The GMA Pitch Advisory Service have put together some flood guidance with recommended actions following floods.
Actions Following Flooding:
- Assess and inform
Make routine assessments and use photographs and videos to document the current condition of the site. Ensure signage is used and access is prevented until the site is deemed safe and clear of hazard. If you lease the site, contact the landowner as soon as possible, if damage to facilities or equipment has occurred contact your insurance company and get a reference number. Utilise your club network to provide ongoing information on the situation and the effect it will have on the club moving forwards, with regards to fixture cancellations etc. - Clean-up and remedial work assessment
Begin to assess the damage to the facilities and playing surfaces and consider the appropriate sequence of actions to return them to a safe playable condition.
Ensure all associated clean up and remedial operations have a health and safety risk assessment and method statement. If using the services of others, ensure any hazards have been identified and the risk reduced. Ensure all necessary precautions have been taken, that the site is safe for the clean up and remedial work to commence and that all Personal protective equipment (PPE) is made available. - Actioning the required works
Ensuring that the immediate threat of future flooding or associated damage has passed, utilise your network within the club and externally to seek support in helping to restore the site, volunteers can be used to help clear debris and repair the playing surface. It is important to be mindful that any actions do not contribute to wider environmental harm in the area, and that any debris, damaged or contaminated materials are disposed of correctly. Try to be realistic with timescales and the resource you have available, you may be able to restore your playing surfaces in a short amount of time but is the wider area or community still experiencing issues that may prolong fixture cancelations, has the maintenance equipment or buildings experienced damaged? - Stay connected
Wider support is out there to help you through this.
Ensure you make your relevant National Governing Body of sports’ regional network aware of the problems you are facing. Reach out to your Grounds Management Association Regional Pitch Advisor (RPA) for guidance and advice on restoring the playing surfaces. The GMA’s Toolkit contains further guidance on what to do following experiencing flooding. Funding or financial relief may be available if this is a barrier to restoring safe and fit-for-purpose conditions at your site, your local network or RPA will be able to point you towards these, along with checking updates on NGB websites.
