McIntyre post-fire update - JULY 28

To members of the Faculty of Medicine,

As communicated Thursday, McIntyre Floors 7 and higher are now reopened for all faculty and staff members and students, accessible via the 6^th floor Pine entrance. A few access exceptions, as well as instructions about fire and emergency evacuation routes, are explained in the July 26 update. Based on reports Friday, temperatures had decreased by as much as 9°C in some areas and continue to drop. Because certain rooms closer to the core of the building remain warm, instructions were given to move mobile AC units into these spaces.

On behalf of the Faculty, I would like to congratulate and extend our deep appreciation to the EOC and project leads and teams on this major milestone, achieved through incredible commitment and hard work. McGill is very fortunate to have you on staff. While the situation remains very challenging for many, it is heartening to see this progress.

Further to Thursday’s update, please take note of the following:

Access to Floors 7 and higher outside normal building hours:

If you intend to access Floors 7 and up outside of the McIntyre’s normal business hours (Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.), note that you will be asked to present your ID card to on-site security staff. The one-hour protocol for Floor 1 remains in place.

Hazardous waste:

Hazardous waste management (HWM) will reopen starting Monday, July 30, a.m. To access HWM from Floors 7 to 13, please go the 7^th floor and take the research link towards the Goodman Cancer Research Building. From there, take the elevator to the ground floor; at your right, you will find a corridor that will take you to the HWM drop-off area. If you do not have access to the 7^th floor link, please submit a request here.

Deliveries:

All deliveries can be received at the McIntyre loading dock and transported to the 7^th floor via the Goodman Cancer Research Centre freight elevator. Please refer to the above paragraph for directions.

Lab equipment and other damage:

We had communicated earlier that if labs incur damage, McGill will support and reimburse the cost of repairs, along with losses of equipment and consumables, once the Risk Management and Insurance Office is made aware of what has been affected. The Risk Management and Insurance team requires your assistance in compiling an inventory of significant scientific equipment in the building and identifying the concerns researchers may have in their immediate and future performance.

For those areas not exposed to soot on Floor 7 and up, labs have reopened. As you reintegrate, if there are further concerns of equipment performance due to this incident, lab members can also ask the supplier to inspect equipment for damage. You are asked to advise Risk Management of the need for this beforehand. If recalibration or other adjustments are deemed necessary, send a copy of the technician’s recommendation and estimate to the Risk Management and Insurance Office for approval at the email address directly below.

If you have questions about equipment or other damage in your lab, please contact supportrisk.insurance [at] mcgill.ca. They will provide you with an insurance claim form to help you identify your losses.

6^th floor and lower:

With the upper floors now open, the EOC is concentrating efforts to finalize the scope of work for the 6^th floor and lower, prioritizing the 1^st floor labs, the 5^th and 6^th floor amphitheatres and the 2^nd floor cybermed classrooms and small group rooms. The priority for the Osler Library is to move all books out.

While the main issue with the upper floors had to do with soot and smoke, water damage is the challenge on the lower floors. Ceilings and walls will need to be investigated for moisture. Areas where demolition and reconstruction will take place must remain physically isolated with barriers to avoid cross-contamination to other areas. The same applies to the HVAC system serving these lower floors.

The EOC and project engineers are aiming to finalize a timeline for these floors by end of next week. In the case of the amphitheatres, cybermed classrooms and small group rooms, the hope is to implement viable solutions before August 21, when students will return onsite. That being said, these areas remain very challenging; therefore, contingency plans for academic activities (courses) are currently being developed centrally, with Faculty input, for these spaces, as well as for the 1^stfloor labs.

Non-course related events scheduled in 5^th and 6^th floor amphitheatres or 2^nd floor cybermed space:

Important: If you have a non-course related event (e.g., conference, symposium, meeting, etc.) scheduled in the Palmer, Martin or Meakins Amphitheatres, or in the 2nd floor cybermed classrooms or small group rooms, anytime in the coming weeks through to the end of October, we strongly recommend that you immediately begin exploring and reserving alternate space to minimize any last-minute disruptions to your events and participants. As a starting point, you may email permits.residences [at] mcgill.ca to inquire about alternate space on campus.

Questions:

If you have further questions, please be sure to email buildingdirector [at] mcgill.ca. Note that frequently asked questions and answers are available online.

Thank you, everyone, for your ongoing collaboration and understanding, and to the multitude of people working behind the scenes.
 

Sincerely,

David Eidelman, MDCM

Vice-Principal (Health Affairs)

Dean, Faculty of Medicine