to allow surfaces to be quickly brought back to an appropriate playing standard once play resumes.

Irrigation and Nutrition

Irrigation and nutrition should be carried out as necessary but with the objectives of keeping the turf alive, maintaining a full sward and preventing turf thinning. Avoid excesses of either input which will only serve to promote unnecessary growth and necessitate more maintenance.

Machinery and Equipment Maintenance

This should be carried out as required to ensure that essential equipment is kept safe and operational.

Operations such as maintaining bunkers, penalty areas, wider practice facilities (other than greens and tees), aeration, top dressing and spraying are not considered essential at this time. However, it is conceivable that occasional spraying to control an acute pest, weed or disease problem may be considered essential at times and in some circumstances.

Updates

Given the fluidity of the current situation there may be a requirement to update and re-issue this guidance in respect of future government advice.

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ECB – Coronavirus and Grounds Maintenance

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ECB – Coronavirus and Grounds Maintenance: For the avoidance of doubt, due to the developing nature of the outbreak, all grounds teams must ensure that they are monitoring relevant Government and Public Health England (PHE) sites which may change and therefore have an impact on the contents of this document which is correct as of the morning of 25 March 2020.

https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance

Should you decide that essential members of your grounds staff should continue to look after your facilities during this period of social isolation and are able to do so whilst keeping to the Government’s guidance, please be aware of several things that you should consider doing to minimise the impact of the virus on your teams and your business.

Things to think about with regards to your grounds:

  1. 1Public gatherings and use of facilities are suspended.
  2. Await ECB announcements regarding any regular cricket participation and return to business as usual activities.
  3. Avoid travel unless absolutely necessary.
  4. Most of what you do naturally means that you are physically distanced from one another anyway, however, you will need to be particularly mindful of those points where you are not.
  5. If you are a manager of others then do consider how to maintain effective communication.
  6. Do your own risk assessment. (For businesses with five or more employees, you are required to formally document risk assessments). When you have decided on the measures you are to take then record it, communicate it and stick to it. It is very important to consider your own working habits and setting and to assess where the risk of transmission is.
  7. Ensure that all surfaces and equipment are cleaned thoroughly as per government advice. Surface transmission is recognised now as the major source of spread and which can occur after prolonged periods.
  8. Do ensure that the right type of products are available for hand care.
  9. Some people may have drastically increased their hand washing habits and may be at risk from dermatitis. Barrier creams and skin moisturisers should be available as well as hand cleansers anyway but check and make sure people know how to use them properly. Hands are the main cause of the spread of the virus.
  10. Do consider splitting your people into distinct groups of essential workers who never come into contact with each other, ideally not more than two people at a time. This would include staggered shifts/days worked, break times or even separate rest areas. This way, if one member of the team catches the virus and those around them need to self-isolate, the other team pairs will be able to operate.
  11. Do maintain a minimum distance of two metres from each other, including at break times. If the weather is suitable then take the opportunity to take breaks outside. Do ensure that there is enough shade available to sit out of the sun if they wish to and that they can do so whilst maintaining their distance.
  12. Do not continue with tasks that require larger team efforts, such as pulling large flat sheet covers. Either use smaller covers or stop using them at all if it cannot be done safely with divided resources.
  13. Avoid using communal areas including clubhouses, toilets and kitchens unless absolutely necessary. If these are necessary, enforce heightened general hygiene measures in rest areas and communal areas. Establish regular (after each use) cleaning for all work surfaces, kettles, microwaves and sink areas etc. using disinfectant sprays.
  14. Cleaning cloths should only be used once before being properly washed in a hot cycle washing machine. Alternatively, use disposable wipes or blue-roll type products instead.
  15. Do not communally use mugs, plates, bowls etc and do make sure that each person has their own items with their name on or wash items in a dishwasher at a high temperature.
  16. Where essential to use changing facilities, you should bring your own towels and showering/changing items.
  17. Do establish a culture of cleaning machines thoroughly immediately after use, i.e. wash the machine down and disinfect the handles, grass boxes etc. Products such as kennel disinfectants are sold in bulk and are a cheap and effective way of doing this (and many of them smell nice!)
  18. Do make sure that you have suitable sprayers with which to apply the products and wipe down with blue roll or similar.
  19. Continue with normal best practice operations such as:
    a) Mowing would ideally take place regularly. A good rule of thumb to allow mowing operations to be kept to a minimum would be not removing more that 1/3rd of the leaf in any one operation.
    b) Mowing heights can be raised by around 1/3rd of normal summer heights without ill effects but turf would ideally be maintained at no more than 25mm/1inch or else turf density would be reduced.
    c) Growth regulators may be used to reduce the speed of grass growth, and hence reduce the frequency of cutting, but only where a suitably qualified person is available to apply them.
    d) Watering the turf would ideally continue, as needed, to prevent wilting or surface cracking.
    e) Fertilisation will still be necessary, if possible, in order to maintain the sort of relatively dense and resilient turf needed for cricket. Inputs of nitrogen could be reduced by somewhere in the region of one third to half of normal rates in order to control excess top growth and limit the likelihood of disease where monitoring of the surfaces is less frequent.
    f) Verticutting of squares and aeration of outfields is important, but only if you are able to do so whilst keeping within the Government’s guidance and adhering to the spirit of what we are being asked to do as a society.
    g) Removing the tops from domed covers and storing any flat sheets will protect them whilst not in use.
  20. Consider what will happen should we all be asked to stay at home.
  21. Individuals must not be at work if:
    a) they exhibit any potential symptoms; and/or
    b) they have been in contact with anybody exhibiting potential symptoms of coronavirus within the past 14 days.​

