The following guidelines have been developed to assist coaches and competition hosts in making decisions regarding extreme weather to ensure the safety of athletes, coaches and volunteers.
Cold Weather
If temperature with the wind chill is lower than –25 degrees, outside activity is not recommended. The following steps must be taken in such circumstances where the activity is deemed necessary, to minimize the effects of cold weather:
- Program situation – the outside activity should be cancelled and modifications made to train indoors. This decision is the responsibility of the Head Coach.
- Competition situation – pertaining to situations, particularly provincial qualifiers, all possible precautions shall be taken, but should not be limited to, the following:
- Marshalling should occur indoors/heated tents
- Non-essential outdoor activities should be cancelled
- Adequate time between events should be taken to allow athletes, coaches and volunteers to warm up
- These precautions will be the responsibility of the Competition Host in conjunction with the Head Coaches in attendance and the Special Olympics Ontario representative on site
Hot Weather
If temperature exceeds +30 degrees, outside activity is not recommended. The following steps must be taken in such circumstances where the activity is deemed necessary, to minimize the effects of the heat.
- Program situation – the outside activity should be cancelled and modifications made to train indoors. This decision is the responsibility of the Head Coach.
- Competition situation – pertaining to situations, particularly provincial qualifiers, all possible precautions shall be taken, but should not be limited to, the following:
- Shaded or indoor areas must be provided
- Marshalling shall occur under tents/shaded areas
- Non-essential outdoor activities should be cancelled
- Water will be provided to ensure adequate consumption
- These precautions will be the responsibility of the Competition Host in conjunction with the Head Coaches in attendance and the Special Olympics Ontario representative on site
Air Quality
Following the Health Canada Guidelines all outdoor activities should be moved indoors, rescheduled or cancelled if the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is at a level 7 or above for the area where the outdoor activity is to take place.
To access the AQHI visit AirHealth.ca or download the WeatherCAN app.
- Program situation- the outside activity should be cancelled and modifications made to train indoors. This decision is the responsibility of the Head Coach.
- Competition situation- pertaining to situations, particularly provincial qualifiers, all possible precautions shall be taken, but should not be limited to, the following:
- All events should be moved indoors or rescheduled
- Events may need to be cancelled if accommodations can not be made
- These precautions will be the responsibility of the Competition Host in conjunction with the Head Coaches in attendance and the Special Olympics Ontario representative on site
Lightning
Special Olympics Ontario outdoor events can be held while it is raining if it is safe to do so. However, if thunder is heard events should be halted and participants should seek shelter until 30 minutes after thunder has been heard.
- Program situation- the outside activity should be cancelled and modifications made to train indoors. This decision is the responsibility of the Head Coach.
- Competition situation- pertaining to situations, particularly provincial qualifiers, all possible precautions shall be taken, but should not be limited to, the following:
- All participants should be moved indoors and events should be postponed, relocated indoors or rescheduled based on current forecast and radar.
- Events may need to be cancelled if accommodations can not be made
- These precautions will be the responsibility of the Competition Host in conjunction with the Head Coaches in attendance and the Special Olympics Ontario representative on site
Please see the following Environment Canada recommendations:
- To plan for a safe day, check the weather forecast first. If thunderstorms are forecast, avoid being outdoors at that time or make an alternate plan. Identify safe places and determine how long it will take you to reach them.
- Watch the skies for developing thunderstorms and listen for thunder. As soon as you hear thunder, quickly get to a safe location. If you can hear thunder, you are in danger of being hit by lightning. More people are struck before and after a thunderstorm than during one.
- Get to a safe place. A safe location is a fully enclosed building with wiring and plumbing. Sheds, picnic shelters, tents or covered porches do NOT protect you from lightning. If no sturdy building is close by, get into a metal-roofed vehicle and close all the windows.
- Do not handle electrical equipment, telephones or plumbing. These are all electrical conductors. Using a computer or wired video game system, taking a bath or touching a metal window frame all put you at risk of being struck by lightning. Use battery-operated appliances only.
- If caught outdoors far from shelter, stay away from tall objects. This includes trees, poles, wires and fences. Take shelter in a low-lying area but be on the alert for possible flooding.