Building 46 will undergo a state mandated Smoke Control and Fire Protection Testing next week (Monday 6/22 – Friday 6/26). The below message describes ways in which this testing will or could affect your work with animals, and the steps that DCM is asking you to take to minimize the testing’s potential effect on your research and on animal health and welfare:
- DCM staff will reach out to you directly if any procedures or trainings that you have scheduled with DCM need to be rescheduled or adjusted.
- If you have a scheduled procedure/training and have not yet heard from DCM, you can assume that we do not anticipate that the testing will interfere and that your procedure will proceed as scheduled. However, do not hesitate to reach out to your DCM contact for the procedure should you have any questions or concerns. If you are unsure who to contact, reach out to dcm-info@mit.edu.
- On Monday 6/22, we ask that you avoid scheduling research activities that will require you to remove animals from DCM’s facility or bring animals to your lab spaces.
- If it is not possible for you to do this, please 1) inform DCM of your need to remove animals by email to dcm-info@mit.edu; and 2) avoid any activities that would necessitate your use of animal transport elevators starting at noon until DCM and facilities has confirmed that the animal transport elevators will remain functional throughout the testing period (anticipated by 3:30 PM).
- Rationale: The testing process is anticipated to send and hold a subset of elevators to the ground floor; though the testing is not supposed to affect the animal transport elevators, we learned that some elevators are linked in unexpected ways when the animal transport elevators malfunctioned during the IS&T panel upgrade process. Similar exercises to that which will occur on Monday will occur both Tuesday and Wednesday. Should Monday’s testing reveal the need for action on subsequent days, DCM will provide updated guidance on Monday.
- What DCM will do: On Monday, DCM will send an “all clear” email once Facilities has confirmed that animal transport elevators will remain functional, at which point you may resume unrestricted animal transport as needed for your work.
- On Tuesday 6/23, Wednesday 6/24 and Thursday 6/25, you may wish to avoid research activities for which noise may be a confounding factor or could cause your animals distress (ie. behavior recordings and behavior tests).
- Rationale: Testing of audible alarms (horns) are expected to occur on Thursday morning only (7:30 – 9 AM). However, other tests may cause loud facility pressurization noise (essentially wind noises). Even if you are unable to hear them in your lab, it is highly likely that your animals will be able to.
- On Tuesday 6/23 and Wednesday 6/24, you will not be able to use stairwells to access DCM’s 7th floor facility. Instead, you will need to use available animal transport elevators.
- If you typically use a stairwell for access, please take the time this week to locate an animal transport elevator and confirm that your access card works. If it does not, take note of the elevator number, and email dcmaccess@mit.edu to request access.
- Rationale: Testing on these days will require doors in select stairwells to remain closed in order to verify appropriate pressurization. Though these tests will be announced as they start, audible alarms do not sound in all locations in DCM animal facilities and travel for animal work can be time sensitive.
- In advance of Wednesday 6/24, consider moving any equipment in DCM facilities that you currently have connected to emergency power (red power outlets) to standard power (gray or white outlets), or turning off and unplugging sensitive equipment if it is currently connected to emergency power. If you are unsure of how to proceed with a specific piece of equipment, please email dcm-info@mit.edu with specifics regarding the equipment and its location so that we can advise.
- Rationale: Testing of emergency power systems is expected to result in two instances of the emergency power source switching off and immediately turning back off again. The first will occur around 7:30 AM, and the second at a TBD time in the afternoon. Normal (non-emergency) power is not part of this test and is expected to remain on throughout.
- What DCM will do: DCM will send a “check your equipment” email out to this list once each switch over has occurred. At that time, you may wish to check any sensitive equipment to confirm that there have not been any adverse effects.
- On Thursday 6/25, avoid using any equipment for which you rely on hard-wired alarms to alert you to oxygen displacement (ie. MRI, cryogenic tissue preservation).
- Rationale: Testing of alarm systems throughout the day may delay notification of emergencies, should they occur. Oxygen displacement if not detected can result in asphyxia and death.
- The plans for Friday have yet to be determined, as Friday is being held in reserve for any testing needs that are not accomplished earlier in the week. DCM will email you with relevant updates throughout the week, including any steps that need to be taken in preparation for Friday.
With your cooperation and the precautionary measures outlined above, we are hopeful that we will be able to minimize the impact of this testing on your animal research. However, we cannot always anticipate everything, so if at any point next week you encounter something unexpected that may be related to this testing that is:
- Affecting your work with your animals: Please call DCM’s facilities on call person 617-290-0597 (if time sensitive) or emailing dcm-info@mit.edu (only if not time sensitive).
- Affecting you but not affecting your work with animals: Please notify Gerry Hughes by calling 774-994-5281 or emailing 46maintenance@mit.edu.
You are also welcome to call Dr. Pate directly with any questions or concerns at 617-685-1830. Thank you for your help and cooperation!