COVID-19 FOD Response

A list is available here. Facilities Operations and Development (FOD) is working closely with the Office of Academic Affairs, Office of Research and other key stakeholders to execute a phased approach to reactivate buildings in advance of the autumn semester. Any revisions are posted on Friday of each week. For faculty or staff who have scheduling questions or concerns, please reach out to OAA's Leslie Weibush or the Office of Research.

The “Facility Readiness Target” reflects the target date building systems will be activated. Occupants will determine when each building can reopen based on their needs in the university’s phased return to campus.

FOD will provide a base-level of signage focused on physical distancing. Colleges or units should work with FOD to determine additional signage needs. For questions related to Student Life, Athletics or the Wexner Medical Center facilities that are not listed, please contact them directly.

Information about signage is available on the UniPrint website.

For FOD-managed buildings, custodians will clean bathrooms and disinfect high touch point areas at least twice a day, including door handles, faucets, handrails and other commonly touched surfaces in high traffic areas. Specific cleaning protocols will continue to evolve in alignment with central guidance from the university's Transition Task Force. Everyone should review the current guidelines for specific building spaces to determine which areas they are responsible for disinfecting:

• Individual Offices - Individuals will continue to be responsible for cleaning and disinfecting their own workstations. For employees who occupy single offices, we ask you to please empty your own deskside trash and recycling bins into centrally located containers. This will limit foot traffic in and out of your office.
• Research Labs - Lab benches and sinks will remain the responsibility of the lab employees. Shared spaces and high touch surfaces will require more frequent disinfection and cleaning. Individuals should clean and disinfect shared workspaces before and after use.
• Kitchen and Break Areas - Building occupants utilizing break rooms or kitchens should wipe down surfaces after each use, including handles and buttons on water coolers, microwaves and refrigerators.
• Conference Rooms - Virtual meetings are a preferred alternative. If in-person meetings must be held, users are responsible for wiping down conference room high touch surfaces after each use.
• Classroom – Information about cleaning protocols and responsibilities for classrooms will be shared prior to the beginning of the academic year.

Other unique space needs will be determined as we move forward.

Individuals will continue to be responsible for cleaning and disinfecting their own workstations. For employees who occupy single offices, we ask you to please empty your own deskside trash and recycling bins into centrally located containers. This will limit foot traffic in and out of your office.

Research lab benches and sinks will remain the responsibility of the lab employees. Shared spaces and high touch surfaces will require more frequent disinfection and cleaning. Individuals should clean and disinfect shared workspaces before and after use.

Building occupants utilizing break rooms or kitchens should wipe down surfaces after each use, including handles and buttons on water coolers, microwaves and refrigerators.

Virtual meetings are a preferred alternative. If in-person meetings must be held, users are responsible for wiping down conference room high touch surfaces after each use.

Information about cleaning protocols and responsibilities for classrooms will be shared prior to the beginning of the academic year.

Cleaning supplies for individual use are the responsibility of building occupants or may be provided by your college or unit. In limited circumstances, FOD may provide cleaning supplies, when available. Please contact your zone leader with any questions.

Despite limited supplies nationwide, the university has hand sanitizer in stock and FOD will place a limited number of dispensers in each FOD-managed building. Each floor will receive at least two hand sanitizer dispensers. We will prioritize hand sanitizer placement near exterior building entrances, followed by interior stairwells, outside of restrooms and near elevators, when possible.

For employees who occupy single offices, we ask you to please empty your own deskside trash and recycling bins into centrally located containers. This will limit foot traffic in and out of your office.

Disposable facemasks can be discarded in waste baskets.

Drinking fountains in FOD-managed buildings will remain operational and FOD will disinfect them at least twice per day.

Public water devices, including drinking fountains, were flushed on a regular schedule to avoid water becoming stagnant in unoccupied, FOD-managed buildings. Water systems are being thoroughly flushed prior to reopening each building. It is important to note that sinks or other water-using devices in non-public areas, such as ice machines, may require additional flushing and cleaning (such as discarding old ice). Departments are responsible to ensure these devices are flushed and cleaned.

Please refer to the OHR website’s Employment Related FAQ’s Specific to COVID-19 under “Illness” for information on the steps to follow if you or a fellow Buckeye is sick or tests positive for COVID-19.

For FOD-managed buildings, custodians will clean bathrooms and disinfect high touch point areas at least twice a day, including door handles, faucets, handrails and other commonly touched surfaces in high traffic areas. Regarding additional cleaning needs, all requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Submit service requests to Service2Facilites or your zone leader.

Please contact your zone leader with any questions.

Building HVAC systems are a secondary means of protecting occupants. According to the CDC, COVID-19 is spread mainly through close contact from person-to-person.

Ohio State’s HVAC systems are all designed to meet building code requirements. In addition, FOD follows the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) position document on infectious aerosols. FOD is focused on ventilation and filtration. We use MERV 13 filters wherever possible. These filters are recommended for COVID-19 and are effective against particulates generated from coughing and sneezing.

FOD meets all code-required outside air ventilation and runs building and supply exhaust air systems 24 hours a day which dilutes contaminants.

FOD is in alignment with commercial guidelines and follows CDC and ASHRAE recommendations. Commercial HVAC systems, like the ones used in most Ohio State buildings, are designed to comply with code and must meet minimum ventilation requirements. Additional testing is not needed. Outside air ventilation requirements are set during the design process and building systems are maintained in alignment with required codes.

HVAC air filters will be changed according to their normal cycle. FOD routinely changes air filters and they actually become more efficient over time by screening more and smaller particles until they are replaced.

There is no approved air quality testing to detect COVID-19. According to the CDC, COVID-19 is spread mainly through close contact from person-to-person.

According to the CDC, the virus that causes COVID-19 has not been detected in treated drinking water. Currently, there is no evidence that the virus that causes COVID-19 can be spread to people by drinking treated water. COVID-19 is spread mainly through close contact from person-to-person. FOD will be cleaning all water fountains, and high touch points in common space, twice daily.