EH&S COVID-19 FAQs

Yes, according to UC Merced's interim policy on Universal Requirements for Physical Mitigation and Reduction of the Transmission of COVID-19, all campus constituents and non-affliates on university property must wear face coverings, except when located alone in a private office, when eating and physically distanced by at least 6 feet, in the individual’s own campus residence, or when outside and located more than six feet away from any other individual. Click here to read the full interim policy.

UC Merced's Emergency Operations Center distributes face coverings on campus 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the box office in COB1. Students, staff and faculty with a Cat Card can receive up to two face coverings. Similar distribution locations will be opened up as demand and operations on campus expand.

Students, staff and faculty with damaged campus-issued face coverings may return them for a replacement. A temporary face covering can be obtained from the box office for those who forget their coverings. As supplies are limited, only one temporary face covering will be provided per person, per week.

When working with flammables and pyrophoric materials in a laboratory setting, attempt to physcially distance to negate the need of a face covering. If physical distancing is not possible, wear a 100% cotton face covering. Do not wear coverings with synthetic polymers or elastics (note that most surgical masks are made of polypropylene).

If a task normally requires respiratory protection, use the assigned PPE.

There are differing opinions out there on whether face shields are better than face coverings.  Disposable and reusable face shields are most frequently worn by health care professionals over a surgical mask who may be exposed to droplets that contain coronavirus.  Some articles state that face shields are best used in combination with a face covering while some state that face shields alone do not provide source control when an individual is sneezing or coughing.  Some articles plainly state that face shields have a limited ability to fully protect against droplets and are not effective in providing protection to the individual wearing the face shield or to others around them.  There is not enough data or studies performed yet to form a scientific conclusion.

EH&S doesn’t recommend wearing face shields in place of face coverings.  Face shields aren’t positioned close enough to the face to block what may be transmitted when an individual coughs or sneezes.  Outside of a clinical setting, face shields are not necessary if you are wearing a face covering.  According to the CDC, they “recommend wearing a cloth face covering as a measure to contain the wearer’s respiratory droplets and help protect their co-workers and members of the general public.”  With face shields being in short supply, we recommend wearing face coverings instead of face shields as much as possible.  For situations where the individual may have medical conditions that prohibit them from wearing a face covering, a face shield may be a good alternative.  Additionally, when employees are working in warm weather or hot conditions, we recommend wearing a scarf or bandana or wetting the face covering with clean potable water for a cooling effect.

Ultraviolet light has been used for years to kill or inactivate microorganisms. Inactivation/kill rates depend on several variables including the specific microbe. UV light also loses its efficiency as the light ages. The effectiveness of UV-C at inactivating airborne microorganisms such as SARS-CoV-2 is limited because exposure time is on the order of seconds or fractions of seconds due to the rapid movement of air through the air handler.

Simply put, UV light may be ineffective when used to treat the airstream because the air simply moves too fast and limits the exposure time to UV light.

There are unique challenges in maintaining physical distancing inside elevators due to their relatively small size and limited ventilation. 

• Per the CDC recommendations, riders must maintain 6 feet of spacing inside elevators, even when wearing face coverings
• Most UCM elevators can transport between 2 to 4 people at a time, depending on the size of the elevator, while maintaining 6 feet of physical distancing between riders
• Follow posted elevator occupancy signage (when applicable)
• Please be aware of persons with disabilities when using elevators and make space so that they can use the elevator when needed
• Always practice social distancing when waiting in line for an elevator or entering/exiting an elevator

Glove use is not necessary while avoiding potential exposure to the COVID-19 virus. Instead, after performing work activities, wash your hands for at least 20 seconds using soap and water, and practice other preventative measures, such as wearing a face covering and practicing physical distancing.  While using cleaning and disinfecting agents, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

For staff performing frequent cleaning of high-touch areas, follow PPE recommendations as directed by EH&S.

Please see the resources on our Working Remotely web page to assist you in setting up and working ergonomically from a remote location.