Severe Weather Policy

Owner: Governance & Policy Committee
Originally Board Approved: April 25, 2019
Last Revised: April 25, 2019
Last Reviewed: April 25, 2019

1. PURPOSE

Safety is always the primary concern of the Manitoba Organization of Disc Sports (MODS) at any event that falls under its jurisdiction. This policy outlines the recommended safety precautions to be followed in instances of:

1. Thunder and Lightning
2. Extreme Heat and Humidity

As the above severe weather conditions can result in serious consequences, MODS would like to remind its members to err on the side of caution when evaluating the risks presented by the weather at your game.

2. POLICY/PROTOCOL

For school leagues: if games are to be cancelled, MODS will communicate this directly to schools by noon each day (or later, if conditions turn thereafter). No communication will indicate that games are to proceed as scheduled.

For adult leagues: MODS uses a three-tier colour system to indicate the status of games due to weather conditions. By 4pm every day, MODS will indicate the current status so that Captains can communicate this to their team. 

• GREEN indicates that games are to go ahead as scheduled. This does not guarantee that extreme weather will not impact the game, but that there is no reason to cancel all games and the Captains and Teams are responsible to make safe decisions given the weather at the game.
• YELLOW indicates that games may be cancelled due to potential extreme weather in the vicinity and field partners may close their facilities for the evening. Captains and Teams should be prepared to make safe decisions given the weather conditions at the game should the status remain at YELLOW.
• RED indicates that games are cancelled due to extreme weather conditions and will be rescheduled on a later date. 

If the status changes to YELLOW before 4pm, Captains are encouraged to continue checking the website, Twitter and Facebook for updates to see if the status of games changes to RED before game time.

1. Thunder and Lightning

“WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS.”

From Environment Canada; if you can hear thunder you can get hit by lightning. Immediately take shelter. A fully enclosed building with wiring and plumbing is the safest shelter, but a metal roofed vehicle is also a safe place to be. STAY AWAY from tall objects such as trees, poles, and fences. Only 5% of lightning-related deaths are caused by direct strikes. As much as 60-80% of lightning-related deaths and injuries are caused by ground current (when lightning hits the ground, spreads out and sends a current through a victim) and side splash (when lightning hits a tall object, travels partly down the object and then jumps to a nearby victim). 

For play to resume, 30 minutes must pass after the LAST audible rumble of thunder. Remember, there is no safe place outdoors during a thunderstorm.

FIRST AID for lightning victims:

CALL 9-1-1. Victims may be suffering from burns or shock and should receive immediate medical attention. Lightning victims do not carry an electrical charge and can be safely handled. If breathing has stopped, prompt administration of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or an automatic external defibrillator (AED) if available is highly effective in increasing the victim's chances of survival.

2. Extreme Heat and Humidity

Environment Canada defines an extremely high Humidex reading as any value greater than 40. Environment Canada recommends that you reduce all unnecessary physical activity in these conditions. It is important to drink plenty of liquids and take frequent breaks, as the risk for heat stroke is substantially higher in these conditions.

Should the Humidex reading be greater than 40 at the scheduled game time, Captains and Teams are encouraged to postpone the start of the game until the Humidex reading has dropped below 40 to minimize the risk of heat stroke. If this is not expected to happen in a reasonable amount of time such that the game can be completed that evening, proceed with extreme caution and consider alternative measures to protect the players.

More heat and humidity information and safety precautions can be found at the Government of Canada Website