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Research Phase-in Protocol in the Faculty of Engineering (Version 1.1 – Updated May 12, 2020)

Background

AsMcGillUniversitybeginsacautiousandgradualrampupofresearchactivitiesinMay2020,theFacultyofEngineeringhasestablishedarigorousprotocol,describedherein,forPrincipalInvestigators(PI)whoarereadytorestarton-campusresearchwork intheir laboratories.Thisprotocol isdesignedtoensurethesafetyof itscommunitybymitigatingrisksassociatedwiththepotentialtransmissionofCOVID-19.

TheprotocollaidoutinthisdocumentisbasedontwoimportantdocumentsissuedbytheUniversity:

• McGill’sdirectivePreventingtheSpreadofCOVID-19:https://www.mcgill.ca/coronavirus/files/coronavirus/guidance_on_preventing_the_spread_of_covid-19-20200503.pdf

• McGill’sResearchPhase-inDirectives:https://www.mcgill.ca/coronavirus/resources/campus-research-directives

PIsmustensurethattheyarethoroughlyfamiliarwiththesedirectives,suchasphysicaldistancingrequirements(seeAppendixB),appropriatecleaningprotocols(seeAppendixC),andtheappropriateuseofpersonalprotectiveequipment(PPE;seeAppendixD),andconsiderallofthemintheirrequest(seeprocessoutlinedbelow)tophaseintheirresearch.

Note that University directives and the Faculty protocol described herein are subject to change as we increase thepresenceofpersonneloncampusandlearnfromourexperiences.PIsareresponsibletoensurethattheyadjusttheirplans and protocols in accordance with any future updates communicated to them about changes to thesedocuments.

ConceptoftheResearchPhase-in

• McGill'sdefaultpositionatpresentisthat,inordertopreservethehealthandsafetyofoursocietyand“flattenthecurve”ofthepandemic,allresearchactivitiesthatcanbeconductedremotelywillnotbepermittedoncampusatthistime.Moreover,researchconsidertobeofalowerpriority(seebelow)shouldbepostponeduntilpublichealthconditionsallowforbroaderaccesstothecampus.

• Followingthegradualphasing-inofon-campusresearchactivities,itisanticipatedthataless-than-usuallevelofresearchactivitiesgovernedbyphysicaldistancingprincipleswillneedtobemaintainedforseveralmonths.Itisthereforeimportanttodevelopamodusoperandithatisfunctionalinboththeshortandmediumterm.

• PIsareinvitedtosubmitrequestsforapprovaltophaseintheirresearch.ThisrequestissubmittedforaresearchprojectorprogramunderaPI’spurview.ItisthePI’sresponsibilitytocoordinateon-campusresearchactivitiesundertheirpurviewsothattheycomplywithUniversitydirectivesincludingphysicaldistancingrequirementsandobligationsforcleaningofworkspaces.Aplanforbothmustbesubmittedinthecontextoftherequest.Asdetailedbelow,anyuseofcommonfacilitiesmustbecoordinatedwithotherusers.

Everyresearcher–includingthePI,labpersonnelandstudents-whointendstoperformon-campusresearchduringthisphase-inperiodmustread,understandand

complywiththedirectivesoutlinedinthisandtheothertwodocumentslinkedabove.

Thesedocumentsmustbemadeavailableinprintedformineachlaboratoryorworkareaforquickandfrequentreference.

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• Noresearchispermittedon-campuswithoutreceivingpriorapprovalatalllevels(seeFlowchartinFigure1).NOTE:Researcherswhohavealreadybeengrantedanexemptionpriortotheissuingofthisprotocolmustupdatetheirplansandsubmitthemforreviewinaccordancewiththisdocument.

• Atanytime,researcherswillneedtorespondtonewdirectivescomingfromtheFaculty,centralUniversityadministrationorgovernment.Incertaincases,adjustmentstopreviouslyapprovedactivitiesmayberequiredtoaccommodateactivitiesbyotherresearchteamsincommonlyusedspaces.Intheworstcase,newdirectivesmaymeanreinstatingrestrictedaccesstolabsagain.Thesenewdirectivesmaycomewithminimalamountoftimetoadjustand,thus,PIsshouldplanforthepossibilitythattheymayberequiredtoshutdowntheirlaboratorieswithshortnotice.

