Now Inviting Labs & Clinics to Place PPE Orders for the Spring

During the spring semester, Sourcing & Procurement (S&P) will continue assisting labs and clinics with the acquisition and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) as part of BU’s research recovery effort. With the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases, the supply chain remains extremely constrained, and centralized purchasing maximizes BU’s ability to obtain authentic, high-quality products at market-competitive rates. During the fall semester, we received a large number of orders placed via email instead of through the preferred survey process. This makes it extremely difficult to accurately monitor and project PPE levels. Please use the preferred process outlined below. Order requests placed outside the survey process cannot be guaranteed and will receive a lower priority level.

Charles River Campus orders are due Friday, December 4

We invite Charles River Campus (CRC) labs and clinics to estimate their required needs through the end of the spring semester. Please submit your order via web form by Friday, December 4. As a reminder, labs and clinics are responsible for ordering any PPE used within lab spaces, while Facilities will provide sanitizing wipes (70% alcohol-based) and cleaner/disinfectant spray to each area as part of the effort. Costs for PPE will be incurred by the unit that orders the supplies (e.g., lab, center, and clinic) via after-the-fact Journal Entry completed by S&P. Lastly, please remember that manufacturer-specific brands cannot be guaranteed given the scarcity of many products, and S&P will continue to partner with Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) and Research Safety to qualify product specifications.

Once orders are placed and filled, S&P will share details about how to schedule an appointment to pick up your order, while adhering to social distancing protocols. All CRC orders will need to be picked up at 700 Beacon Street. PPE appointments will be limited to Tuesdays between 9 am and 3 pm.

BU Medical Campus

BU Medical Campus (BUMC) labs should continue to use the order form on the BUMC PPE supply center website. Please contact Fredric Majnoun at fredric@bu.edu with any questions about the PPE supply on the Medical Campus. All MED orders will be picked up at 72 East Concord St, Room, L-Annex 219.

Questions

If you have any questions about the appropriate PPE required for various situations, please contact EHS at oehs@bu.edu or 617-358-7840. If you have questions or concerns related to your supply order, please email covidppe@bu.edu. As a reminder, labs and clinics are encouraged to leverage BU’s preferred supplier relationships and catalogs for more specific needs not covered in the bulk buy. All catalogs are now available in Guided BUying, Boston University’s e-procurement platform available under the Procurement tab in BUworks.