Health risk and reduction -- face covering requirements and steps taken to date

  • July 28, 2020
  • COVID-19 Faculty and Staff Students

Face covering requirements

As directed by current state and city orders, face masks or face coverings must be worn by all faculty and staff working on campus when in close proximity to others and in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., common work spaces, meeting rooms, classrooms, etc.). Visitors are also expected to also wear masks or face coverings when on campus. Appropriate use of face masks or coverings is critical in minimizing risks to others near you. You could spread COVID-19 to others even if you do not feel sick.  Please see Face Covering/Mask Guidelines & FAQs for additional guidance.

Steps taken to date

Department Meetings

Physical Plant has held meetings with all department heads to review and discuss the following items: 

  • The first discussion point is to assure our front door staff are protected from all visitors. We are looking at the areas that have high contact with customers. For each of the identified areas, plexiglass safety guards have been installed to assure distancing. A total of 66 areas have been identified. 

    • Sanitizing stations will be placed in each of these suites on campus. Physical Plant will resupply these stations as we will reuse the units. 

  • Custodial support cleaning will occur early in the morning and then re-cleaning main entrances and bathrooms in facilities will occur daily around mid-day. Physical Plant has provided CDC-approved hand wipes for departments to clean areas on their own as needed. These will be resupplied as needed. 

Signage/Additional Protections

Physical Plant and Marketing and Communications are installing signage around campus. 

Key signage will be in facilities and suites entrances, reminding everyone of the following: 

  • Face covering/masks must be worn in common areas 

  • Social distancing must always be followed 

  • Wash hands frequently and use sanitizer as much as possible 

Buildings

  • Conference/classroom signs 

  • Plexiglass barriers 

  • Sanitizer stations 

  • Regi paws on floors 

  • Table top seating paws 

Campus

  • 6 A-frame 24x36” double-sided posters on Boettcher Commons around Student Center and in front of campus buildings

Entrance Banners

  • Lot 6 Federal/50th entrance banner 

  • 50th/Lowell pedestrian entrance banner 

  • 51st/Lowell pedestrian entrance banner 

  • 52nd/Federal fence banner 

A series of resource posters are now available for employees to download, print and post in their offices. Download here.

 covid-graphic

Classrooms

The Office of the Provost, Physical Plant, Auxiliary Services and Information Technology Services are working together to ensure classrooms are set up to meet occupancy and social distancing requirements. 

  • We will be establishing social distancing in our classrooms, conference rooms and high occupancy locations. 

  • Once completed, these set-ups will be charted and shared to get ready for the new semester. We will use the Regi paw to show where people should sit. 

  • We are working on securing facilities, and we are slowly and safely bringing back our faculty and staff while preparing for students. 

Ventilation Exhausts and Returns

All units have forced air supply and return, and each unit supplying the air has fresh air intakes as the air returns to the unit. The air is mixed as it supplies the spaces it is supporting. Labs have 100% air exhaust and resupply at least 13 times in a day. Opening the windows reduces return air pressure and defeats the proper operation of the HVAC units. 

The forced air returns mixed with fresh air intakes minimize potential particulates and any infection being carried back into spaces. We also exchange our filters quarterly. (The Advancement offices in Main Hall do not have forced air returns and neither does the Room 101. These rooms should open their windows in the wintertime.)

Enhanced Cleaning Protocols 

  • During the Stay at Home Order, our custodial staff conducted enhanced cleaning operations for all buildings. 

  • Our custodial team is now cleaning all bathrooms in unlocked facilities in the morning and mid-day, and restocking and wiping down the bathroom and entrances to the suites and designated access to the facility. 

  • To assist in this area, we can each be personally responsible to practice the required hygiene protocols, which include washing our hands thoroughly with soap and water frequently. 

  • The soap in all buildings is high quality and not anti-bacterial and works in all water temperatures. The CDC has recommended to use regular soap instead of anti-bacterial because of the increase of staph infections in hospitals. 

Cleaning Supplies

Common/Reception Areas: Physical Plant is providing supplies of hand sanitizer, disposable wipes and gloves for the reception areas of office where face-to-face interactions may be required. Each department may purchase its own supplies for use in offices and other spaces if desired. 

Questions can be directed as follows: 

Human Resources: hrinfo@regis.edu 

Physical Plant: physplan@regis.edu