VCAT June 2020

Return to Work Approach and Guiding Principles, Anita Vanek

Safety and Health to Prevent COVID19 on Campus, Liz Mackey

Anita Vanek, Deputy Director, Management Resources (acting)

Liz Mackey, Director of Safety, Health, and the Environment 
What you will hear today

1

What NIST looks like today

Reopening approach

Our approach to keeping our staff safe

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NIST Today

Onsite Activities

 Between 120 – 150 NIST staff onsite each day

 Mission essential functions, SRM distribution, select calibrations, and COVID-19 

related research continuing onsite

 Gaithersburg: Environmental controls only maintained in AML, datacenter, and 

select locations across campus

 Boulder: Continues to support NIST, NOAA, and NTIA Mission essential 

functions

Telework Activities

 3,600 telework users every day; about 93% of employees have teleworked in 

the last 30 days

 Virtual meetings, collaborations, onboarding, leadership teams
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Reopening Guiding Principles

 Ensure the ongoing safety of NIST staff and compliance with 

federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies.

 Create an “operational ready state” so that services can be 

brought back online as needed.

 Minimize the number of staff onsite by optimizing our 

approaches to mission activities and service delivery.

 Decisions on what activities resume will be based on mission 

priorities and initially will focus on projects with near-term 

national security, economic, or health and safety deliverables.
Phased Approached to Reopening

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Restart 

Phases Description

Limited 

Access*

Mission Essential 

Functions

Phase One Up to 25% staff 

Phase Two Up to 50% staff 

Phase Three Up to 75% staff 

Determining our status

External factors

 What is happening in the states and 

communities around us

 Guidance and regulations from local, 

state, and federal governments

Internal factors 

 Safety protocols in place

 Necessary supplies 

 Campus / buildings ready for occupancy

*Current Phase
Current Operational 

Status: Limited Access

• Mission Essential Functions 

and Support Services

• Job-specific risk mitigations

• Limited staff to keep onsite 

staff safe

Campus Reconditioning

• Site cleaning

• Site preparations

• Critical maintenance and 

facility checks

• Environmental controls 

(Gaithersburg)

Phase One

• Prioritized buildings 

occupancy ready

• Engineering controls added

• Onsite services added

• Build up to 25% staff 

occupancy

 All External Criteria met

 Safety / Hygiene supplies for 

Reconditioning Staff

 Training for Reconditioning staff

 Safety / Hygiene supplies for all 

onsite staff

 Training for onsite staff

 Buildings ready for occupancy

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Timeline: Leading up to Phase 1
Reopening Team Structure

NIST Management 

Team

NIST Director | Chief of Staff 

Associate Directors 

Strategy | Legal

Deciding body on gating 

criteria, major policies, and 

NIST site status

Executive Safety 

Committee

Lab Directors, OSHE, 

and other senior 

representatives across NIST

Deciding body on NIST 

safety policies and 

procedures

Reopening 

Advisory Team

Senior representatives 

from the labs and MR

Provides input into 

reopening processes and 

procedures 

Supplies

Engineering Controls

Safety Protocols

Site Cleaning and Sanitization

Employee Relations

Reconditioning the Site

Onsite Services

Teams Communications

COVID Case Trends

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Centrally Managed Activities

NIST is ensuring a safe work environment and 

consistent policies for all staff

Major Activities

 HR-related policies for high risk staff members, leave, and telework

 Guidance for supervisors on how to talk to staff, answer questions, and where 

to go with questions

 Safety Protocols for working safety on campus 

 Identify and implementation of engineering controls (barriers, floor markings, 

ventilation)

 Site cleaning and disinfections

 Hygiene supplies (disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer)

 Positive case response – disinfection and contact tracing

 Training and signs communicating how to stay safe 7
OUs Role in Reopening

The implementation of many activities is federated and requires 

NIST OUs to help in preparing for & executing reopening

Planning for Reopening

 Identify what functions / people need to return and in what order

 Reaching out and having conversations with their staff

 Determine what buildings and spaces need to be occupied first

 Review hazard reviews / work procedures and update, if necessary, based on 

guidance

During Reopening

 Manage the “flow” of staff and OU-owned spaces

 Identify and provide job / lab-specific PPE

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Key messages for our staff

 Safety: Safety is our highest priority. When we re-open NIST, there 

will be new protocols in place to protect against spread of 

COVID19. 

 Employee Support: We are working to understand our staff’s 

concerns and are doing our best to address them. 

 Telework: Our staff that can telework will be continuing to do so

 Onsite Functions: NIST Leadership are setting priorities to 

determine what functions come back first.

 Timeline: We are not flipping a switch. There is no deadline. 

Campus operations will restart in phases as conditions permit. 9
Continuity of Operations and Pandemic Plan

Each federal agency is required to have a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)

FEMA provides a template and instructions that include a requirement to plan for many 

hazards that may threaten operations, among them pandemic influenza.

