The Northford Ice Pavilion is a triple Ice Rink facility in Northford, Connecticut. The rink offers Ice Hockey, Figure Skating, Public Skating, Adult Leagues, Learn To Skate, and Toddler Skating. We also offer birthday parties. The rink is host to many ho
Rink capacity will be reduced in accordance to state guidelines per rink.
Keeping up with CT COVID-19 health guidelines.
Designated entrance and exit doors.
ALL customers, players, coaches, etc, MUST wear masks.
Employees will be wearing masks and gloves.
Log book will be provided for enhanced sanitizing of lobby, snack bar, locker rooms, bathrooms, door handles, and all counter tops.
Screening temperature of employees upon entering the building.
Implementing social distancing in locker rooms, on benches, and at snack bar with tape markers.
Offering hand sanitizer in front of the building and in each rink.
Booking and payments will be done remotely thereby eliminating contact with office staff.
Ice times will be booked with spacing to prevent engagement between customers entering and exiting.
Increasing distance of credit card machine and adding sneeze shield between employees and customers at snack bar.
NIP employees will remain home if sick to ensure we are keeping everyone safe.
Sanitizing
Common/High-Traffic Areas – Increase cleaning intervals to ensure a safe environment. Athletic areas will have limited capacity per state guidelines. Congregating in common areas will not be allowed (lobby and snack bar seating area and outdoors).
“High-Touch Areas” - Disinfect doors, handles, light switches, keyboards, telephones, handrails, point-of-sale systems, faucets, and restroom dispensers 3 to 4 times daily.
Player benches, penalty boxes, scoreboard controllers, and locker room benches – Disinfect between uses and record it in a time log.
Operations – All operational controls, equipment and tools will be disinfected following each shift and between use, if feasible, if these items are manned and/or used by more than one worker.
Floors and Walls – Mop floor surfaces 3-4 times daily and disinfect frequently touched wall surfaces.
Locker rooms – Customers will be assigned to specific rooms upon entry. All 24 rooms have been marked to maintain 6 ft distancing and will be disinfected prior to and after each groups’ use. All locker room doors will be propped open. Room capacity will allow between 8 and 10 players.
Ice Surfaces – We conduct maintenance and cleaning hourly or between group uses. There will be no contact allowed between participants.
Handwashing – Staff has been instructed to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water frequently throughout the day, especially at the beginning of their shift, prior to meals and after using the restroom. Hand sanitizer “stations” have been placed throughout the facility.
Respiratory Etiquette- Workers and patrons will be instructed to cover their mouths and noses with their sleeves/elbows/tissues when coughing or sneezing to avoid touching their faces.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Face masks and gloves will be required for all employees cleaning and coming in contact with the public.
Hockey
Players and rostered coaches will be allowed entry to the building 15 minutes prior to their icetime and will be required to exit 10 minutes after.
Players are to arrive at least half dressed to access the ice and to minimize the use of the locker rooms. Locker rooms will be limited in the amount of players and doors are to remain open.
Parents may assist with skate tying in the lobby for 5-10 minutes only.
Use of practice stations with limited number of participants per station.
Limit coach and player contact.
Avoid utilizing benches if possible.
No spectators will be allowed in the building
Youth Hockey
Reduce physical closeness of players.
Players not actively participating must maintain 6 feet of distance from one another along the boards.
For young players parents must monitor children to make sure they are maintaining safe distance from one another.
Face coverings must be worn by coaches at all times including on the ice and on the bench.
Cleaning and disinfecting of shared objects and equipment.
Use of gloves when handling trash and trash bags followed by hand washing.
Discourage use of sharing items- sticks and equipment.
Avoid group events and social gatherings.
Have a designated COVID-19 point of contact for questions and concerns.
Notifying staff, officials, families of youth teams rules for sports facility closures and restrictions.
Symptom regulating of coaches, officials, staff, and players.
Figure Skating/Learn to Skate
Will be allowed entry to the building 15 minutes prior to their ice rental time and will be required to exit 10 minutes after their rental.
Shortened programs and staggered ice times to create a buffer between sessions.
No spectators will be allowed in the building.
Divide coaches and skaters into “training groups”, if ice can accommodate.
Assign each coach a designated area along the boards where they must stand to teach private lessons.
Coaches must remain in the area and may not skate alongside any student.
Limit coach/skater contact; coaches should not help students up unless the student is unable to get up. Coaches should use verbal cues when instructing students rather than physical contact.
All warms up should be done prior to entering the facility.
Communicating to Our Customers
Provide communication to our customers and user groups via email, social media, and on our website to inform them of our reopening plan- how we will protect them and what to expect when they return to our facility. They need to feel safe upon their return, trusting that we care about their wellbeing.
Display new customer-centric signage in our facility (handwashing, social distancing, etc).
Staff will be trained to give friendly reminders to customers regarding policies, especially when they are found to be in violation of safety precautions.
Will require sick employees to stay home and ensure that sick leave policies are flexible and consistent with public health guidance.
Encourage employees to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and require that employees report when they are sick or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
Prior to reopening our facility, we will train all staff via email, and/or conference call regarding new procedures for COVID-19 response.
Only schedule number of staff essential for operations and upholding proposed plan.
Food Establishment Snack Bar
Designate work zones for employees- cook, cashier, and sanitizer.
Reduce shared equipment – sanitize hourly.
Use of single use equipment- Silverware, condiments, carry out.
Employees must wear masks that cover their mouths and noses at all times.
Gloves will be required.
Snack bar will be disinfected between shifts and hourly.
Disinfecting of high transit areas, touched surfaces, credit card machines, counters, order areas.
Employees will be required to wash their hands frequently for 20 seconds.
Avoid bringing outside food and beverages into the facility.
Installation of 6ft. physical barriers between employees and customers.
