COVID-19 FOX Sports Production Protocols
Based on current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Fox Corporation guidelines, the following protocols for resuming production should be implemented. There may be changes to these guidelines or additional government, venue or event requirements.
General Guidelines
All guidelines in this document follow the general principles of social distancing, facial coverings, personal hygiene and cleaning. While in any FOX worksite, FOX employees, vendors, and visitors are required to:
- Maintain distance of at least six (6) feet from others.
- Upon arrival to a FOX site, present the designated Worksite Access Person with the green “Go to Work” screen/email received from WorkCare screening.
- Wear a clean facial covering that covers your nose and mouth.
- Follow all safety guidelines dictated by your workplace (e.g., protocol for security, production).
If you begin to feel ill or identify symptoms consistent with COVID-19 at any point during your workday, you must leave your FOX worksite immediately, contact your supervisor and HR.
Social Distancing Requirements
FOX employees, vendors and visitors are required to:
- Stay at home and do not report to work if you or a member of your household are sick.
- Maintain a minimum distance of six (6) feet from others whenever possible.
- Observe all social distancing directives presented by floor markings and posted signage.
- Observe all elevator social distancing protocols; they may vary according to building.
- Use alternatives to handshakes, hugs, or other social greetings that involve contacts.
- Avoid gathering in groups and minimize visits to common areas.
- Continue attending meetings virtually (e.g., Zoom, teleconference).
- Avoid in-person meetings when possible; if essential to complete work, restrict attendance to necessary participants.
- Consider sequencing work activities to reduce the amount of direct in-person interactions.
- Use side-by-side positioning whenever possible rather than face-to-face, if required to work directly with others.
Facial Covering Requirements
Facial coverings do not replace the need for physical distancing and frequent handwashing. Acceptable multi-layered facial coverings must cover both the nose and mouth and include bandanas, neck gaiters, scarves, tightly woven fabric such as cotton t-shirts, and some types of towels, and some other homemade cloth facial coverings in accordance with CDC guidelines. Masks with exhalation valves are not allowed.
FOX employees, vendors and visitors are required to:
- Bring a clean facial covering to work each day.
- Except as noted below, wear facial coverings any time employees are within six (6) feet of another person.
- Have a facial covering with them at all times, including when they leave their office or work space, in case they need to put it on.
- Wear facial coverings at all times when in common areas (e.g., lobbies, breakrooms, bathrooms, etc.), as well as when traversing hallways and open areas while inside buildings, regardless of the distance from other employees.
- Notify another employee before going to that person’s workspace so they can put on their facial covering, if needed.
Exceptions:
- Facial coverings are not required when employees are alone in an office or a workspace that is at least six (6) feet away from other individuals or in workspaces where there are physical partitions that create separation between individuals less than six (6) feet apart.
- Employees who have been instructed not to use a facial covering by a medical provider, who have breathing difficulties, and who cannot wear or remove a facial covering without assistance do not need to wear one
Personal Hygiene Requirements
FOX employees, vendors and visitors are required to:
- Wash their hands frequently with soap and water for at least twenty (20) seconds, including before and after eating, prior to returning to their workstation, after using the restroom, and after making contact with high-touch areas.
- Wash their hands when they arrive at work and prior to leaving for the day.
- Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers when soap and water is unavailable.
- Avoid touching their face, nose, and mouth, and avoid rubbing their eyes.
- Use a tissue to sneeze or cough and immediately discard the tissue — if tissues are not available, sneeze or cough into the inside of their elbow and wash your hands.
- Maintain a clutter-free desk to facilitate frequent cleaning.
Cleaning and Sanitization
- All workstations and collaborative areas will be disinfected daily.
- Cleaning is done frequently throughout business hours and overnight.
- Employees are required to remove all items from your desk at the end of the day.
- High-touch surfaces are cleaned and disinfected with FOX-issued supplies as needed during the workday.
- Employees are directed not to share tools, supplies, or equipment if they can avoid doing so; if they must share these items, they are required to clean and disinfect them with FOX-issued supplies before and after using them.
- Employees must comply with any posted additional posted requirements and any other safety-related requirements given by an employee’s manager.
- When traveling, employees must continue to wear facial coverings, abide by social distancing, and use good personal hygiene practices.
Screening
All employees, vendors and visitors must complete a daily WorkCare WorkMatters health screening prior to departing for a FOX work location. For remote productions, the screening should also be completed for the 2 days prior to reporting to site in addition to each day prior to reporting to work. Workers should screen shot the resulting green “Go to Work” screen or email on their mobile device so it can be presented to the FOX Worksite Access Personnel. Anyone with a red “Not Cleared” or “Remain at Home” screen will not be permitted to enter.
