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COVID-19 Protocol

NSU Cleanroom is OPEN and SAFE

NSU Cleanroom COVID-19 Protocol

The disruptive effects of the COVID-19 outbreak have impacted almost all sectors of our society. Higher education is no exception. Therefore, we need a plan for a phased transition away from such restrictions in a manner that will enable the sustainable suppression of transmission at a low-level. Reopening cleanroom and labs, especially in this time of a public health emergency, means that you will have to stay informed and aligned with your institute's leaders and recent guidelines for health and safety practices. Every lab differs in the type of research and routines they follow, so have created and implemented a safety plan that works best for our cleanroom and remains aligned with the NSU guidelines.

We would like to thank you all for the remarkable ways you have continued to pursue your research while access to campus has been severely limited because of the global coronavirus pandemic. We know it has not been easy, and that you are eager to return to the cleanroom to continue the critical work you are doing. Today, we are excited to tell you that we are ready to begin the process of reopening the NSU cleanroom, even at reduced capacity. We Plan to reopen of NSU Cleanroom Facility on Monday, November 2nd 2020.

NSU Cleanroom Protocol

General Policy

  • Do NOT enter cleanroom if you are sick or if you have Covid-19 like symptoms
  • Wear masks/face coverings all the time in the cleanroom
  • Always maintain a minimum 6 ft distance from others
  • Follow the maximum occupancy: maximum 5 people in cleanroom and maximum 1 person in one bay (including the log in room and the gowning room)

Safety Procedure

Before entering the cleanroom:

  • Wash your hands with soap and water or use an 70% alcohol-based hand sanitizer
  • Avoid bringing any items into the lab which are not needed
  • Maximum 1 person allowed in the log in room, please check before entering.

Check in - The log in room:

  • Sanitize your hands
  • Clean your cellphone with IPA
  • Remove your own mask and put it in a Ziploc bag
  • Sanitize your hands
  • Wear beard cover (if needed) and cleanroom face mask
  • Wear gloves
  • Log in, check the current occupancy in each bay
  • Clean your shoes with shoe scrubber
  • Maximum 1 person allowed in the gowning room, please check before entering

Check in - The gowning room:

  • In the pre-gowning area: wear the hair net and then shoe covers
  • In the gowning area:
    • Wear cleanroom garment: hood, coverall, and booties
    • Clean goggles with IPA before putting them on

In the cleanroom:

  • Follow the policy of mask wearing, 6 ft distancing, and maximum occupancy
  • Use individual bins/bags to isolate personal items.
  • Before and after use, always disinfect high touch surfaces of all equipment (bench, fume hoods, microscope, mask aligner, keyboard, mouse, …) and the shared items (tweezers, pens, …) using IPA.
  • Minimize the use of shared items such as pens, markers, tweezers, etc.
  • Do not stay around longer than necessary to perform your experiments

​Check out - The gowning room:

  • Put your cleanroom garment in a plastic bag after use  

Check out - The log in room:

  • Log out