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
NHS COVID-19 Advice

An assumption throughout this document is that any ground staff member required at any work does not meet the current government guidance for self- isolation (as of 23 March 2020), per the PHE link included above.

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Living every cricket lover’s dream

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Living every cricket lover’s dream: Just like the players, Karl McDermott would now be entering the final stage of his preparations for the English cricket season.

As head groundsman at Lord’s, he would have an eye on April 12, when Middlesex were due to open their campaign against Worcestershire.

Instead, he is “living every cricket lover’s dream” — he is in the middle of a Lord’s lockdown.

But for a few security guards and construction workers rebuilding the Compton and Edrich Stands, and the couple of other on-site residents, including his five-month-old daughter, he has the run of the Home of Cricket.

Not that it makes his working life easier. Normally, he would head up a team of eight groundstaff. As they all take public transport to work, they have been told to stay away for the time being.

Between them, they would take two hours to mow the pristine outfield. On his own, it takes McDermott two days.

“It’s like the good old days of club groundsmanship, trying to survive on your own,” he said. “It’s working out what you can do.

“Generally, I get up and give the square a roll early, about 7.30am, which takes two-and-a-half hours, then I tick off the longer jobs during the day.

“In one sense it’s nice not having cricket, you don’t have to put the covers on and things like that.”

That is not the only positive, of course.

“It is quite liberating,” he said. “I’m not getting many phone calls or emails, I don’t have to go to any meetings. It’s me managing my day and watching the world go by.

“The nice weather is making my days go a lot quicker and is enjoyable. It’s not your typical wet and windy pre-season — that would be miserable on my own.

“The fact I have somewhere to walk around is great. We have just had a baby, so we don’t have to go out to take her for a little stroll, so that’s quite nice as well. It’s probably every cricket lover’s dream to be locked inside Lord’s!”

McDermott has spoken to groundsmen across the grassroots game worried about the impact the current situation will have on both their pitches and their clubs, with uncertainty over when the game will return at any level.

Professional cricket is currently not scheduled to be played until June at the earliest. McDermott is still preparing as if England’s Test match against the West Indies on June 25 will go ahead.

“It’s the same uncertainty that everyone feels right now, we are in limbo, when we can get the guys back in safely, or how much notice we will get that cricket is back.

“It’s a case of trying to stay ahead, so there’s as little catch-up as possible when we are all guns blazing. No matter when, we will be ready.”

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Greenkeepers still able to work

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Greenkeepers still able to work: Following the Prime Minister’s curbs to fight coronavirus, greenkeepers can still attend work for ‘security and essential maintenance purposes’

But all work “must be carried out in accordance with government guidelines on social distancing”, and the association that represents the profession is seeking further guidance on what that means.

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, on Monday evening imposed strict new curbs on movement in a bid to stop the spread of the virus.

The restrictions insisted people must stay at home except for medical needs, daily exercise, shopping for basic necessities and travel to and from essential work. He added that police would be given the powers to enforce those rules.

