EHS COVID-19 FAQ

EHS staff continue to provide support services on campus. Visit the team directory to access staff contact information and to view the list of EHS Coordinators in the Departments, Labs and Centers. You may search by topic area, department support team, or role. If you have any questions or concerns, please email the EHS team or call 617-452-3477 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. Outside of those hours, please call the Operations Center at 617-253-4948. For emergencies, see “What if there is an emergency in the lab?” under Emergencies and Injury Reporting.

EHS continues to provide essential hazardous waste management services unless changes in the overall situation require us to stop these services.

Regulated Medical Waste (biological waste)

Follow the established procedures for your building/lab:

1. Submit an online biological waste pickup request if this is your normal practice.
2. Bring your full biological solid waste container to the bio waste rooms on your floor.
3. Waste will be removed by EHS per the currently established schedule.

Hazardous Chemical Waste

Follow the established procedures for your building/lab:

1. Submit a chemical waste pickup request.
2. Bring any chemical waste to the Main Accumulation Areas (MAAs) on your floor.

Radioactive Waste

Follow the established procedures for your building/lab:

1. Submit a radioactive waste pickup request.

For some EHS courses in-person, classroom-based trainings has resumed; however, EHS continues to also offer trainings via Zoom. Please review the location listed in the course description via the MIT Learning Center before registering. If you would like to schedule a training for your group, please contact the EHS Office by emailing environment@mit.edu or contacting your DLC EHS Coordinator and Lead Contact.

In general, MIT campus personnel, PIs, and supervisors are responsible for ensuring compliance with these specific steps when multiple personnel are working together on the same project or sharing the same equipment or tools:

• Each individual must complete the COVID Pass Attestation prior to reporting to campus. If you feel unwell or have a fever, cough, or shortness of breath, DO NOT risk compromising others and DO NOT report to work.
• If anyone is developing/exhibiting symptoms, while at work, the PI/Supervisor should follow MIT Medical guidance and send the employee home sick. While on-site, no person can be exhibiting any symptoms (coughing, fever, shortness of breath). Employees who are exhibiting possible symptoms or have traveled out of state are required to remain home and self-isolate per MIT directive and the MIT Travel Policy. This also applies if an employee’s close contacts test positive for COVID-19.  Any person exhibiting symptoms after reporting to work will be asked to leave immediately.
• Limit sharing of tools and equipment. When sharing is necessary, disinfectant tools before and after use.  Use >70% isopropyl alcohol or see this list for updated commercial products for disinfecting (caution, isopropyl alcohol is flammable!).  Apply disinfectant to a test area first to ensure the cleaning does not damage the work or equipment surface. If surfaces are dirty, clean them: Use soap and water or other cleaner on dirty surfaces prior to disinfection.
• Prohibit sharing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including lab coats, gowns and safety glasses. When applicable, as in cleanrooms, persons must have assigned gear. Visitor gear should only be used once before being laundered (if washable) or put in trash (if disposable).
• Provide ample opportunities for workers to wash hands before and after handling equipment throughout their day and ensure access to disinfecting wipes / hand sanitizer. Wash hands immediately upon completion of project.
• Utilize all required personal protective gear including face shields, safety glasses, and gloves for the activity being conducted.
• Monitor public health communications about COVID-19 recommendations and ensure that workers have access to that information. Frequently check MIT Now (https://now.mit.edu/).

Please refer to the Guidance for the Disinfection of Electronics for additional information about disinfecting shared electronics.

Please contact environment@mit.edu or call 617-452-3477, and we will deliver your message to the appropriate staff member to contact you.

As many employees are working remotely, please remember that EHS still requires that work-related injuries be recorded for the Institute’s OSHA Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses. The requirements for reporting work-related injuries are the same for employees working remotely as for those who are working on campus. Any injuries related to work must be reported to your supervisor immediately after you receive any necessary medical attention. Your supervisor will need to submit an injury report (MIT Atlas – certificate required) within 24 hours. Remember, injuries should be reported immediately, with or without medical treatment.

For OSHA record-keeping purposes, injuries that occur while an employee is working remotely (including in a home office) are considered work-related if: 1) the injury or illness occurs while the employee is performing work for pay or compensation in the home, and 2) the injury or illness is directly related to the performance of work rather than to the general home environment or setting.

