Colleagues

Board and E&CC Minutes have indicated that it is their intention to both assure external bodies and meet British Orienteering Insurance requirements that all Event Officials – Organiser, Planner, and Controller – have attended an Event Safety & Welfare Workshop by 1st January 2017. Initially there was a deadline set of 1st January 2016 but this would have not been feasible so the deadline was set at least 15 months from the E&CC and Board decisions. Please note that the ES&W Workshop module is available upon request from the National Office and can be delivered to groups of varying numbers – I have both experienced and heard of a three hour Workshop sessions on a Saturday from 09:30 to 12:30 for over two dozen ranging from those with Level A Event experience to Club members soon to organise a Level D Event, and a mid-week evening ES&W Workshop for half a dozen Club members from 18:30 to 21:30 – the important point is that the ES&W Workshops can be arranged to fit in with the availability of members of British Orienteering to attend a practical, very worthwhile, and essential ‘O’ training opportunity.

It is equally essential that all Event Officials at whatever Level meet the deadline of 1st January 2017. Please ensure that all of your members are aware that this is a requirement in order to protect, as far as is humanly possible, all Event Officials and all competitors, and a requirement which is also linked to the important task of fully completing the Risk Assessment and making it available by prominently displaying it at Events, together with information regarding First Aid and Hospital/A&E/Walk-In availability and location.

The wording in Appendix C: Event Officials will also need to be amended to meet the 1st January 2017 requirement re ES&W Workshop attendance for all Event Officials at British Orienteering registered Events.

Ernie Williams