That announcement led to England Golf instructing all clubs, courses and facilities to close, while Scottish Golf asked all golfers to “refrain from playing” until further notice.

The body which represents greenkeepers, the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), subsequently sought government clarification on whether it was appropriate for “limited and cautious maintenance of golf courses to take place”.

England Golf issued a brief statement, which said: “In order to provide clarification for golf clubs following on from the Prime Minister’s statement of 23 March, we are able to inform you of the following: For security and essential maintenance purposes, greenkeeping staff can still attend work.”

And in an email to members, BIGGA chief executive Jim Croxton said the association was now seeking “further clarification urgently” on what essential maintenance would entail.

He wrote: “Following the Prime Minister’s announcement on Monday evening that the country is effectively in ‘lockdown’, we have been working hard to obtain clarification as to what that means in practice for our members, many of whom are looking for reassurances with regards their careers and income.

“It is an unprecedented time for us all and firstly I want to reaffirm the message that our members’ health and that of their families come first.

“Today we have received the following information from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS): ‘For security and essential maintenance reasons greens staff can still attend work.’

“This is, I believe, only partial clarification. It permits greenkeepers to work on essential maintenance but does not clarify what that means. We are naturally seeking further clarification urgently.

“At this moment BIGGA is working tirelessly for our members; we’re working closely with our golf industry partners to get further clarification from government and also to support all those people in the golf industry that are affected by the crisis.”

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Perennial prepares for increase in demand

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Perennial prepares for increase in demand: Perennial is the safety net for people in the horticulture industry and are here to help anyone working in, or retired from any job involving trees, plants, flowers or grass.

As the effects of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continue to evolve for the whole industry, including everyone working in turf or groundscare, Perennial is urging anyone who is worried or has questions about how it will affect them, or their family, to get in touch. The team’s clear message is ‘we’re in this together’ and wants everyone in the industry to know they are there to support you. Perennial’s helpline is operating as usual on 0800 093 8543 or visit www.perennial.org.uk for the latest updates.  

Julia Hayne, Director of Services at Perennial, says: 

“We know people are worried; it’s only natural to be concerned about your own health, your ability to continue working and to support your family. We’re here to reassure, advise and help you through the coming weeks and months. We all need to work together on this. We are all facing unprecedented challenges as we adjust to new ways of working and Perennial is determined to remain available and active for everyone we help.” 

Perennial has a range of support services online and its advisers are available by phone, email or video call free of charge and in complete confidence. The online budgeting tool can be used to help understand finances and makes it simple to see what is coming in and out, with useful hints and tips to support you to adjust to changes in income. Perennial’s online mental health network, launched earlier this year in partnership with Big White Wall, can help everyone maintain their mental wellbeing.  

Perennial’s team of professional, highly trained caseworkers and debt advisers can:  

  1. help people understand and get access to government arrangements for financial  support 
  1. help people make arrangements to reduce or delay bill payments, including credit debts where necessary 
  1. provide financial assistance to cover essential items, particularly food and heating 

Peter Newman, Perennial’s Chief Executive, says:  

“In these unprecedented circumstances many people will be anxious about both the present and the future. For 180 years Perennial has stood alongside people in horticulture and our unswerving determination is to continue to be available to help through these difficult days.” 

Over the last few days Perennial’s whole workforce has responded to the evolving government guidance and will continue to monitor daily updates and promote the clear home-working, self-isolation and social distancing guidelines. The charity’s gardens at York Gate near Leeds and Fullers Mill near Bury St Edmunds will not now open as planned, and all volunteer activity has been suspended until further notice. Peter Newman continues: 

“The focus of the whole Perennial team is now on meeting the practical and social needs of people in horticulture, as the entire country faces up to the COVID-19 challenge, and its aftermath.” 

Perennial’s team of advisers all work from home and are available for phone calls, emails and video calls. Perennial are posting daily updates to an information hub on their website giving people up to date information on how you can manage your current situation, how Perennial can support individuals affected by the pandemic and links to other organisations who may be able to help. To keep up to date with new information as it emerges, follow Perennial on social media or sign up to the charity’s e-newsletters. If you have any concerns about how Coronavirus COVID-19 will affect you or your family, Perennial can be contacted by phone on: 0800 093 8543 or visit www.perennial.org.uk/coronavirus for further information.  

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