Risk Assessment
To help employers, like Fox Corporation, determine appropriate precautions, OSHA has divided job tasks into four risk exposure levels: very high, high, medium, and lower risk. The Occupational Risk Pyramid shows the four exposure risk levels in the shape of a pyramid to represent probable distribution of risk. Most workers will fall in the lower exposure risk (caution) or medium exposure risk levels.
Occupational Risk Pyramid for COVID-19
https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3993.pdf
FOX is taking steps to minimize the potential impact of the virus in our work environments and provide employees with relevant information. Employees will complete the following questionnaire prior to working their first sports production. Answers will reflect the individual’s risk level according to the Occupational Risk Pyramid.
https://foxsafety.formstack.com/forms/osha3990questionnaire
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is clothing or other equipment worn by an individual worker to provide increased protection against an identified workplace hazard. There may be changes or additional government, venue or event requirements for PPE and respiratory controls.
Voluntary Respirator Use (VRU)
Employees may want to voluntarily wear a respirator even when one is not required. In accordance with Fox Corporation’s Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Procedure 302, Respiratory Protection, employees may request a respirator for personal use in the workplace. To request a respirator for voluntary use, employees must review the VRU policy and complete a Voluntary Respirator Use Request Form located at https://foxsafety.com/vru/.
As with all PPE, employees must:
- Keep track of their own respirator and not mistakenly, or intentionally, use someone else’s,
- Keep in a clean place; and
- Discard or clean it when it becomes visibly dirty or suspect it might be contaminated.
Cleaning or Food Service PPE
Workers conducting cleaning and food services duties may need additional PPE, such as gloves and gowns, to perform food service tasks, cleaning or trash handling.
- All PPE, including gloves and gowns, should be compatible with any disinfectant products being used and changed frequently.
- Refer to the product label or Safety Data Sheet for PPE that may be required.
- Carefully remove and properly dispose of PPE to avoid contamination of the wearer and the surrounding area.
- If gowns are not available, coveralls, aprons or work uniforms can be worn during cleaning and disinfecting. Reusable (washable) clothing should be laundered afterwards.
- Clean hands after handling and removing soiled PPE, trash, linens or laundry.
Travel
Preparing to Travel
Do not accept or begin business travel if you are ill. Discuss any concerns for your own risk, health or recent exposure to illness with your manager, crewing and/or your HR Business Partner prior to travel. Verify any travel restrictions for points of origin and destination and communicate these with your manager. States and localities have, and may continue to implement, travel restrictions or quarantine requirements.
Employees are responsible to bring the following items for travel and production events until further notice:
- Hand sanitizer;
- Multiple facial coverings;
- Disinfectant wipes for cleaning rental cars, hotel rooms, etc.; and
- Oral thermometer for checking daily temperature.
Employees will receive guidance, and must comply, with any pre-travel self-screening requirements.
It is suggested that employees pack extra personal items in case a trip is unexpectedly lengthened, or they become ill during travel, e.g. prescriptions and over-the-counter medications.
Air Travel
- Monitor flight status closely to confirm it is still scheduled and on time.
- TSA currently allows each passenger to carry up to 12 ounces of hand sanitizer through security; sanitizer containers larger than 3.4 ounces will need to be screened separately. https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/hand-sanitizers For all other liquids, the standard allowance of 3.4 ounces still applies.
- Abide by the personal health guidelines outlined in this procedure which includes social distancing, wearing cloth masks and hand sanitation.
- Once seated in the airplane wipe down arm rests, tray tables, entertainment screens, seat pocket, vent control, window handle and belt buckle.
- Observe the FAA and airline COVID-19 procedures.
Transportation and Hotel
- Only one person per vehicle is recommended. Event-specific functional group transportation involving multiple passengers must be approved by EHS.
- Use disinfectant wipes on the high-touch surfaces of hotel rooms, vehicles and golf carts.
- Avoid or minimize use of public transportation. If you must use public transportation, try to use the least crowded access points and seating areas.
Clothing
- Minimize the exchange of items between the workplace and home. Avoid items that require adjustment or touching such as loose clothing, hair accessories, jewelry, ties, access tags.
- Remove soiled or contaminated clothes as soon as you enter home or hotel room to limit the spread of germs that may be on your clothes.
- Wash hands after handling soiled laundry or footwear.
Arrival to site
Upon arrival, look for and follow signage or traffic flow to designated parking areas. There may be workers stationed to provide guidance on the daily screening process. Abide by any social distancing guidance such as partitions, tape or equivalent indicators. Refrain from gathering in groups while traveling and outside of the TV compound prior to the screening process. Maintaining six (6) feet of distance between workers means that hugs and handshakes are forbidden.
On-Site Screening
Screening and questions may be mandatory and performed daily by qualified medical staff through Fox Corporation, the venue, event, league and/or other entity. Procedures and requirements may change and vary according to those entities or the latest guidance from the CDC, OSHA, health department or government.
