Standing Guidance
The guidance for ringing in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland is considered separately here in line with different national rules and guidance from the respective Churches. Each country has its own rules and guidance for Covid restrictions and our guidance is based on that.
All legal restrictions have now been lifted, including that face coverings are no longer mandatory in Places of Worship. There is still Government guidance to continue to protect ourselves and others, and the Council’s guidance below reflects that.
COVID-19 Guidelines for ringing must be considered separately within the National rules that apply (Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland), which are altering levels of restrictions at different rates. They must also be within the guidelines of the respective Churches, and at all times with mind to the safety of the participants.
Wales reverted to Alert Level 0 in January. In March, the requirement to wear face coverings in Places of Worship was lifted so there is now just the need for premises-specific risk assessments, and self-isolation for the required period for anyone who tests positive. See Guidance Notes below.
The Scottish Association maintains its own guidance for towers in Scotland and that advice can be found here.
The Central Council is not itself responsible for the implementation of these guidance notes, and the spirit underpinning all your decision making should be one of reasonableness and responsibility, taking into account the public health messaging from local and national leaders at all times, and in consultation with Chapters/PCCs, incumbents and churchwardens.
This guidance is updated to keep in line with any changes in the Church’s own guidance and policies, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Changes to that are seldom now, although it was updated at the beginning of December when the Omicron variant because an issue. Any requests for clarification can be sent to – it will get looked at as soon as possible.
Guidance Notes
- Guidance England
A short paper on guidance in England following the lifting of the Plan B restrictions. - Guidance Wales
A short paper on guidance in Wales following the reversion to Alert Level 0. - Considering the physical environment (PDF)
- All our towers are different, This gives some key things to think about, with ventilation being very important.
- Process of return to ringing (PDF)
A typical process for returning to ringing or considering what you are currently doing
Further detail about tower safety and risk assessments can be found on the Tower Operation tab here:
https://cccbr.org.uk/resources/stewardship-and-management/
Updates
Ventilation and CO2 Monitoring
Guidance Notes
- Vaccination, and Virus Transmission in Towers (PDF)
Latest thinking on virus transmission and ventilation. An article by David Pouncey, published in the Ringing World in March 2021. - Carbon dioxide monitoring (PDF) The rationale for monitoring CO2 levels for assessing ventilation in towers
Independent Research
External articles:
- John Harrison’s paper.
- You Tube video on fan placement
(not terribly scientific but quite interesting) - HSE guidance on using CO2 monitors to identify poorly ventilated spaces
CO2 Monitors
We have received frequent requests for advice about CO2 monitors. Availability on the internet fluctuates: several makes are currently (21/8/21) available online, but the government’s decision to fund them for all English schools may affect this. Prices have greatly increased in the last few weeks unfortunately.
It is vital that any monitor should be of the NDIR type*. For recording values (rather than just having a display), look for a monitor that, as well as a real time display, has a USB or PDF output (not just a USB connection for calibration). Their high cost suggests that you may wish to consider sharing them between towers, or purchasing as Branch, Association or Guild resource.
Models that have been recommended are
Aranet4
Curconsa CO2 Meter**
Dracal Pico CO2 (NB ships from Canada and needs laptop)
* On why NDIR is important: “Equivalent CO2 sensors (eCO2 sensors) should not be used. These devices only measure volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and estimate CO2 concentration based on the concentration of VOCs in the air. They do not directly measure indoor CO2 concentration.” CIBSE Ventilation Document https://www.cibse.org/emerging-from-lockdown
** Beware of possible fake Curconsa meters being sold on Amazon at significantly lower prices to the real thing. A model called an MCH3 and supplied by TWSOUL is a fake, is not manufactured by Curconsa despite claiming to be, and may not use the all important NDIR technology.