For example, if an employee drops a box of work documents and injures their foot, the case would meet the OSHA definition of “work-related.” If an employee is injured because they trip on a rug while rushing to answer a work phone call, the case is not considered work-related. Questions about HR Worker’s Compensation benefits while working remotely should be directed to the Worker’s Compensation Office.

All visits to MIT Medical now require the “call first” model, including work-related injuries that may require a visit to Urgent Care. Please refer to the MIT Medical – Urgent Care for more information.  For more serious injuries that need immediate attention, call the MIT Police at (617) 253-1212 or dial 100 from campus phones.

Your PI or supervisor is the best person to submit a report of injury. In their absence, your lab manager, EHS Representative, or DLC EHS Coordinator can submit the report on your supervisor’s behalf. You (the injured person) cannot submit your own report. If you find that none of these people are available, please contact the EHS Office, and we will help.

For life threatening situations or a major hazardous material spill or release, call MIT Police by dialing 100 from a campus phone or calling 617-253-1212. For a minor hazardous material spill or release that presents no immediate threat, call the EHS main line between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Mon – Fri, at 617-452-3477. On weekdays and off-hours, dial 617-253-4948 for Customer Service, and the EHS emergency on-call person will be contacted. For additional information about emergency response, see the MIT Emergency Response Guide.

UV and, in particular, ultraviolet-C (UVC) is common for sterilizations of products and spaces in controlled environments. The germicidal dose applied to achieve a known sterilization factor can have deleterious effects on people and is dependent on a host of factors including type of lamp, exposure time, and distance. EHS has developed the following to provide safety recommendations: Guidance for the Safe Use of UVC Radiation for Surface and Air Disinfection in MIT Spaces.

Please contact the EHS Radiation Protection Program (rpp-ehs@mit.edu or 617-452-3477) to review specific hazards and control procedures if you have plans to use UVC in your space.

Yes, existing guidance documents developed for laboratories for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and PPE are relevant to shops and makerspaces with some modifications for their unique conditions. The document, Guidance for Shops and Makerspaces for Cleaning and Disinfection, provides links to the relevant MIT resources and includes considerations specific to machine shops and makerspaces.

Additional guidance: Guidance for the Disinfection of Electronics

Frequently touched electronics (including touch screens, displays, mouse and keyboards, computers, remotes, printers/copiers and other devices) should be disinfected before and after use, especially if the devices are shared between multiple users. Electronic equipment for individual use should also be disinfected on a routine basis. Please refer to the Guidance for the Disinfection of Electronics for more information.

Most disinfectants found in the lab are effective against SARS-CoV-2 (examples include PreEmpt RTU, freshly diluted 10% bleach, Quatricide, and Lysol disinfecting wipes). These are all listed on the EPA N-list (disinfectants approved by the EPA to be effective against SARS-CoV-2). The CDC also recommends 70% solutions of alcohol, such as ethanol or isopropanol.

Yes, hand and surface sanitizers containing at least 60% alcohol (isopropyl or ethyl) or more are classified as “Flammable Liquid” substances, which means they have a flashpoint of less than 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The size of these containers can be anywhere from a few ounces to a gallon and could be used in office areas, laboratories, conference rooms, hallways, gyms or recreation rooms, etc. Just like other hazardous materials around us, we should be careful about using and storing them.

General precautions for the storage of alcohol-based disinfectants in office areas can be found in the Guideline for storage of alcohol based hand and surface sanitizers. If you have specific questions about storing alcohol based hand and surface sanitizers in your office, lab, or workspace, please contact us by emailing environment@mit.edu.

Details, guidelines, and best practices are available in the PPE policy statement.

Wearing well-fitted face masks is optional indoors on campus, except in specific spaces where the Commonwealth of Massachusetts continues to require face masks, including at MIT Medical (including testing facilities). Individuals who are unvaccinated or not up to date with their vaccinations are strongly encouraged to continue to wear masks when indoors.