PrioritizingResearchWork

Forhigh-priorityresearchthatcannotbereasonablydelayedandmustbeconductedon-campus,includingfieldworkduetoseasonality,resumptionofactivitieswillbeprogressive.Notallbuildingswillbemadeaccessibleatthesametime.Therefore,onlyPriorityLevel1andLevel2research,asdefinedbelow,willbeconsideredforresumptionrequestsintheFacultyofEngineeringforthetimebeing.Researchactivitiesareprioritizedasfollows:

PriorityLevel1-Researchrequiringimmediateon-siteactivitytominimizenegativeimpactswhichwouldoccurbytheendofthesummer2020

• ResearchrelatedtoCOVID–19thatcannotbeundertakenremotely;

• Longrunningresearch/fieldresearchinwhichaseriouslossofresearchmaterial,data,orequipmentcouldoccuriftheworkwasdisrupted,isatacriticalstageorclosetoanendpoint;

• On-goingstudiesthatrequireregularcare,conditioningorinspections(e.g.,maintenanceofcells,animals,breedingcolonies,ortissues);

• Equipmentthatmustbeinspectedormaintainedregularly;

• Researchthat,ifpaused,wouldnegativelyimpacttheabilityofgraduatestudentstocompleteprogramrequirementswithinthesummer;

IMPORTANT

TheFacultyexpectsahighlevelofcare,responsibilityandprofessionalisminthePI’sreflection,preparation,planning,scheduling,andexecutionoftheresearchactivities.

Poorlyplannedon-campusactivitiescanleadtothespreadofCOVID-19infectionwhichcancauseserioushealthissuesorlossoflife,andwouldlikelyresultintheclosureofourfacilitiesfor

anextendedperiod,withimportantimpactsonallthoseaffected.Theprotocolisrigorousbecauseweallwanttoavoidthisoutcome,andtodoso,risksmustbeminimizedinallaspectsof

thework.

ShouldtheperceivedriskbecometoogreatintheFaculty’sassessmentatanypointduringtheresearchphase-inperiod,activitieswillbecurtailedandbuildingsorindividualspaceswithin

themmaybeclosed.

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• Researchconductedspecificallytoaddressreviewerrequirementstocompletemanuscriptsinrevision;

• Researchrequiredtomeetcontractmilestones;

• Researchthat,ifpaused,wouldnegativelyimpacttheabilityofagraduatestudenttocompleteprogramrequirementswithinthesummerandthatrequireson-siteworktocomplete;and

• Highlyuniqueresearchcircumstances.

Notethatcurrentresearchactivities thathavealreadybeenpermittedunder theresearchramp-downexemptionprocess implemented inMarch 2020 fall under this category. Hence, this research can continue under this newresearchphase-inperiod,butunderthenewconditionsdetailedinthisdocument.

PriorityLevel2-Researchrequiringon-siteactivitytominimizenegativeimpactsthatwouldoccurbytheendoftheyear2020

• Researchthat,ifpaused,wouldnegativelyimpacttheabilityofastudenttocompleteprogramrequirementsbytheendoftheyear2020;

• ResearchthatisneededtoaddresscriticalcareermilestonesandgrantapplicationspriortoDec31/2020.

PriorityLevel3 -Researchwheretheimpactsofbeingunabletoconducton-siteactivitiesstartaftertheendoftheyear2020

• Newandearly-stageprojectsandnewexperimentaldirections;

• Researchthatisbeing/canbelargelyundertakenremotelyduetothenatureoftheresearch.

ThePImustreviewthesecriteriacarefullywhendetermining if their research iscritical, time-sensitiveandabletobeperformed in a manner that does not jeopardize the health and safety of the broader community or the peopleperformingthework.

Note: Access requestsmay be submitted on a “per project” basis, but can also be for a programof researchwhoseresearchactivitiesaresimilarandoccurinthesameroomsand/orinvolvingcommonpersonnel.PIsareencouragedtosubmittheirproposalsbasedonresearch-programbasistoensurecoordinationofmultipleprojectsandpersonnelwithinsharedfacilitiesandtofacilitaterapidreviewofrequestsforphasing-inofresearch.

ResearchResumptionProtocol

PIspreparingtorampuptheiron-campusresearchmustfollowtheprotocolshownintheflowchartshowninFigure1.Eachblockanddocumentmentionedintheprocessflowchartaredescribedbelow.

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Figure1:FacultyofEngineering’sFlowchartofResearchFacilityAccessProtocol

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BLOCK1-PrincipalInvestigator

ThePImustassess theneedandthepriority levelof theresearchactivity that theywould like toresumeandforwhichhighlyqualifiedpersonnel(HQPblock)willneedaccesstotheirlabs.ThePImustdiscusswiththeirHQPtherisksandbenefitsof resumingon-campusactivitiesandobtainbuy-in.Graduatestudentsmayrefuse tocarry-outon-campus activities without penalty. Research Assistants, Research Associates, Technicians and PostdoctoralResearchersmaybeaskedtoresumetheiron-campuswork,buttheirplannedactivitiesandworkenvironmentmustcomplywiththeirrespectivecollectiveagreements,asappropriate.

