Motorsport UK to provide £50,000 of PPE to support its officials during motorsport’s restart

Published: 10/06/2020

Motorsport UK, the governing body for four-wheeled motorsport in the UK, has announced the provision of a complimentary supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the value of £50,000 to support events through the initial phase of motorsport’s restart from 4th July.

The PPE will be distributed to all Motorsport UK licensed Rescue and Recovery units, and to registered clubs with an event permit issued during July and August.

This introductory supply of PPE is intended to assist Clubs and Licensed Rescue/Recovery operators who may be experiencing difficulties with sourcing appropriate equipment due to increased market demand.

Furthermore, Motorsport UK will be providing individual pocket hand sanitiser to all officials working at its events.

Motorsport UK has consulted extensively with the healthcare professionals from its Medical Committee, and considered the guidance provided by Public Health England, Public Health Wales, Health Protection Scotland, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Public Health Agency and NHS (May 2020) in the preparation of the following guidelines on recommended PPE for use by officials – Motorsport UK – PPE Guidance

Beyond this initial free of charge supply, Motorsport UK will also be supporting Clubs and Officials by establishing a central procurement contract for further supplies that may be required.

In line with the conditions set out at the time of announcing plans to restart motorsport in the UK from 4th July, event organisers commit that their events will be held behind closed doors, appropriate PPE requirements are met, and that each organiser must appoint a COVID-19 Officer to ensure compliance with any relevant guidelines. A limit on the number of permits issued for July has been applied, amounting to 50% of those in the corresponding month of 2019, in order that there are sufficient volunteer Official and Marshal resources available to support the restart.

In April, in the immediate wake of the outbreak of the pandemic, Motorsport UK announced a £1 million funding package to help its clubs address the financial consequences of COVID-19. Last month, the governing body set out its plan for restarting motorsport in the UK from 4th July in a safe and controlled manner that respects the broader public health agenda.

Hugh Chambers, Motorsport UK CEO, said, “We have taken a responsible approach to the resumption of motorsport and that includes ensuring the health and safety of our officials remains the number one priority. Our community looks to us to provide leadership and to that end we have spent a good deal of time considering the guidance of the health professionals from our own Medical Committee and also that of public health bodies across the UK prior to implementing the appropriate resources. By making this investment and setting out these guidelines, Motorsport UK is reinforcing its commitment to the safe resumption of events in July, while endeavouring to limit the burden of additional costs on our community.”