Public health experts continue to emphasize the protective value of face masks, especially for those who are immunocompromised or medically vulnerable; those who have loved ones in these categories; and family members of children who are not yet vaccinated. Wearing the most protective mask you can that fits well and that you will wear consistently will help protect you and the people around you, including those at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Some mask types provide better protection than others. For example, a cloth mask may not provide as much protection as a higher filtration mask, such as a KF94. MIT provides higher filtration masks at all testing drop-off sites and in residence halls, and they can be obtained through your DLC.

Note: The MIT PPE Policy was last updated on 5/2/2022.

Yes, a policy was developed by the PPE Committee in coordination with MIT Medical, MIT Environment, Health and Safety Office (EHS) and the Research Ramp-Up Committee. The policy statement defines suggested best practices at MIT for use of gloves, face masks, and other PPE during the time of COVID-19 both on campus and in laboratories.

For additional guidance around face masks, review the following documents:

• CDC guidance on types of masks
• How to Use a Face Mask or Covering
• Guidance for Flame Resistant Face Coverings
• Guidance for Shared PPE

Eating indoors is permitted in all campus buildings in spaces where eating was permitted pre-pandemic. MIT continues to encourage those on campus to dine outdoors whenever possible, especially for unvaccinated individuals who are allowed on campus with approved exemptions.

Contact your DLC’s administrative officer for information on supplies of face masks. Face masks are also available at testing drop-off sites and in residence halls.

If you use your own face mask, please ensure that it meets the requirements of the CDC guidance. To protect yourself and others from COVID-19, wear the most protective mask you can that fits well and that you will wear consistently. Some mask types provide better protection than others. For example, a cloth mask may not provide as much protection as a higher filtration mask, such as a KF94.

For additional guidance around face masks, review the Policy Statement: Gloves, Face Coverings, Personal Protective Equipment and the “How to Use a Face Mask or Covering.”

Additional Resources:

• Guidance for Flame Resistant Face Coverings
• Guidance for Shared PPE

The MIT Working Alone Policy is still in effect.

Working alone with hazardous materials or equipment or otherwise working under conditions that may create the risk of serious injury should be avoided. However, working alone may be allowed with permission from the Principal Investigator (PI), if a determination is made that the risk is controllable under established specific conditions.

Work with nucleic acids encoding for any portion of the SARS-CoV-2 genome may not begin without approval from the MIT Committee on Assessment of Biohazards & Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight (CAB/ESCRO) (certificate required). Consult your Biosafety Officer for more information. If you are planning to work with the SARS-CoV-2 N gene (Nucleocapsid), please review the Guidance Document for Amplifying the SARS-CoV-2 N gene (certificate required).

Work with human-derived materials may not begin without approval from the MIT Committee on Assessment of Biohazards & Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight (CAB/ESCRO) (certificate required). For samples not known to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, the recommended biosafety precautions for working with primary human material due to COVID-19 are outlined in the Primary Human Material Guidance (certificates required).

Samples containing SARS-CoV-2, such as cultures obtained from collaborators, samples from COVID-19 patients or samples suspected to contain SARS-CoV-2, must be inactivated before arriving at MIT and need to be registered with the CAB/ESCRO even if already inactivated. The Committee will review the inactivation procedure and determine if the samples can be used at MIT. Please plan accordingly and email BSP@mit.edu for a proper risk assessment.

MIT Policy does not currently allow for the use or shipping of equipment or research materials to residences; however, given the extraordinary circumstances presented at this time, the Offices of VPR, EHS and VPF have developed a process to review and process reasonable requests. Please review the Equipment Use in Residence Guidance (certificate required) for the procedures for making a request.

Teaching laboratories differ from research laboratories in many respects: the inclusion of Teaching Assistants, the use of shared equipment and PPE, and the number of student collaborations/interactions all present challenges that must be addressed. For this reason, while teaching labs must adhere to the campus guidelines about laboratory spacing, face coverings and personnel health checks, additional guidance has been created for organizing and reopening teaching labs.

The guidance document, EHS Guidelines for Remote Experiments (certificates required), outlines EHS-related guidelines and requirements for remote learning and procedures for faculty, instructors, or other MIT personnel to follow when planning remote hands-on activities, such as experiments for courses. It also includes shipping information and other issues that you should be aware of when planning remote activities.