• IncaseswherepersonnelareunderthesupervisionofmorethanonePI,asinglePImustbeidentifiedasthepersonresponsiblefortheworkdescribedandfortheimplementationoftheprotocols.

• In formulating the research plan, the PImust complywith allMcGill COVID-19 directives stated in thelinkeddocumentsabove.

• ThePImustdetermineifthebuildingwheretheresearchwillbetakingplacehasbeenmadeaccessiblebyMcGill.Thenominalbuildingaccesshoursare7amto9pmonweekdays,duringwhichasecurityagentwillbeatthedoortocontrolaccess.Accessoutsideofthisperiodisprohibited,includingtheweekend,unlessanexemptionisgrantedbytheFacultyunderspecialcircumstances.

• Researchsupportinfrastructuresandsharedfacilitiesthatarerequiredtocarryouttheproposedresearchactivities(e.g.,theNanoTools-Microfabfacility),mustalsobeopenandpreparedtoprovidethenecessaryservices.PIsshouldcontactthoseresponsibleforthesesharedfacilitiestoensurethataccess ispermittedandunderwhatconditions.

• PersonalProtectiveEquipment(PPE)(seeAppendixD):Asperroutineprotocols,thePIisexpectedtoensurethat personal protective equipment (PPE) that is normally required for lab work continues to be used.However, due to risks associated with COVID-19, additional PPE may be required, as described in theUniversity’sdirectives(seedocumentslinkedabove).Inparticular,itismandatorythatallPIsandHQPwearnon-surgicalmaskswhenit is impossibletoensurephysicaldistancingofatleast2matalltimes(alsoseeAppendix B). Beyond this requirement, all personnel may choose to wear a disposable non-surgicalproceduremaskorhomemadefacecoveringwhilepresentincampusfacilities.Itisrecommendedthatamask be worn if HQP consider, in their best judgement, that the 2-m distance cannot be consistentlymaintainedoverthecourseoftheirworkoncampus(e.g.,washroomvisits,movementstootherlabsortopartsofthebuildingwheremorepeopleareworking).

BLOCK2-CoordinationwithOtherLabMembers,SharedFacilitiesManagers

In case the request concerns shared lab facilities, the PImust discuss with their colleagues the planned on-campusactivitiesandcoordinatetheseactivitieswithotherPIs’existingorplannedactivities.Properschedulingoftheworkwillthenbeveryimportanttoensurephysicaldistancingandorderlyconductinthesharedfacilities.Incasethesharedfacilityhasamanagerordirector,thenthispersonmustapprovetheresearchplan.

Note: Personnel should not enter shared facilities without prior permission and proper scheduling to ensurephysicaldistancingrequirementsaremetinthesharedfacility.

BLOCK3-FacultyQuestionnaire

ThePImustformulatetheirrequestontheFacultyQuestionnaire(www.mcgill.ca/engineering/about-us/covid-19-updates-and-faqs/research-faq/research-phase-protocol).Thequestionsconcernthepriorityassignedtotheplannedon-campusresearchactivity,thespacetobeaccessedbythePIandtheHQP,theidentityofeachHQP,thesocialdistancingmeasures,safetyprotocol,PPE,disinfectionofsurfaces,workschedule,supportingservices,sharedfacilities,

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etc.AlltheapplicablequestionsmustbeansweredbythePIandallanswersmustbeconsistentwiththesafetydirectivesinthisdocumentandtheUniversitydirectiveslinkedabove.

Importantly, thePImustcoordinatewithcolleaguessharing labs,equipmentand facilities toensuresufficientphysical distancing between allHQPpresent in the space at all times. In caseswhere social distancing is notpossible,HQPmustwearproperPPE.

Thefollowingrulesshallapplyforpropersocialdistancing.Unitscanenforcestricterrulesforalloraportionofthespaceundertheircontrolwhendeemednecessary:

• HQPshouldcometoMcGillonlyifitisnecessaryandleavewhentheyaredonewiththeirwork;

• Dataanalysisandanyotherworkthatcanbedoneathomeshouldbedoneathome;

• HQPmustnotusetheiroffice,exceptwhentemporaryexemptionshavebeengrantedincaseswhereitis deemed safer for HQP to wait in their office rather than in the hallway until their lab becomesavailable;howeverbetterschedulingandcommunicationsmustbedonetoeliminatesuchscenariosasmuchaspossible.

