Coronavirus Precautions and Procedures for BJCP Exams

By Travis Hammond

Purpose

This purpose of this document is to identify potential precautions and procedures to minimize the risks of exposure to coronavirus during a BJCP beer, mead, or cider judging exam.  

This document is not official BJCP guidance.  These recommendations were compiled from many sources of information and with input from many experienced BJCP judges and competition organizers, but these recommendations have not been reviewed or approved by the BJCP organization.

BJCP Exam Administrators should use their personal judgement given the specific circumstances of their exam to ensure the protection of exam participants (examinees, proctors, assistants/staff).

While some might consider this recommendation to be overkill, I know from experience that certain individuals will appreciate the overabundance of caution.  Please let me know if you think of additional thoughts we might add.

Considerations

There is currently no vaccination available for the novel coronavirus, which causes the illness known as COVID-19, nor is there effective antiviral treatment for COVID-19.  The risk of coronavirus spread appears to increase based on the closeness, intensity, and duration of interaction with infected individuals. 

Public health guidance recommends that physical distancing, face coverings, adequate ventilation, avoiding contact with shared objects/surfaces, and frequent hand washing/sanitization can be effective in reducing the transmission of the coronavirus. 

Recommendations

With adequate planning, preparation, and a bit of extra work, Exam Administrators can hold high quality BJCP Exams while minimizing the potential for spread of coronavirus.  The following are some considerations and recommendations to keep in mind while planning and running a BJCP Exam.  

Planning for the Exam

1. Evaluate potential exam venues/locations
   • Outdoor or well ventilated venues/locations with adequate room to maximize physical distancing are preferred.
   • Avoid locations with enclosed/unventilated spaces or with multiple shared surfaces (elevators, handrails, doorknobs) accessible to the public.   
   • Consider the availability of hand washing facilities.
   • Plan an appropriate location where participants can enjoy a celebratory beverage after the exam while conducting a debrief with the Proctors and Exam Administrator.
   • Visit the proposed exam venue/location and draw a figure illustrating the examinee and proctor locations with physical distancing, ventilation paths, bathrooms, hand washing facilities, and exam beverage sample preparation areas.
2. Prepare a coronavirus Self-declaration and Exam Waiver Form including:
   • A requirement that all participants will follow, at all times, any local regulatory requirements related to coronavirus.
   • An acknowledgement that participants understand the hazards and risk control actions related to participating in the exam.
   • A self-declaration that they are not currently, nor have they within the past 14 days had symptoms consistent with COVID-19 as published by the Center For Disease Control (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html 
   • A self-certification that they:
     • Have not tested positive for COVID-19 (or have been cleared by a doctor to leave quarantine).
     • Have not had close contact (less that 6 feet for more than 10 consecutive minutes) with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, within the last 14 days.
     • Are not currently caring for someone in a high risk group (over 65, or with underlying conditions).
   • Printed name, signature, and date. 
3. Prior to the exam, send an informational email to all exam participants including:
   • The anticipated number of examinees, proctors, and administrative staff participating in the exam.
   • A description of the venue/location where the exam will be held including planned physical separation and the figure showing where each person will be seated.
   • The specific precautions and procedures to be implemented for their exam including face coverings, hand washing, and avoiding shared surfaces.
   • Attach the Self-declaration and Exam Waiver Form with instructions that all participants are required to print, sign, and submit the form on exam day. 
   • Solicit input from all participants on additional precautions to be considered.
   • Request a reply from each participant indicating that they understand the potential risks and they agree to follow the planned procedures.  
   • Contact-free exam payment methods (Paypal, Venmo, etc).
4. Procure typical exam supplies including disposable cups, pitchers, serving trays, pencils, paperwork (scoresheets, exam instructions, proctor scoresheets, scrap paper), unsalted saltine crackers, individual ½ liter water bottles, and trash/recycle cans/bags.  Wash hands and wear nitrile gloves when handling supplies on exam day.
5. Procure additional coronavirus precautionary exam supplies including odor-free disinfecting wipes, pump-style odor-free hand sanitizer bottles, disposable poly or nitrile gloves, disposable face masks (in case someone has an issue with their primary mask), and pump-style unscented hand soap bottles. 
6. Prepare waterproof labels for cups including sample style and any special ingredient or required descriptions (carbonation level, sweetness, strength, special ingredients, etc.).  These labels are intended to minimize speaking while delivering exam beverage samples. 
7. Prepare clear, easy to understand signage directing participants where to go and what to do throughout the exam process.  This is also intended to minimize the amount of speaking necessary while wearing a face covering.  Consider these types of signage:
   • Please wait here (outside) for instructions. 
   • Maintain 6 feet physical separation and wear face covering at all times.  
   • Put some X’s on the ground a minimum of 6 feet apart for reference.  
   • Face coverings must be worn at all times and will be removed only when instructed to by Exam Administrator for judging samples. 
   • Don’t touch your face!
   • Restrooms/hand washing facilities this way with an arrow.
   • Signs showing each person where to sit.
8. If possible, ensure the exam venue/location is not used by anyone 24+ hours prior to the exam and place all exam supplies and samples in a “quarantine” a minimum of 24+ hours before the exam.  Health officials are generally less concerned about surface transmission of coronavirus now than they were in the early stages of the pandemic, but this is a low-impact procedure that may help reduce the potential for transmission from surfaces.  The data are not conclusive on  how long the coronavirus survives on glass/cardboard surfaces at cold box temperatures, but it is believed that the longer an object is stored, the lower the chances of transmission.
9. Send a final reminder email to all participants with your mobile number and a reminder to bring the signed Self-declaration and Exam Waiver Form.  Encourage participants to bring whatever coronavirus preparation materials they feel they will need to be comfortable (sanitizer, extra face covering, disinfecting wipes) and personal supplies (jacket, pencil, clock/watch – not a phone, food, celebration beverages, tailgating chair). 

