Updated January 31, 2022

Safety Officer Duties & Responsibilities:

HEALTH CHECKS, CONTACT TRACING & PROOF OF VACCINATION

Team Snap

• Safety officers must have manager access to their team’s Team Snap account to perform their duties. Ask your Manager/Coach to set up if you do not have manager access
• Each player and team official should be on the Team Snap roster
  • Susan Smith -forward, John Smith -Coach
• Each Family should have a Team Snap entry on the roster
  • eg Smith Family
• In the case of a family operating out of two homes a second entry may be added
  • Smith Family2

Health Screening

• must be done by every PLAYER, TEAM OFFICIAL and FAMILY SPECTATOR group (on behalf of all family members attending) prior to entry for every ice rental
• safety officer must ensure that all have competed their health checks

Contact Tracing 

• for each FAMILY SPECTATOR account add an availability note for which family members are attending (eg. Grandma Betty, Susie and Jack)
• Both screening and contact tracing need to be completed prior to entry to the arena, every time. This is separate from proof of vaccination requirement.

Proof of Vaccination

We are required to verify proof of being fully vaccination using the the Verify Ontario App (https://covid-19.ontario.ca/verify), for each patron who enters an ice pad, specifically, against COVID-19.  Lobbies, public washrooms, public rooms are not under the ice holder’s contract and thus above requirements do not fall to MDHA.

Exceptions include, but are not limited to:

• children under 12 years of age
• Patrons who provide a written medical exemption document; completed and supplied by a physician stating that the individual is exempt for a medical reason from being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and the effective time-period for the medical reason.
• Brief entry to pick up or drop of a participant, use the washroom, seek information, make a payment, access skate sharpening or other retail business, access canteen for take-out

How to Verify Proof of Vaccination

• Every spectator associated with your team over age 12, without exemption, must show the Enhanced Vaccination QR Code along with ID
• an individual is considered fully vaccinated if a Green Arrow shows up in the App and the ID matches the information on the App

Checking Identification

• Verify ID matches the above proof of vaccination
• Valid forms of ID: Birth certificate, Driver’s license, Government issued ID (including Health card), Citizenship card, Passport, Permanent resident card, Indian status card, Indigenous membership card, Utility/Phone Bill
• Identification must be issued by an institution or public body and show the name of the identification holder and their date of birth.
• Photo identification is not required, and the identification does not need to be government-issued

Refusal to Provide Proof of Vaccination

• If someone refuses to provide verification of vaccination status please ask them to leave the ice pad
• If they refuse to leave, please report them to the facility staff and call your Convenor

Tracking Proof of Vaccination

• For practices ONLY proof of vaccination can be done prior to the arrival at the rink and stored in a log (such as in Team Snap as a tracked item or in a spreadsheet).
• The log/document should include all team participants who may attend a practice (Players, team officials, parents, siblings, grandparents, extended family, etc.)
• This log can be used for all City of Ottawa Rentals, thus avoiding the necessity to verify at every team practice
• For every GAME, everyone accessing the ice pad must be checked by the Home Team’s safety officer

Traveling to Different Arenas

• Enhanced Vaccination QR Code proof with ID will be required for all away games so please remind your team to carry it with them
• The facility is responsible for the verification of vaccination status to enter. However, teams and associations are required to verify vaccination status for all team and association registered participants.
• Safety officers will not be responsible for spectators who are not associated with their team
• At standalone facilities (such as Metcalfe Arena) there will not be City staff posted at the door, however staff will be available to assist when needed.

Signing the Facility Log

• the safety officer must sign in at the arena, at each ice time, stating they have completed the vaccination and ID checking for the group

FAQs

What do I do if I am unvaccinated or wish not to show my proof of vaccination?

Provincial Vaccination Requirements

Who is responsible for ensuring the Provincial Vaccination requirements are met at City of Ottawa arenas?

• Team safety officers will complete this task for their team and spectators.
• Spectators and participants are responsible and expected to have proof of vaccination, if eligible, or proof of medical exemption, and ID available when in the facility.

What exactly do I need to do as the designated safety officer at each ice rental?

• Confirm all participants and spectators have completed health checks
• Add an availability note to FAMILY SPECTATORS to record what family members are in attendance
• verify vaccination proof and ID for participants and spectators associated with the ice rental usingthe Verify Ontario App
• Verify ID matches the above
• This can be done prior to arrival at the rink for PRACTICES ONLY.
• Once at the rink the Safety Officer must sign in at the arena stating they have completed the vaccination and ID checking for the group.

Do contract holders need to keep vaccination records?

• The vaccination requirement only asks contract holders to verify proof of vaccine and ID. The MDHA shall not retain any information provided pursuant to this section
• Contract holders can develop their own process for verifying vaccine and ID, such as a spreadsheet or checklist indicating that all participants and spectators have met entry requirements.

Do I have to ask for vaccination proof every single time?

• For practices, Safety officers will verify vaccine (or exemption) proof and ID at one time and keep records only of those having met entry requirements. Once this is in place, they would not have to verify during every booking unless there were additions to participants, and/or new spectators.
• For home games, Safety Officers will verify everyone entering the ice pad every single time

What if I have City-issued ice contracts at one of the Sensplex facilities? Is the process the same?

• Processes at Sensplex may differ from City facilities. Please check up to date information here: https://www.sensplex.ca/facility-rentals/ice-rentals/
• Sensplex will have staff on hand to verify vaccination proof. Safety officers are only responsible for Health Checks

Is the safety officer expected to manage everyone who comes in and out of the rink?

• Safety Officers are only responsible for ensuring entry requirements are met for the participants and spectators associated with their ice rental.

Is the process different in a large complex with multiple ice pads vs a small stand-alone rink?

• Contract holders are still only responsible for ensuring entry requirements are met for the participants and spectators associated with their ice rental. There may be additional City staff onsite to support contract holders at some of our larger facilities.

Is the process different for games or tournaments?

• Entry requirements are the same for all ice rental contracts. Contract holders can add additional measures for special events, games or tournaments.

 Can a client enter an arena to drop a child off if they are not vaccinated or have a medical exemption?

• Clients can enter facilities for a brief period of time to drop off or pick up a child. They are asked to minimize their time indoors, e.g., arrive fully dressed, with skate guards on, or tie skates on chair in lobby.

Do we need to verify if a person is 11 years of age or under?

• No, if an individual indicates that they are 11 years of age or under, proof is not required.

What if a patron only has a photocopy of their personal identification?

• A photocopy of identification or picture scanned on their phone will be accepted.

What if the patron’s personal identification has expired?

• Expired identification is accepted until February 28, 2022.

Are their any exceptions based on religious/creed basis? Does an individuals Charter of Rights and Freedoms supersede our entrance policy with regards to creed/religion?

• The Provincial regulations only allow for medical exemptions.

Examples of Personal ID Documents

• Birth certificate, Driver’s license, Government issued ID (including Health card), Citizenship card, Passport, Permanent resident card, Indian status card, Indigenous membership card, Utility/Phone Bill
• Identification must be issued by an institution or public body and show the name of the identification holder and their date of birth.
• Photo identification is not required and the identification does not need to be government-issued

Contact Tracing & COVID-19 Screening Are contract holders still required to do contact tracing and screening?

• Screening may be done in person or remotely, including by telephone, web tool, email, or app (Team Snap)
• Similarly, contact tracing can be completed by a variety of methods.
• It is sufficient to collect information from one family member/party. E.g., if you collect contact tracing info (name and phone number) for a player, you do not also need to put the names of parent or sibling.
• Both screening and contact tracing need to be completed prior to entry to the arena, every time. This is separate from proof of vaccination requirement.