• PIswhousetheirofficemustnotletanybodyelsein(singleoccupancy);

• Aimatmaintaininga2mphysicaldistancetootherpeopleatalltimes;

• PIs should nominally allow for a floor area of at least 16m2 per person to determine themaximumnumberofpeopleallowedinaroomatthesametime,butshouldconsultwiththedepartment/schooltodetermineacceptablelaboccupancy;

• Followbuildingsignageandarrowsforcirculationtolimithallwayorstairway“collisions”;

• Onlyonepersonatatimeisallowedonanyelevator;

• Personnelmustavoidcongregatingincommonareas;

• Lunch or meeting rooms must not be used; meals or snacks can only be eaten at the person’sworkstation,wherepermittedaspertypicalprotocols.

BLOCK4-UnitLabAccessCommittee

TheUnitLabAccessCommitteestruckbytheunitChairorDirectorreceivesthePI’srequestforon-campusresearchresumptionviatheFacultyQuestionnaire.Thiscommittee’sroleisthreefold:

1. Determine if the request is receivable -Thisdetermination isbasedon thedirectives laidout in the threedocuments.IstheFacultyQuestionnairecomplete?Istheplannedresearchactivityofprioritylevel1or2?etc.Iftherequestisnotreceivable,thenitisreturnedtothePIwithcomments.

2. Determine if the requesthasmerit -Thisdetermination isbasedona fineranalysisof theproposedworkagainstthedirectiveslaidoutinthethreedocuments.Hastheplannedresearchactivitybeenoptimizedtominimize HQP time spent on campus? Is there a good integration plan with other on-going or plannedresearchactivitiesinthesameareaofthebuilding?Aresupportservicesproperlyaccountedfor?etc.Iftherequesthasmerit, thenadecision tograntaccess ispossibleasper3below. Ifnot,perhapsbecause theplan is incomplete or needs further refining, then the request is returned to the PI with comments andfollow.

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3. Decidewhethertograntaccessornot,giventheconstraintsoftheunit-Iftherequesthasmerit,adecisionmustbemadeastowhetherthisaccessrequestcanbegrantedwhileensuringenoughsocialdistancingandmanageablecleaningofsurfacesaftereachshift?Suchconsiderationsmustconsiderthetotalenvironmentofthebuilding(oraparticularfloor),sharedfacilities inthearea,andtheoverallpopulation loadandanyother factors that could representa risk forCOVID-19 transmission.Once the committeehasdeterminedthataccesscanbegranted,itmustassignafilenumbertotherequest(e.g.,numberReq-NUM)andsendittotheFacultyLabAccessCommitteealongwithabriefreportjustifyingthedecision.

BLOCK5-FacultyLabAccessCommitteeDecision

TheFacultyLabAccessCommitteereceivesthePI’srequestfromtheUnitLabAccessCommitteealongwithitsrecommendation. The Faculty committee’s role is to conduct a rapid check for compliance and to considerFaculty-wideconstraints,e.g.,occupancyloadofsharedfacilities.ThiscommitteewillreportbackitsdecisiontotheUnitLabAccessCommitteeand,ifitapprovestherequest,willaskthePItofilloutthecentralizedProvostrequestform.

BLOCK6-PIFillsOutProvostRequestForm

ThePImustfillouttheProvostResearchPhase-inRequeston-lineOfficeFormonceapproved,whichfeedsintoacentralizeddatabase.Note:AllofthequestionsintheProvostRequestformwillhavealreadybeenansweredintheFacultyQuestionnaire.

BLOCK7-AccessGranted

Afterreceivingtheformforthegrantedaccessrequest,theProvost’sofficemayissuesafepassagelettersforthePIandHQPifnecessary.McGillSecurityreceivestheupdatedbuildingaccesslisttograntaccessatthedoorforthefirstweekofresearchactivity.

BLOCK8-PIandTeamExecuteRampUpPlanforUpcomingWeek

The PI and HQP will carefully execute their research ramp up plan. The week’s schedule is reviewed andimplemented.Tasksarecoordinated.Safetyprotocolsarereviewedbytheteam.Theresearchwork iscarriedout.Unusualeventsarenotedfortheweeklysafetyreport.

