The list of items below has been given some thought by the DC ringers. Some items are not applicable to Boston ringing, but this might be a good starting point for a discussion in Boston.

Ed

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: Robert Bannister
Sent: Sunday, July 19, 2020 9:12 AM
To: WRSList@Groups.io
Subject: [WRS] PLEASE RESPOND re: safety measures

Hi, all.  Thanks to all who participated in the discussion following practice Tuesday night regarding the draft list of safety measures.  After further back and forth among the officers, we landed on the revised list below.  Please reply to me by this Wednesday night (July 22) as to whether you’d be interested in participating in Sunday service ringing with these safety measures in place.  Your response doesn’t obligate you one way or the other.  You can change your mind later.  And keep in mind that the safety measure may need to be updated to conform with Cathedral reopening protocols once those are developed and provided to us.  However, we are trying to understand if enough ringers are interested in a return to Sunday service ringing with these measures in place before we present them to the Cathedral, so please do give your response some thought before responding. 

Thanks,

Rob

• Inspect the bells and ropes to ensure they’re safe to ring

• Anyone with an elevated temperature or otherwise feeling unwell must not participate.  Likewise, anyone with Covid symptoms or who has tested positive or been in contact with anyone with symptoms, must not participate until they have self-isolated for 2 weeks. 

• No visitors

• Limit frequency of ringing to Sunday service ringing only (at least initially)

• Limit the duration of ringing to 15-30 minutes

• Limit the number of bells rung initially to enforce social distancing while ringing (probably no more than 5 non-adjacent bells) 

• Limit the number of ringers in the ringing room (just enough to ring)

• Keep ringers on same ropes for entire session (including ringing up and down)

• Accessing the ringing room

• When ascending to and descending from the overcroft level, no more than 2 people will ride the elevator together
• When using the central tower elevator, only 1 person will ride the elevator per trip
• When using the spiral staircase, leave ample time and space between ascents/descents

• Either open the windows or run the HVAC system to maximize air circulation based on prevailing weather conditions

• Wear face masks upon entering the Cathedral and at all times when in the tower, including while ringing

• Wash hands with soap and water before/after ringing and keep hand sanitizer in the ringing room

• Avoid shouting (e.g., by ringing plain courses of simple methods)

• Minimize sharing of items

• Assign only one person to turn on/off lights, open/close windows, etc.
• Assign same person for removal/replacement of silencer for given bell(s)
• Minimize handling of items in the ringing room (e.g., limit use of water cooler)

• Maintain record of ringers who have been in the ringing chamber to assist with contact tracing if the need arises

• Adjust protocols to comply with Cathedral’s if Cathedral’s are more restrictive

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