COVID-19 MSF Changes

Post date: Mar 16, 2020 7:46:45 PM

Please read carefully. This is very important in the current climate to ensure everyone stays as safe as possible!

Due to the COVID-19 Virus we will be making the following changes with immediate effect:

• The facility will be closed on Tuesday March 17 and will reopen at 9 a.m. on Wednesday March 18.

• The Mass Spec Facility will be physically staffed by Ian Riddington and Andrew Kalamarides. Kristin Blake will be working remotely. Please only contact MSF staff by Email or by phone.

• Facility hours will be AT LEAST 9 a.m to 6 p.m. Possibly longer, but don't count on it!

• We will not be accepting external samples until the COVID-19 threat level is drastically reduced. Check our external samples page for updates.

• Only one user at a time will be allowed into the facility to review their data.There will be information on the door of NHB 5.350 indicating if the data processing area is occupied or not.

• There will be sign-in sheets on the door of our main facility (NHB 5.350), the main walk-up room (NHB 5.342), and the WEL LC/MS room (WEL 4.402). You will be asked to note down your name, time of entry and a phone number in case we need to contact you. You will need to sign in EVERY TIME you enter these rooms. You also need to note the time that you leave the room. This is a University requirement. BRING A PEN! WRITE LEGIBLY!!

• No face-to-face data review or project discussions with users. If you need help analyzing your data, please Email to set up a time. We should be able to walk you through it over the phone and/or by remotely logging into the computer you are working on. We appreciate this will be inconvenient, and there may be hiccups at first, but it seems to be the only way to ensure the required social distancing.

• All questions/inquiries from students should be sent by Email. Please include a phone number that we can call you back on.

• No training of users on Walk-Up instruments for the foreseeable future. If you have not been trained, give your samples to a labmate to run. Do NOT use other users login information! Do NOT train other users yourself!

• The sample login table in NHB 5.342 will likely be relocated to the corridor just outside of this room.

• Only one person may use each Walk-Up instrument/processing computer at a time.

• The MSF staff will minimize their entry into the Walk-Up room (NHB 5.342). Please Email us if you notice an error on the instrument, that the tray is getting close to being full, or that the solvent bottles are running low. You may also text or call Ian at 512-850-3171.

• It is STRONGLY SUGGESTED you wash your hands thoroughly before entering any of our rooms and again after leaving them.

• If you wish to wear gloves when submitting samples you may do so. (This is a reversal of previous policy) If you do choose to wear gloves, DO NOT USE THE SAME GLOVES YOU HAVE BEEN DOING CHEMISTRY WITH!!!!!

I fully realize some of these requirements may be difficult and inconvenient. I also believe they are necessary at the current time. The only alternative would be to shut down completely.

This will likely be a fluid situation for some time. As always I am open to (constructive!) comments.

Above All: STAY SAFE !!

Thank You,

Ian Riddington