Basic Science Instrument Lab (133 Basic Science Building): Phase 2 Plan

(Note that this facility is co-managed by  Dr. Ron Davis and  Dr. Ercheng Li)

Schedule – Two people will be allowed in room 139 Basic Science at a time while following strict social distancing, cleaning and PPE policies (below).  Only fully trained, independent users may run experiments during phase 2.  There will be no training of users until restrictions are relaxed. 

Room 133 Basic Science houses a group of instruments (NMR, GCMS, EA and Thermogravimetric Analyzers) that are available to trained research users.  The instruments in this room are available for reservation through the FACES scheduling system, allowing users to reserve time and check on the scheduled occupancy of the room to ensure that no more than two users intend to use the room simultaneously.

If possible, video monitoring of the room’s occupancy will be installed to allow users to check on the room’s occupancy status before transiting to the lab to use the instruments it contains.  If available, this will act as a backup (but not substitute) to checking the FACES scheduling system for concurrent users prior to transiting to the instrument room.

PPE –     1.  A suitable mask or face covering must be worn at all times when inside the instrument lab (whether or not other researchers are present) to minimize potential contamination of the shared space.

               2.  Nitrile or latex gloves must be worn by all users while working inside of the teaching lab.   All users should re-glove prior to handling materials for final room cleaning (see below) and should de-glove upon exiting the room.

               3.  Lab coats, safety glasses and other suitable PPE should also be worn observing best practices while conducting experiments

Cleaning – 1.  Frequently touched surfaces (computer mouse, keyboard, pens, door handles, etc.) will be wiped down with an appropriate disinfectant solution on routinely by the instrument administrator.

               2.  Disinfectant solution will be provided near the shared instruments and room exits so users can wipe down surfaces before/after use.  All users must wipe down the frequently touched surfaces in the lab in accordance with the posted “Cleaning List” for this area.

               3.  Everyone must remove all samples/vials/waste of any kind from the teaching lab after each use.  This will reduce the potential for contamination from user to user and make is easier to disinfect the surfaces.  Clutter will be kept to an absolute minimum.

Ramp-Down Plan – The instruments in room 133 require varying amounts of time to safely shut down, but most (those overseen by Dr. Ron Davis) can be shut down within 24 hours of a shutdown announcement.  During a shutdown, Dr. Li will continue to maintain NMR spectrometers under his plan.

Other – – A sign-in sheet will be posted at the door to each lab in order to keep a record of who enters each lab and when.  This is completely separate from any instrument log books or project sheets typically filled out by the users.  This would provide documentation that only occupancy limits are being observed as well as provide an easily accessible and traceable ‘contact list’ in the event that at some point a user test positive for COVID-19.  Example: