Holiday Bulletin 2021

For the downtown campus, anyone wishing to host a holiday party must read the Framework on Meetings, Extracurricular Activities & Events and complete the events central coordination form if the event meets any of the criteria listed in the section Which activities require central coordination or logistics support.

For the Macdonald campus, anyone wishing to host a holiday party must complete the event application form for special events (see Resumption of Meetings, Activities, and Events) and email it to macdonaldevents [at] mcgill.ca

• Parties are not permitted to continue past midnight.
• Security agents will end parties whose organizers failed to notify Security Services in advance.
• Party organizers must obey room capacity limits and avoid overcrowding.
• The location of firefighting equipment should be noted. At the end of the party, the building service person or security agent in attendance must be notified in order to ensure a thorough inspection of premises.
• Note that if parties extend beyond regular building hours, charges may apply.
• Organizers of events involving food or alcohol must fill out the events central coordination form.
  • All government directives and University prevention measures must be respected for all University-sponsored activities occurring on- and off-campus.
  • Event/activity organizers are responsible for carrying out and enforcing the approved plan. The organizer’s unit is by default the ‘sponsor’ of the activity.

New procedure related to alcohol permits:

• In order to serve or sell alcohol on campus, students and staff require a landlord letter issued by the University, through the Event Booking and Alcohol Permit Office, in order to obtain a permit at the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ). Due to the Régie’s current lead times, event organizers’ landlord letter requests must now be submitted 4 weeks prior to the event date to ensure that event organizers obtain the alcohol permit on time from the RAQJ.
• The Alcohol Permit Office will be closed starting Monday, December 20, 2021 and will re-open on January 3, 2022.
• You may call the Administrator, Alcoholic Beverages Control, for additional information. Call Alexa Bedik (downtown campus) at 514-398-7687 and Sinthuja Packiarajah (Macdonald campus) at 514-398-7710.

• special.events [at] mcgill.ca (Contact Building Services) at least 48 hours in advance to ensure proper cleaning following the party.
• For events being held during regular building hours, organizers are held responsible for leaving the area in an acceptable condition.
• All waste and recycling is to be disposed of in the appropriate bins located in the vicinity and all furniture must be returned to its original location.
• Charges will apply if the above conditions are not met.
• For all parties or events held past regular building hours, Silent Hour Procedures apply.

• For special services (e.g. events requiring buildings to be opened, custodial services) during the period from December 22, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. to January 3, 2022 at 7:00 a.m., you must complete the events central coordination form no later than December 10, 2021.
• Requests should detail the building location, room number(s), dates, hours, services required, and FOAPAL to be charged.
• This service is highly recommended for buildings with open access during the holidays.
• Charges apply from December 22^nd, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. to January 3, 2022 at 7:00 a.m.
• Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) are set to minimum levels off business hours. If you hold an event during the holiday break and would like the HVAC systems to be adjusted accordingly, make sure to fill out the Ventilation Schedule Change request form.

Break-ins and acts of vandalism frequently occur before and during the holiday season. These acts may be committed by individuals who are searching for money, saleable items, or narcotics. Everyone is therefore urged to exercise the highest degree of caution and to take appropriate measures for the safekeeping of their buildings, offices, laboratories, and contents therein.

• Security agents have been instructed to prevent the removal of equipment from University premises during the holidays, unless Security has been otherwise notified in advance at campus.security [at] mcgill.ca or macdonald.security [at] mcgill.ca for Macdonald Campus.
• All such notices must be received by December 13, 2021 and must include the individual’s name and the type of equipment authorized for removal, including the make, model, and serial number, where applicable.
• If you have any questions regarding the above, please contact campus.security [at] mcgill.ca or call 514-398-4556 or macdonald.security [at] mcgill.ca at 514-398-7770.

• Customarily, all electrical equipment should be disconnected during the holiday period. If you have electrical equipment that must remain operational during this time, you should provide your Building Director with a list of equipment that will require power during the holidays. He/she will subsequently inform Security Services.
• Equipment involving heating should be fully inspected to ensure that temperature-regulating and overheating-protection devices are functioning properly.

Risks associated with flammable liquids and other hazardous materials in laboratories should be reduced to an absolute minimum.

• Place all flammable liquids in flammable liquid storage cabinets or in a chemical storage room.
• Place all corrosives (acids and bases) in corrosive cabinets or in a chemical storage room.
• Remove all hazardous materials found inside the fume hood, and place them in appropriate storage or hazardous waste areas.
• Submit all waste chemical pickup requests through myLab.
• For all other inquiries, contact Hazardous Waste Management at hwm [at] mcgill.ca or by calling 514-398-5066.
• Return all unused compressed gas cylinders to their suppliers and/or check that full or empty gas cylinders kept in the lab are properly anchored to a wall or bench.
• Ensure that valves for all gases, including natural gas, are closed and report any natural gas odors to Security at 514-398-3000 (downtown campus) or at 514-398-7777 (Macdonald campus).

Access to the downtown campus is dictated by the circulation protocol.

There is no access below the Arts Building for vehicles from December 23, 2021 until January 2, 2022 (with the exception of persons with disabilities or emergency vehicles).

As in previous years, the downtown campus will be closed from 11:00 p.m. on December 24 to 11:00 p.m. on December 25, 2021. The formality of closing the campus one day each year is essential for McGill University to exercise its legal rights of private proprietorship. In practice, this means that the Milton Street entrance will be closed and only emergency or service vehicles will be permitted on campus. During this period, pedestrian traffic will be allowed.

• During silent hours, everyone is required to produce, upon request by a security agent, a valid McGill ID card. See the info on how to have your card programmed for access to controlled areas during the holiday season.
• Non-McGill individuals who are authorized by their affiliated departments to enter a building during silent hours should be provided with a blank proxy card if access to the building is controlled by an access card reader. Proxy cards may be obtained through your departmental administrator. They must also complete the COVID-19 visitor form. Visit McGill's COVID website for more information on sponsoring a visitor.
• If access to the building is controlled by a key, Security Services should be provided with a list of all individuals with silent hour privileges.

• Do not lend your McGill ID card with access rights to anyone during your absence. It is both a contravention of University policy and a serious security breach.
• Remind your contacts about reduced staff and access. Security Services cannot provide access for deliveries.

• Parking on roads and outdoor lots will be available on the campuses during the holiday period. Since campus parking is now automated, no parking attendants will be available during the holidays.
• The regular rate will be in effect even in the absence of parking attendants.
• During the winter months, overnight parking on roadways and in parking lots is not permitted, in order to facilitate snow removal.
• The Holiday Parking hours can be found on the website.

Anyone entering buildings during silent hours should be particularly observant about any abnormalities they may notice and report them immediately to Security at 514-398-3000 (downtown campus) or 514-398-7777 (Macdonald campus). For example, please immediately report any of the following:

• Unusual or burning odours
• Open doors or windows
• Lights left on
• Strangers on the premises
• Suspicious noises
• Water on the floor
• Extreme temperatures

It is not recommended to work alone but if it is absolutely necessary, you can request to have a security agent check in with you on an hourly basis. To check-in or check-out, drop by our offices located at Burnside Hall, Suite 120, or call 514-398-4556. For Macdonald campus, please call 514-398-7770.

If you must work alone during this period it is advisable to post this sign on your lab door.

For more information on working alone in the laboratory refer to the Working Alone Policy.

Remember that there will not be any evacuation teams in the buildings during the holiday period. In case of a fire alarm, immediately stop what you are doing, verify that everyone has left the room and use the nearest safe exit to evacuate. Please provide assistance to those requiring or asking for it. Once outside, move away from the building and wait for the authorization to re-enter. Watch this video for more information on the emergency evacuation procedure during a fire alarm.

Leaving experiments or operating equipment unattended is discouraged, but if absolutely necessary, please take the following precautions:

• Obtain clearance from your supervisor.
• Inform the Building Director that an experiment is to be conducted, so that he/she may, in turn, inform Security Services. Make sure Security Services has your contact information so you can be reached in the event of an emergency.
• If you must leave an experiment unattended use this poster.

It is important for McGill to have your contact information in case of an emergency, so please be sure to complete the Emergency Contact section found under the Profile tab in Workday.

To view/update your home and internal mailing addresses and phone numbers:

• Log into Workday
• Go to Profile
• Select Action
• Personal data
• View my emergency contacts