Memo: Health & Safety Requirements for Research Groups

TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:

I’m writing today with important reminders about the COVID-19 protocols required of all Boston University labs, groups, and centers approved for on-campus research.

Read on for critical information about:

  • Lab compliance with health and safety protocols
  • Screening and testing requirements for research personnel
  • Testing categories
  • Actions required of faculty investigators, including an attestation due Friday, October 23

Health & Safety Protocols

The need for scientific discovery and critical analysis is more urgent than ever before, and safeguarding the health of our research community is critical to keeping labs fully operational. The stakes are high, and we are asking for your help upholding our current health and safety protocols to ensure that your work can continue without interruption.

Adherence to University protocols, as well as compliance with each group’s research recovery plan, are being actively monitored via safety walk-throughs by BU Environmental Health & Safety. Positive tests may also result in review by outside public health agencies. The detailed reports generated by these inspections have documented some troubling trends, including:

  • Research personnel congregating in kitchens and common areas
  • Teams not adhering to the density limits set forth in their approved recovery plans
  • Furniture arranged in labs without appropriate spacing
  • Labs out of compliance with cleaning and disinfection requirements (e.g., cluttered bench space, no daily log to track cleaning and disinfection)

Failure to abide by your approved recovery plan and current health and safety protocols will result in revocation of laboratory access privileges.

Screening & Testing Reminders

I also want to reinforce the importance of COVID-19 screening and testing requirements for all BU personnel:

  1. All employees assigned to testing categories 1, 2, and 3 are required to submit daily symptom checks seven (7) days a week (weekends included) through BU Healthway. Individuals assigned to testing category 4 are not permitted on campus and do not need to complete the daily health screening.
  2. COVID-19 testing is required at the frequency dictated by your assigned testing category (see below). Testing is scheduled through BU Healthway. If personnel are unsure of their testing category, they can find it on myBUworks. If they believe their category should change, they can discuss the matter with their department chair or manager.

Please ensure your team members understand and adhere to these requirements. As part of BU’s efforts to ensure compliance, supervisors are automatically notified when personnel fail to meet these obligations. Non-compliance will have consequences, ranging from revocation of laboratory access privileges up through termination.

Testing Categories

As a reminder, based on guidance from public health authorities, the University recognizes four COVID-19 testing categories:

  • Categories 1 and 2: For those whose on-campus employment or service obligations require interaction with BU community members, including but not limited to students. All personnel who come to campus regularly are expected to be assigned to one of these two categories. Must test once every seven (7) days.
  • Category 3: Reserved for those who mostly work remotely and who come to campus infrequently, or those whose schedules may require them to be on campus only occasionally. As of October 5, individuals in Category 3 should test the very first time they come to campus and each subsequent week they are on campus with not more than one test performed weekly. For example, if your schedule requires you to come to campus for one or more days during a specific week, you must be tested once that week. If you come in for some portion of two weeks in a given month, you need to be tested once during each of those weeks. Individuals must have strong justification for being assigned to Category 3.
  • Category 4: Reserved exclusively for individuals who currently work remotely and never come to campus. Those in Category 4 do not need to be tested, and do not need to complete the daily health screening.

Learn more at go.bu.edu/back2bu/categories.

Your Action is Required

We are asking all faculty PIs approved for on-campus research to complete the following steps by Friday, October 23:

  1. Review your current research recovery plan.
  2. Renew your commitment to monitoring and maintaining compliance with this plan by submitting this required attestation.
  3. Print and post new posters about BU health and safety protocols in your lab space.
  4. Actively confirm that your entire team understands the risks and consequences of non-compliance.
  5. To report non-compliance with BU protocols and expectations, you or your team members may submit an anonymous hazard observation in BioRAFT.

The University takes the health of its faculty, staff, and students very seriously. It is critically important that each of us do our part. Thank you for your attention to these requirements, and your continued commitment to our community’s health and well-being this school year.

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