Now that we face another lockdown we have discussed how we should proceed
with work parties.
From the first national lockdown we cancelled all work parties except:
- where there was a safety issue if work had stopped and
- where volunteers worked on their own.
This remained until the end of May when easing was announced.
We poured over construction industry guidance regarding COVID-19 and opened
up work parties again to those volunteers who wanted to return:
- in work parties of no more than three
- no use of shelters for tea breaks etc
- no sharing of tools or plant unless they could be thoroughly disinfected.
On establishing through June that this worked, we also invited our Duke of Edinburgh youngsters back in early July. We are confident that we have worked safely throughout.
What now?
Again a number of us have pored over the latest guidance: from Government,
from the construction industry, from IWA, from The Office for Civil Society and
from other canal restoration groups, and have decided that, should there be no
further detail forthcoming which would change our decision, we will continue as
in the last few months but, of course, stressing that no volunteers should feel in
any way obliged to return.
LHCRT Directors 5th November 2020