Generalpolicies(alsorefertothetwoMcGilldocumentslinkedatthebeginningofthisdocument)

• Maintaincurrentcontactinformationforemployeesandvisitorsenteringthefacility;

• Notify employees prior to arrival of new screeningmeasures and policies at the facility pertaining toentrancetothefacility;

• Allresearchersmustbesymptom-freebeforeenteringthebuilding;

• Allemployeesshouldbeawareofearlysignsandsymptomsofacuterespiratoryinfection;

• COVID-19symptomsrangefrommild–likethecommoncoldandothercommonrespiratoryinfections– to severe, and can include: fever, cough, and difficulty breathing,muscle aches, fatigue, headache,sorethroat,andrunnynose.Insomecases,individualstemporarilylosetheirsenseoftasteorsmell;

• AllHQPmustbeinstructedtoimmediatelyisolatethemselvesshouldtheybecomesymptomatic;

• Researchersshouldself-monitortheirtemperaturebeforeleavinghometocometothelaboratory.

• Wash your hands before entering and leaving the building, and often during the day with soap andwateroralcohol-based(>70%alcohol)handsanitizer;

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• Practicephysicaldistancingatalltimes:maintaina2mdistancefromothers;

• Coveryourmouthandnosewithatissuewhenyoucoughorsneeze;throwusedtissuesinthetrash;

• Sneezeandcoughintoyourelbowifyoudon’thaveatissue;

• Supervisorsmustactivelyengageinmonitoringallresearchersintheirlab;

• Avoidcontactwithpeoplewhoaresick;

• Avoidtouchingyoureyes,noseormouth;

• Self-isolatefor14daysafteranysuspectedexposure;

• Stayhomeifyouaresick.

BLOCK9-WeeklySafetyReport

At theendofeveryweek,by12pm (noon)onFriday, thePImust fileaweekly safety report for the researchactivitywiththeUnitLabAccessCommittee(seeAppendixA).

Theweeklysafetyreportcontainsthefollowinginformation:

• Howthesafetyprotocolwasfollowedbytheteamduringtheweek;

• Any incident or unusual circumstances that may have occurred along with proposed correctiveactions;

• Theworkscheduleandassignedteamforthefollowingweek(thisinformationwillbepassedontoMcGillSecurityforaccessandtracingpurposes);

• SignatureofthePItoattestthatthereportistruthfulandcomplete,andtotakeresponsibilityfortheteam’sactions.

Failure to file the weekly safety report will be reported to the Dean or the Associate Dean (Research &Innovation)whomaychoosetorevokeaccesstothePIandtheHQP.

BLOCK10-ProtocolFollowed?(UnitLabAccessCommittee)

TheUnitLabAccessCommitteereceivesthePI’sweeklysafetyreportby3pmonFriday.Thecommitteereviewsthe report for compliance. If the report is found to be noncompliantwith the directives of this and the twoMcGilldocuments linkedabove,orwith theacceptedresearchplan, thenthecommitteenotifies theDeanortheAssociateDean(Research&Innovation).Seriousincidentswillbeinvestigatedandaccessmayberevokedasaresult.

BLOCK11-AccesstoLabStillNecessary?(PI)

ThePIdecideswhethertheobjectivesoftheresearchactivitieshavebeenmetandiflabaccessisstillnecessary.If lab access is still necessary, then access ismaintained. If lab access is no longer necessary, then access isrevokedfortheseresearchactivities.

BLOCK12-AccessMaintained

Once theweekly safety report from the PI is found to be compliant by the Unit Lab Access Committee, thereportcontainingthenextweek’sscheduleissenttoMcGillSecurityforaccessprogramming,withacopytotheFacultyLabAccessCommittee.TheprocedurethenloopsbacktotheExecuteRamp-UpPlanforUpcomingWeekprocess(Block8).

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Unsafebehaviorshouldbereportedinthesamewayasnormalsafety issues.That is,HQPshouldreportsuchincidentstothePI,thePIreportsthemtothelocalSafetyCommittee,whichreportsthemtotheunitChairorDirector,etc.PleaserefertoMcGill’sInternalResponsibilitySystem.NotethatEnvironmental,HealthandSafety(EHS)willconductsurpriseinspections.

Ifatanytime,thereisreasontobelievethatthedirectivesoftheuniversityhavenotbeenrespectedand/orthattheapprovedplansofthePIwithrespecttoaccesshavebeendeviatedfrom,thentheFacultyreservesthe right to immediately revokeaccess topersonnel from its spaces. In such instances, upon investigations,disciplinaryactionmayensue. Evenifdisciplinaryactionsarenotrequired,thePImaybeaskedtorestartthewholeprotocoloutlinedintheflowchartabovefromthebeginningtorequestaccesstotheirlab.TheonuswillbeonthePItoexplainhowtrustcanbere-builtsothatsafetyandplanswillbestrictlyfollowedatalltimesinthefuture.