On Exam Day

1. Minimize the number of people present at the exam site. 
2. Arrive extra early to fully prepare the exam space and set up for pouring samples prior to any participants arrival.  Be done all prep so you can receive participants as they arrive.
3. Wear face covering at all times and don’t handle exam supplies without clean gloves.
4. Post all signage with clear easy to read instructions.
5. Place hand sanitizing and/or disinfecting wipe stations by each shared/public surface.
6. Disinfect all exam spaces and materials.
7. Pass out paperwork and supplies while wearing clean gloves.
8. Hold an exam instruction session outside prior to allowing participants into the venue. 
   • Discourage excessive talking.  Research suggests a wide variance in the amount of virus different people shed while talking, and some scientists believe that louder talking sheds more virus.  
   • Explain the sample cup labels to reduce talking.  
   • Collect signed Self-declaration and Exam Waiver Forms.
   • Consider screening participants with a non-contact forehead thermometer and request that anyone with a temperature exceeding 38 degrees Celsius/100.4 degrees Fahrenheit excuse themselves from participating in the exam.
   • Remind participants to avoid touching their face and if they just can’t avoid face-touching, they should be sure to sanitize hands before and after doing so.
9. Have examinees wear face coverings as they take their seats, set up clocks/timers, read the instructions, and begin filling out paperwork.
10. Label cups for samples and arrange in numerical order in the pouring station.
11. Pour the first sample in a labeled cup and distribute to a location 6 feet from each examinee where they will pick it up, transfer info from the label to their scoresheet, and then remove their face covering to judge the sample.
12. Bring samples every 12-13 minutes to allow a little time at the end to finalize.  Warn examinees when 5 minutes and 2 minutes remain.
13. Wash hands/change gloves as necessary during the exam.
14. Following the final sample judging, ring a bell or sound a phone alarm to alert everyone to put pencils down.  
15. Examinees place face coverings on.
16. No more writing on exam papers, but participants can jot a few notes on the scrap paper for the proctor debrief. Proctors will continue judging and come up with consensus scores.
17. Examinees drop off exam papers on a central table one at a time before washing hands and heading outside while maintaining physical distancing.      
18. Wear gloves and face covering while putting away paperwork, collecting left-over sample cups, cleaning up, and disinfecting. 
19. Encourage the Proctors to wear face coverings and keep their voices down while arriving at consensus scores for each sample.  
20. When the proctors are finished with consensus scores, collect their paperwork, secure the exam venue/location, wash hands for 20+ seconds, and head outside for a celebration beverage! 
21. Maintain physical distancing while conducting proctor debrief session with the examinees and revealing what the exam beverages actually were.

After the Exam

If any participant gets sick in the 14 days after the exam they must inform the Exam Administrator  who will contact local authorities to inform other participants of a potential exposure.

Sources

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/colleges-universities/considerations.html

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/controlprevention.html

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to the Quaff Competition Staff for their COVID-19 homebrew competition guidelines and the experienced BJCP judges who provided input and review of these recommendations.

Travis Hammond is a Grandmaster from San Diego, CA and former BJCP Regional Representative.