For all research activity, any work that can be done remotely, should be done remotely.
Vertebrate Animal Research
Vertebrate animal research should be designed to limit the amount of time and number of personnel in the facility.
- The density of people allowed in a facility should be coordinated with the laboratory safety working group. Use of the animal facilities should be staggered.
- Research personnel should perform preparatory and other duties related to animal research in another lab to minimize time in the animal facility.
Each facility should have a calendar for personnel to schedule time inside the facility.
Users of animal facilities should coordinate with other users of the same facility and keep an eye on the “big-picture” including: the need to prevent a flood of researchers looking to use the facilities and that as research ramps up, the animal facility staff will also need more time inside the facility.
Animal facility staff should provide weekly census data as a measure of facility use.
Provide cross-training of animal facility staff (Other UNE departments may be able to assist) by remote means when possible.
- Currently the rodent and zebrafish facility staff are cross-trained on both facilities. The MSC has redundancy built in for the care of MSC species.
Provide appropriate signage both inside and outside of the animal facilities indicating physical distancing rules and the PPE needed for entry.
- Each facility should designate one person who has general oversight and may report non-adherence to the employee’s supervisor for enforcement purposes.
Everyone should wear a mask at all times when inside any animal facility.
Delivery of animals should be coordinated with facility staff and occur only after research activity has been approved to resume.
Human Subjects Research
Any in-person research that may be conducted by remote/virtual activity should be completed by such means.
For research that requires in-person interaction or intervention but does not involve physical contact or close contact within six (6) feet of another person:
- Additional omnibus consent for research participants pertaining to risks of exposure to COVID-19.
- Appropriate social distancing measures and precautions such as sitting at a table larger than 6 feet, plexiglass barriers.
- Collecting data from one subject at a time, limiting number of people in a room.
- Appropriate sanitation both before and after the interaction/intervention.
Research that requires in-person interaction or intervention but does involve physical contact or close contact within six (6) feet of another person.
- Appropriate education on how COVID-19 is spread, use of PPE, sanitizing best practices.
- Additional omnibus consent for research participants pertaining to risks of exposure to COVID-19.
- Limitations on number of staff in the lab.
- Cleaning and disinfecting protocols, PPE.
Laboratory Operations & Safety
- Individuals should be reminded about the importance of self-care, not coming into work when feeling sick, and proper hygiene.
- Individuals should be cross-trained on multiple overlapping techniques that are essential for safe lab operations, so that multiple people can cover for individuals who may have to be absent for extended periods of time.
- To accomplish this training under the current environment may require creation of training videos.
- Universal signage should be created for the laboratory space that specifies the required protocols that need to be followed (e.g., reminders for individuals to wear face masks and wipe down the lab (keyboards, doorknobs, freezer doors, sink handles) before leaving).
- Work shifts should be staggered to reduce % occupancy in a research space at any given time. The use of an online (Google) calendar should be used to schedule times when individuals will be in specific labs/buildings, including names and contact information. Google calendars should be created and overseen by someone for each building with designated research space (Stella Maris, Pickus, MSC, Morgane, Alfond Forum and Sciences buildings, Decary in Biddeford and CoP, others? in Portland).
- Calendars for equipment utilized by multiple research groups should created if they are not already in place. For example, a Google calendar has already been created and is utilized for researchers and animal facility staff in Stella Maris and Pickus. The need for calendars in other buildings should be determined.
- Proper PPE must be worn in the lab whenever the occupancy exceeds one person as per UNE HR guidelines.
- Physical distancing must be maintained as per UNE HR guidelines. Lab staffing should be kept to a minimum necessary to perform the research. In addition, training of individuals that requires working in close proximately is not recommended to begin during the first phase of re-opening, and when started may necessitate additional PPE requirements.
- For safe physical distancing, an occupancy of no more than one individual 200 sq ft of lab space is recommended.
- Laboratories should be disinfected (70% ethanol) before each person leaves (including lab benches, keyboards, doorknobs, freezer doors, sink handles). Additional cleanings of shared equipment (prior to and after use) should be conducted. This can be implemented without delay and is already practiced in Stella Maris and Pickus.
- Mailroom deliveries. It is recommended that individual laboratories coordinate with the mail room to pick up deliveries when notified that a package has been received.
- It is recommended that an individual (Department Chair) is assigned responsibility for checking compliance in a given research building.
Field Research (Including Research Vessels)
Faculty, staff and students conducting research in the field should:
- Wear appropriate PPEs (mask and gloves) when in the presence of other personnel
- Where possible, modify activities to maintain 6 foot physical distancing
- Ensure access to adequate water & soap, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes for handwashing.
- Employ enhanced cleaning/disinfection protocol for any shared bathrooms, kitchen facilities, or shared equipment.
- Carry a thermometer in your first aid kit
- For overnight trips, ensure extra lodging is available to maintain physical distancing, i.e. single rooms
- Transportation in vehicles to and from research sites should maintain physical distancing of non-related individuals