AdditionalConsiderationsandInformation:

Pleaserefertotheattachedappendicesforimportantinformation,asfollows:

• AppendixA:WeeklySafetyReport

• AppendixB:MaintainingPhysicalDistancingonCampus

• AppendixC:CleaningProcedures

• AppendixD:VirusTransmissionandPersonalProtectiveEquipment

• AppendixE:WhatHappensWhenaStaffMemberorStudentReceivesaCOVID-19Diagnosis

• AppendixF:AdditionalResourcesandSourceofInformation

Forquestionsorconcernsabouttheimplementationofthisprotocol,PIsshouldfirstcontacttheirChairorDirectoroftheirunit.Forquestionsthatcannotbeaddressedata local level,PIsmaycontact thefollowingkeypersonnel intheFacultywhowilldotheirbesttofollowupassoonaspossible:

• DeanofEngineering:Prof.JimNicell(jim.nicell@mcgill.ca)

• AssociateDean(Research&Innovation):Prof.BenoitBoulet(benoit.boulet@mcgill.ca)

• AssociateDean(FacultyAffairs):Prof.RichardChromik(richard.chromik@mcgill.ca)

• InterimBuildingDirector:Mme.LeelaBaldeo(leela.baldeo@mcgill.ca)

• DirectorofAdministration:Dr.ChidinmaOffoh-Robert(chidinma.offoh-robert@mcgill.ca)

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APPENDIXA:WEEKLYSCHEDULEANDSAFETYREPORT

At theendofeveryweek,by12pm (noon)onFriday, thePImust file theweekly scheduleand safety report for theresearchactivitieswiththeUnitLabAccessCommittee(refertoyourDepartmentorSchool).

Such reports will be used to coordinate changes thatmay be required in buildings and to refine our processes andprotocolstoensurethesafetyofallresearchers.FailuretofiletheweeklysafetyreportwillbeimmediatelyreportedtotheDeanortheAssociateDean(Research&Innovation)whomaythenchoosetorevokeaccesstothePIandtheHQP.ThePImustdemonstrateandmaintainaseriouscommitmenttowardssafety.Properlyfillingoutandfilingtheweeklyschedule and safety report provides evidence of such a commitment. The PImust answer all questions and provideaccurateinformationforthecommittee’sassessment.

PleasecompletetheweeklyscheduleandsafetyreportusingtheExcelspreadsheettemplatelinkedhere:

WeeklyScheduleandSafetyReport:www.mcgill.ca/engineering/about-us/covid-19-updates-and-faqs/research-faq/research-phase-protocol

Thefirsttabinthisspreadsheetistheupcomingweek’sschedule,whilethesecondtabisthesafetyreportontheweekthatisjustending.

Informationthatisrequiredtocompletetheformincludes:

• Week,nameofPI,requestnumber,building;

• Commentsoncompliancewithsafetymeasuresandactivityplan,andnotableincidents;

• Activityscheduleforthefollowingweek:HQP,rooms,activitiesforeachdayoftheweek.

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APPENDIXB:MAINTAININGPHYSICALDISTANCINGONCAMPUS

EveryPImusttakeresponsibilityfornotonlyadheringtosafetyprotocolsoutlinedinthisdocumentandtheUniversitydirectives (see links inmainbody)but also forensuring that suchprotocols areadhered tobypersonnelunder theirsupervisionorguidance.

• Basicphysicaldistancingconcept:Individualsshouldkeepaminimumdistancefromothersofatleast2matalltimes.

• Multipleindividualsworkingforextendedhoursinthesameenclosedspace(lab)areonlyallowedatadensitylowerthananominallevelofapproximatelyonepersonper16m2(dependingonlablayout,seeFig.B1foranexample).Itisfineforanadditionalpersontoenterthethuslyoccupiedspaceforashorttime(forexampletopickupanitemfromthefridge),butoverallandoverextendedtimes,thisdensityguidelinemustberespected.Smalllabspaces(e.g.,20m2orless)shouldnotbeoccupiedbymorethanoneperson,exceptforshortvisitsbyothers.

