Olivia PowellMotorsport UK, the governing body for four-wheeled motorsport in the UK, has announced that it will be providing £50,000 worth of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to support events through the initial phase of motorsport’s restart.
The PPE will be distributed free of charge to all Motorsport UK licensed Rescue and Recovery units, and to registered clubs with an event permit issued during July and August. Motorsports will be restarting in the UK from 4 July.
The introductory supply of PPE is intended to assist Clubs and Licensed Rescue/Recovery operators who may be experiencing difficulties with sourcing equipment due to increased market demand as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Motorsport UK will also be providing individual hand sanitiser to all officials working at its events.
The body has consulted with 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 to prepare guidelines for the use of PPE by officials. The guidelines can be found here.
Beyond this initial free of charge supply, Motorsport UK will also be supporting clubs and officials by establishing a central procurement contract for any further supplies that may be required.
CEO of Motorsport UK, Hugh Chambers, 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.”