The following message is from the Office of Emergency Management & Safety:

The University of Mary Washington Safety Committee brings together many community voices to elicit their insights and to foster transparency regarding campus safety. More about the committee, including its mission and responsibilities, can be found here.

The UMW Safety Committee is seeking faculty and staff from all three campuses as members to help develop and promote a healthy work environment. 

The committee’s responsibilities include:

• Assisting in safety inspections of buildings, grounds, and work sites on a periodic basis.
• Reviewing regularly all safety-related incidents, injuries, accidents, and illnesses on campus. This includes investigation, recommendation of corrective action, follow-up, and compliance.

Members are expected to serve a one-year term, devoting about five hours a month to the committee, including a meeting of approximately one hour via Zoom. 

To review the committee procedures and fill out an application, please go here.

Any questions should be addressed to the Director of Emergency Management & Safety, Mike Muckinhaupt, at mmuckinh@umw.edu. 

The following message is from the Office of Public Safety. 

We are writing to inform you that the University learned this morning of a second member of our Lee Hall staff with a confirmed case of  COVID-19. The source of the infection is unknown.

Appropriate public health protocols have been followed. The University has been in contact with the Virginia Department of Health, which has the responsibility of tracing potential exposures based on the timeline of this incident. VDH will be notifying and offering guidance to those who had been in direct contact with this individual.

We are proceeding with the plan of keeping Lee Hall closed, in an abundance of caution, for thorough cleaning by a licensed firm skilled in CDC guidelines.

We continue to emphasize the great importance of staying away from campus and teleworking if at all possible. The CDC- and state-issued health guidelines regarding COVID-19 are designed to ensure not only your own well-being, but the well-being of others as well:

·         Engage in physical distancing. Do not go to work or school. Keep at least 6 feet from other individuals.

·         Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

·         Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.

·         Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose, and mouth with your hands.

·         Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

·         Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

·         Watch for cough, troubled breathing, or other signs of respiratory infection.

·         Monitor temperature for a fever above 100.4 degrees F.

·         If you develop a cough, fever, and/or difficulty breathing, call a healthcare provider or dial 911. You may also call the Virginia Health Department at 877-ASK-VDH3.

·         If you test positive for COVID-19, please inform your supervisor and/or Human Resources. All such communications are strictly confidential.

These are unsettling times, and our thoughts are with each member of the community. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Emergency Management Director Mike Muckinhaupt at mmuckinh@umw.edu or 540-654-2108.

Due to shortages from the COVID-19 outbreak, the Office of Emergency Management and Safety is collecting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from buildings throughout campus. This is to assist in an accurate inventory of these items, as well as to store these items in a central location. We will be collecting the following items:

• Gloves
• N95 Masks or Surgical Masks
• Procedure Gowns
• Tyvek Suits
• Face Shields
• Any other PPE pertinent to Field Operations pertaining to COVID-19

Please contact Mike Muckinhaupt, Director of Emergency Management & Safety by e-mail at mmuckinh@umw.edu to schedule a pickup of these.