• Toensuretheabovementioneddistancing,thetotalnumberofpeopleincampusbuildingsandthenumberofpeople in each individual lab must be significantly reduced compared to normal operations. It is theresponsibilityof thePI toensure that this iscoordinated for the labspaceunder theirpurview.De-densifyingcanbeachievedinanumberofwayswhichmayneedtobecombineddependingonthesituation.

o Prioritizecertainprojects(e.g.finishinggradstudents),holdingbackothers

o Arrange fornon-simultaneous labuse, forexample throughstaggeredshiftsaccording to timeofday,day of theweek, orweekly alternation. Note that campus buildingswill be accessible based on cardaccessfrom7amto9pmonweekdays.

o Noofficeorcomputerworkshouldbedoneoncampus.

o Dataanalysisandanyotherworkthatcanbedoneathomeshouldbedoneathome.

o Staggeringworkinghours is ideallydoneformingstableteamswhodonotoverlap.Thiswouldensurethatnottheentiregrouphastoself-isolateincaseofaCOVID-19case.

FigureB1:Exampleofthreeworkersinonelabwiththreemainbays.Eachworker(blackdot)occupiesonebayandmuststayatleast2mfromothersatalltimes.Workers2and3arepositionedprimarilyback-to-backtomaximizedistance.

Ifworkersmustmovefrequentlybetweentheirbenchandotherlocationsinthelab(e.g.sharedspace),itmaybenecessarytodecreasethetotalnumberofindividualsevenfurther.

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• For the same reason, if certain teammembers are responsible for essential functions, they shouldnot all bescheduledinthesamelabshift.

• Inthecaseofcommonspaceandlabinfrastructure,PIsmustcoordinatewiththerespectiveunitchair/directoror the individual responsible for the infrastructure.All sharedresearch infrastructureshavedevelopedspecialoperatingproceduresforthecurrentsituation.

• Small sharedspaces shouldbeaccessedbyonepersonata time.Others shouldwaitoutsideat2mdistancefromeachother,ashasbeendoneatgrocerystoresinrecentmonths.

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APPENDIXC:CLEANINGPROCEDURES

• Facilitieshaveintensifiedcleaningprotocolsforallpublicspaces,especiallyfocusingonhightouchareas.Theircapacityislimited,however,andallusersmusttrytokeepallsharedareascleanandtidy.

• Facilities continue to clean lab floors and empty waste bins, but no other surfaces in labs are under theirpurview.

• PIsandtheirteamsmustidentifyallhigh-touchsurfacesintheirlabspaceanddevelopacleaningscheduleandprotocolforthese.Everylabmembermustunderstandwhattheirresponsibilitiesarewithregardstothese.Thefollowingitemsarelikelytobehightouch:

o Handlesoffridges,freezers,sharedinstruments

o Labbenchsurfaces,faucethandles

o Doorknobs

o Keyboardsofsharedcomputers:canbewrappedinsaranwraptofacilitatecleaning

• ThefollowingcleaningordisinfectantproductsareeffectiveforCOVID-19:

o Soapandwater

o Diluted bleach (0.1% to 0.5% dilution of sodium hypochlorite): Prepare bymixing 1 part commercialbleachand9partswater

o Ethanol(62%to71%)

o Hydrogenperoxide(0.5%)

• Untilfurthernotice,procurementforsometypesofcleaningproductsandmasksisarrangedbycentralMcGill.PIscanthereforeorderthesethroughMMP.PIsshouldensurethattheseitemsareplacedatallthelocationsintheir labswhere they are likely to be needed frequently. Current central provisioning includes the followingitems:

o Masks:Proceduremasks,Surgical/Procedure(ASTM-3)masks

o Nitrilegloves(one-size,small,medium,largeandextra-large,bothsterileandnon-sterile)

o Disinfectingwipes

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APPENDIXD:VIRUSTRANSMISSIONANDPERSONALPROTECTIVEEQUIPMENT

Virustransmission

• COVID-19isprimarilytransmittedviarespiratorydroplets,frequentlygeneratedthroughsneezingandcoughing.Droplets of relevant size are not thought to travel further than a fewmeters before falling to the groundorevaporating.Thegeneral2-mdistancingrule isbasedonthisconcept,butair flowandthewearingofbarriermasksmaychangethisdistance.

• GiventhatexhaleddropletsarethemostimportantwayoftransmissionofCOVID-19,itiscrucialtouseatissueorsleevewhensneezingorcoughing.

• ThetransmissionofCOVID-19viasurfacesislesswellunderstood.Tracesofvirushavebeenfoundonsurfacesevenafterdays,butwhetherandhowlongthesetracesareabletocauseinfectionisunclear.Itiswisetoerronthesideofcautionandregularlywipedownsurfacesofshareditems,e.g.doorknobs,tools.

• Thehighest riskof virusuptake is either throughdroplets, or viadirect contactof fingerswith contaminatedsurfacesandsubsequenttouchingoflips,noseoreyes.Itisthereforeimportanttowashhandsfrequently,and,importantly,tonottouchyourfacewithunwashedhands.