NIST Documents

 Incident Response Playbook 

 Continuity of Operations 

 Pandemic Playbook

These documents guided NIST’s reduction to mission critical or limited operations
JAN 21 JAN 29 MAR 11 MAR 17 - MAR 22 MAR 23

First Case in US  NIST convenes IRT WHO declares Pandemic NIST & DOC procedures Mandatory Telework

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Pandemic Plan

1. Readiness 

a. Review and update plan 

b. Conduct exercises

2. Monitor Situation 

3. Convene Response Team

4. Implement Plan

a. Mission essential functions

b. Roles and responsibilities

c. Implement mitigation 

strategies

5. Post Pandemic – Return to Work

NIST Incident 

Response 

Playbook

(refers to COOP)

NIST Continuity of 

Operations Plans

Pandemic Plan

NIST Response to Pandemic
COVID-19 on Campus: Reporting, Disinfection and Notification

1. Employee reports to supervisor

2. Supervisor reports to COVID19@nist.gov

• Informs employee to go/stay home

• Line management is informed

• Daily status report to DOC

3. Disinfection, Close Contact Notification

• Instruct close contacts to stay home and 

self-monitor for 14 days

• Disinfect rooms and common spaces used 

by individual

4. Inform others as appropriate

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Employee Reports to 

Supervisor

Supervisor Reports to 

COVID19@nist.gov

NIST reports case to 

DOC 

(Case number only)

Mitigate Spread of 

COVID-19 

• Disinfect Areas

• Close contacts selfmonitor 14 days
Re-opening Phases 

Defined by OMB/OPM and 

National Guidelines

“Opening Up America 

Again”

Monitor local conditions. Criteria for re-opening include:

 14-day downward trend in flu and COVID-like illnesses

 14-day downward trend in documented COVID cases

 Hospital readiness without crisis care

 Robust healthcare worker testing

For all phases of re-opening ensure policies are in accordance with 

Federal, State and local regulations for:

 Social distancing

 Hygiene practices including use of face coverings

 Cleaning and disinfection

 Use of personal protective equipment when required 

 Ensuring that symptomatic and ill people do not come to work

 Contact tracing when an employee tests positive for COVID

OMB/OPM Phased Campus Access Pre-conditions
A. Local Community Considerations: 

Assess state and regional conditions:

 Schools and daycare 

 Mass transit

 Facility requirements

B. Telework Guidelines

 PHASE 1: Lift mandatory telework, continue telework as feasible; maximum telework for high-risk staff

 PHASE 2: Lift maximum telework, encourage telework where possible and as needed to promote 

social distancing and meet employee needs (e.g. health of employee or family members, childcare, 

transportation)

 PHASE 3: Implement optimized operations and new work arrangements

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OMB/OPM Phased Campus Access Guidelines

Human Resources

• Telework guidance

• Flexible workplace, hours

• Flexible leave policies

• Guidance for high-risk staff
OMB/OPM Phased Campus Access Guidelines

C. Personnel Guidelines Return to work for employees in low-risk communities; consider health status:

 Vulnerable populations–Should continue maximum telework

 Healthy, less than 65y– Allow return with face covering and other precautions

 Symptomatic/ill– Agency process for reporting, disinfecting, contact tracing

D. Facilities, Service and Operations Guidelines

 Prioritize facility re-opening based on mission, public-facing services

 Restrict access to facility by developing policies for screening employees, contractors and visitors

 Follow CDC guidance including:

 Provide hygiene supplies: hand sanitizer, soap, towels, disinfectant

 Maintain cleanliness and disinfect according to CDC guidelines

 Maintain social distancing and vigilance, e.g., limited gatherings, reconfigured spaces, prohibiting 

communal food in cafeterias
• Ensure mechanical systems function

• Pest control

• Flush water lines 

• Evaluate ventilation 

• Subject Matter Experts from EL, OFPM and OSHE provide recommendations

• OU’s may supplement with portable HEPA filtered units (consult with OSHE)

• Upgrade routine cleaning and disinfection protocols

• Provide disinfection supplies; hand sanitizer; face coverings

• Post areas to restrict gatherings; limit occupancy; mark off 2-m distances where 

people queue

• Post reminders of hygiene protocols, COVID prevention tips

• Issue safety protocols and return to work training

Campus Readiness
Guiding Principles for COVID-19 Health and Safety 

CDC Guidance, OSHA Job Risk Category and Hazard Mitigation
Safety and Health Requirements Issued

1. Roles and Responsibilities for Implementing OMB-OPM Memorandum M-20-23

 Decisions Based on Gating Criteria for Phased Operations

2. Screening to Prevent Campus Access by Individuals with COVID-19

3. Requirements to Mitigate Spread of COVID-19 

 Workplace Distancing and Reduced Staffing

 Routine Hygiene and Disinfection

 Safe Use of Cloth Face Coverings 

4. Pandemic-Specific Requirements for Hazard Reviews 

5. Response to COVID-19 Cases: Reporting, Disinfection and Notifications 

6. Training for Re-Entry to NIST Campuses
Questions