Testing
Diagnostic testing may be available and/or required for employees performing some or all jobs. Procedures and requirements may change and vary according to Fox Corporation, the venue, event, league or other entity as well as the latest guidance from the CDC, OSHA, health department or government.
Communication
Screening or testing may result in an employee not cleared to work at a FOX location. Should this be the case, the employee must notify their manager and onsite leadership immediately. The FOX Human Resources Department will contact these employees to provide guidance on remaining at home and future return to work. Because of the rapidly changing nature of site productions, managers must remind their employees to communicate daily in regard to their ability and approval to work.
If you become ill while working on a FOX production site, you must notify site leadership immediately. The employee’s HR partner will be contacted and reach out to the individual with further guidance.
On-Site Productions
Guidance for sports production is to increase physical distance between workers, minimize the number of workers in a space and limit shared equipment. When distance cannot be established, barrier separation between workers should be implemented. Workers must wear a facial covering. Equipment that is shared, must be sanitized between users.
On Site Risk Reduction Measures
- The number of workers that travel will be minimized, but a plan will be in place for workers that may not be cleared for work before events.
- The compound will be designed with controlled access, area for screening, open walkways and sufficient spacing.
- Employees will adhere to staggered call times to allow for enhanced entry procedures.
- COVID-19 procedures and signage should be reviewed by employees.
- Indoor spaces and seating will be arranged to allow six (6) feet of space, whenever possible. It will be the individual’s responsibility to best adhere to this spacing.
- When assigned, employees will remain in their functional group and access only the indoor spaces for which they are authorized.
- Outside spaces or tents will be utilized for meetings, communication and work tasks.
- Follow guidance for entry and exit and stay consistent in those procedures each time you enter/exit the compound or work area.
- Outside sanitation and cleaning services will sanitize mobile units and facilities regularly.
- Portable toilet orders should include hand-sanitizer dispensers inside each unit.
- Increase the number and locations of handwashing stations with hand-sanitizers throughout the compound.
- Delivery services should be used for as many items as possible, e.g. food, drinks and supplies. Food is not to be shared and should be packaged in single-serving containers.
- Errands and shopping should be minimized to limit worker times in community settings.
- Prior to production events, crew members will plan and discuss how they will complete tasks while minimizing interactions and multi-worker tasks.
- Personnel should wipe down equipment surfaces after set up, between users and prior to strike. This includes headsets, cameras, tripods, audio equipment, etc.
- Once all equipment is retrieved, packed, removed from site or placed in storage, FOX employees are reminded to use hand sanitizer or wash hands.
Equipment
- Units should be delivered with a statement of cleanliness from the vendor and stocked with wipes. This includes golf carts, gators, scissor lifts, sideline vehicles, generators, and other mobile equipment.
- When possible, equipment should have only one occupant or operator.
- Tools and other equipment such as headsets should not be shared. If personnel must share, proper disinfecting between users should be conducted.
- Do not share headsets, phones or equipment used near your face. If items must be shared, use disposable covers and disinfect between users. Regularly disinfect electronics such as tablets, touch screens, keyboards, remote controls, and ATM machines.
- Follow the manufacturer instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products.
- Consider wipeable or disposable covers for electronics.
- If no manufacturer guidance is available, consider the use of alcohol-based wipes or sprays containing at least 70% alcohol to disinfect.
Food Service
- Staggered catering times shall allow employees to follow social distancing.
- There will be no bulk items located at the craft service table and when possible, single-serve foods and meals should be prepackaged, sealed and labeled with ingredients and date prepared.
- Plastic utensils should be prepackaged in sealed containers; condiments must be in individual packs.
Disinfecting Hard Surfaces
- If surfaces are dirty, clean using a detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
- For disinfection, most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective.
- Follow manufacturer instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products for concentration, application method and contact time, PPE, etc. Only apply EPA-approved products for use against COVID-19.
Severe Weather
Abide by the FOX EHS 605 Inclement Weather Procedure and production safety plan Posting Packet which state to shelter in place when a lightning strike has been reported within eight (8) miles. When possible, all social distancing protocols will be followed while sheltered. If not possible, wear a facial covering when closer than six (6) feet to each other.
Comments or Concerns
To share an idea, leave a comment or request a reply from EHS, Facilities, or HR regarding these protocols, please complete the FOX Resuming Production Feedback Form at www.foxsafety.com. If this is urgent, contact FOX Sports EHS or Ron Partilla at (843) 822-9600 or Ron.Partilla@fox.com.
One Sheet References
Based on the current CDC and Fox Corporation guidelines, the following protocols for resuming production one-sheets should be implemented. There may be changes to these guidelines or additional government, venue, or event requirements.