• Gloves are not generally recommended as a protection against the virus, since only experienced glove usersreduce transmission that way and glove wearing can give a false sense of security. Of course, nitrile glovesshouldcontinuetobeworninalabcontextwherethisisrequiredforotherreasons.

Masks

• Onewayof reducing theoverall probability of virus transmission is thewearingofmasks.Maskwearing canmakeadifferencewherephysicaldistancingisimpossible(e.g.,publictransit)orwhereexhaleddropletsmightfall on food items (e.g. supermarket).Whilemaskwearing is effectiveunder certain circumstances, themoreimportantandefficientmeasuresremainphysicaldistancingandfrequenthandwashing.

• Non-medicalmasks(includinghomemadefromcloth)protectotherpeoplearoundthewearerbyreducingthetravelofrespiratorydroplets.Thesemasksmakesenseevenfor individualswhofeelcompletelyhealthysincemanyviruscarriersareasymptomatic(i.e.,theydonotexperienceanyofthesymptomstypicallyassociatedwithCOVID-19). Consistent with current government directives, on the McGill campuses, non-medical masks aremandatory only in situations where the 2 m distancing rule cannot be ensured. As all directives in thisdocument,thisoneissubjecttoupdatingatanytime.

• MedicalmaskssuchasN-95respiratorscanblockmicroscopicparticles.Theyprotectthewearerfromexposureto airborne particles and liquid droplets. Thesemasks should be reserved for healthworkers and thosewhoneeditforspeciallabactivities.IntheMcGillcontext,onlyfewlabworkersregularlyneedtowearrespirators,mostlyunrelatedtoCOVID-19.

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APPENDIXE:WHATHAPPENSWHENASTAFFMEMBERORSTUDENTRECEIVESACOVID-19DIAGNOSIS?

• Staffandstudentswho receiveaCOVID-19positivediagnosismust complete theconfirmationof illness formfoundatthesafedeclarationformslink:

https://www.mcgill.ca/coronavirus/resources/self-declaration-forms

• NostudentorstaffmemberisobligedtodivulgeaCOVID-19diagnosistocolleaguesorsupervisors,buttheyarecertainlyallowedtodoso.

• Typically,onceanindividualreceivesaCOVID-19diagnosis,theDirectiondelasantépublique(DSP)willcontactthemtoattempt toconductcontact tracing.Thismeans that thediagnosed individual isaskedtoprovidethenamesandcontact(emailorphone)ofpersonsthatmighthavebeenincontactwiththem.Onlypersonswhohavebeeninphysicallycloseproximityformorethanafewminutesareconsideredatrisk,andonlytheperiodsince the twodaysbefore theonsetof the symptoms is considered relevantby theDSP.Potentially exposedpersonsarethencontactedbytheDSP(without identifyingthediagnosed individual)andaskedtoself-isolatefor14daysandmonitortheirhealth.

• The DSP has limited capacity to perform this contact tracing, however, and their response timemay not beimmediate. Experts say that themost successful strategies to control the transmissionof SARS-CoV-2 involveswiftandefficientcontacttracing.WhilenostafforstudentisobligedtodosounlessdirectedbyDSP,informingcolleagueswhomayhavebeenexposedwouldthereforebehelpfultominimizethefurtherspreadofCOVID-19amongthecampuscommunity.

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APPENDIXF:ADDITIONALRESOURCESANDSOURCESOFINFORMATION

HealthandCOVID-19

• GeneralinformationforMontrealers(SantéMontreal)

• Self-careguide

Directivesgénéralesdelasantépubliqueetlignesdirectricesdel’IRSST(français)

• Mesuresgénérales(INSPQ,12avril2020).

• Premiersgroupesvisésparledéconfinement(INSPQ,5avril2020).

• Travailleusesenceintes(INSPQ,27mars2020)ettravailleursavecdesconditionsdesantéparticulières(immunodéprimés[INSPQ,22avril2020]et/ouavecmaladieschroniques[INSPQ,22avril2020]).

• Lignesdirectricespourlareprisesécuritairedesactivitésderechercheenprésentieldanslesmilieuxuniversitairesquébécois(IRSST,1ermai2020)etaide-mémoire(IRSST,1ermai2020).

• Nettoyagedessurfaces(INSPQ)

DirectivesbytheInstitutnationaldesantépubliqueduQuébec(English)

• Pregnantandnursingworkers(INSPQ,April16,2020)andhere(INSPQ,April15,2020)

• Surfacecleaning(INSPQ)

FAQissuedbyMcGill

• FacultyofEngineering

• McGillingeneral

• Graduatestudents