SoP

COVID – SoP

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE(SOP) FOR PHYSICAL REOPENING OF THE PAAVAI ENGINEERING COLLEGE

Paavai Engineering College is preparing for readiness for resumption of operations of the Institute subject to directions of the Central, State or Local Government and the statutory agencies like UGC/AICTE etc. The Institute is adopting a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) with comprehensive Preventive Public Health Measures (PPHM) to prevent and deal with COVID-19 pandemic by setting the policy and procedural guidelines for the students, faculty, officers, staff and workers in consonance with the directions/guidelines issued by the central/state Governments and relevant agencies

The objective of the policy and procedural guidelines is to adopt individual and collective measures to prevent COVID-19 pandemic effects and its spread among anyone who is directly/indirectly dealing with the Paavai Engineering College in any capacity.

Institute aims to ensure the following primary measures to encourage individual and collective COVID19 responsible behavior to prevent community spread of the disease.

a) Hand & respiratory hygiene
b) Work, living, mess and recreational space sanitization
c) Social distancing at all times at every place
d) Face masking
e) Regular body temperature monitoring
f) Immediate reporting for medical help, if, symptoms are noticed
g) Self-quarantining when considered necessary

Aim of the SoP is to orient all employees and students of the Institute to observe self- discipline in adopting COVID responsible behavior at all times and under all circumstances.

Thermal Temperature Check at the Entrance

At the entrance gate, security guards would record body temperature of all entrants with the hand held touch free thermal device. All employees and students may facilitate smooth conduct of the process.
All entrants in the Institute are encouraged to sanitize hands from the hand sanitizer dispensers placed at the entrance.

Work Space Sanitization

Housekeeping staff will be cleaning all the work spaces (faculty cabins/staff work stations) daily with disinfectants. Since, the task of housekeeping would be increased substantially within the available resources, the faculty and staff may cooperate to facilitate cleaning at a staggered timing.
Individual users are expected to take care of regular disinfection of their office appliances like telephone instrument, mobile devices, mouse, laptops/desktops, door knobs, electrical switches, chair arm rests, railings etc.

Social Distancing

Observance of social distancing norm is the most effective preventive measure. Hence, every individual within the premises is expected to observe social distancing by maintaining interactive distance with other individuals between 1-2 meters.
Entry/exit path to all buildings would be separated to the extent possible. However, wherever, a single wide entrance is used for exit as well like hostels, mess etc., students shall follow social distancing norms and shall show patience towards each other to make the flow un-crowded.

Hygiene Practices

Following measures & practices need to be adopted to sustain hygienic environment around us to contain COVID exposure:

Faculty members may briefly speak on hygiene practices to the students as a measure to constantly reinforcing the COVID behavioral orientation.
Awareness programme is conducted periodically to educate all personnel in the campus about COVID-19 prevention. This includes appropriate and frequent hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, mandated mask use, symptoms of COVID-19 and what to do if you feel 3 sick. Non-contact greetings are advised.
COVID-19 information board to be placed at multiple locations including hostels for special and regular messages to reinforce awareness and information sharing to prevent any rumor/misinformation.
Frequent cleaning of regularly touched surfaces such as door handles, desks, supplies, light switches, doorframes, any equipment, teaching aids and covers of books will be done with disinfectants by the housekeeping service.

Social distancing in class to be maintained as one meter of sideways, front & back to be maintained in the classes. It hence, would entail rearrangement of the seating plan with reduction in total number of students in the class.
Air conditioners in the classrooms shall be operated at not less than 26-degree temperature and the windows to be kept open for fresh air circulation. AC remotes and electrical switches are to be operated only by the class attendants.
Face masking is mandatory for all personnel within the campus premises at all times when out of their respective work offices/stations. All are expected to use their personal mask or a simple wrap of cloth to cover mouth and nose.
Sanitizer dispensers have been installed at various places all over the campus. All are encouraged to observe hand hygiene at frequent intervals. All washrooms have been provided with sufficient liquid/hand soaps for regular hand washing.

All shall bear in mind to use the sanitizer before and after the touch of any surface, books, papers, any item/article etc.

Class Hygiene Practices

In order to adhere to social distancing norms, each class would not accommodate more than 40 students.
Manual attendance would be taken by the faculty.
The desks shall be numbered in a manner that would ensure appropriate distance between two students in the classroom. Students will be required to sit only on a numbered desk. Faculty would ensure that no student violates the rule.
Faculty coordinators will ensure cleaning of all frequently touched surfaces after every class session. Special cleaning of podium and microphone to be done.
Face masking is mandatory during the class sessions.
Sanitizer would be made available for the faculty for use during the class sessions. Students are expected to carry and use their own personal sanitizers to follow safety measures.

Collaborative Studies

Students are encouraged to use collaborative/meeting software like ‘GoToMeeting’, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams etc. for any collaborative work like assignment, case studies, etc. Students are not encouraged to meet in a group for such work

Library

Library shall be open during academic session from 9:00 AM to 05:30 PM for library staff only,subject to change in the timings as per the circumstances and guidelines of the Government/ Govt. agencies as issued from time to time. However, the students and faculty members are encouraged to use online access to Library facilities, instead of a physical visit to the Library.

Communication & IT

All employees and the students are advised to keep their personal communication and IT devices (mobile phones & laptops) sanitized multiple times during the day. It is advised to keep a personal sanitization kit in office/hostels. Following hygiene practices to be observed: –

Laboratory

Every lab is to be disinfected every day by the housekeeping.
Lab sessions will be redistributed to have smaller groups to maintain better social distance.
Faculty, staff, students and technicians must wear masks before entering the laboratory.
It is required to maintain a minimum 2mts physical distance among all users of the laboratory while performing experiments and using computers.
It is advisable to allow only basic minimum strength so as to maintain the physical distance
If a user while in the laboratory develops symptoms such as fever and cough, he/she shall be placed temporarily in the isolation unit of the institute.
All users must go through a thermal scanner before entering the laboratory.
Do not touch hotspots such as electrical switches, equipment, power sockets, and bench set-up with bare hands.
Use gloves wherever necessary and whenever possible.
Take appropriate measures while using chairs, computers, keyboards, mouse, and teaching aids.
Personal hygiene is mandatory, and stakeholders must carry their own masks, gloves, and sanitizers.
Well-sanitized personal laptops only to be allowed for usage by students.
All students should sanitize their hands and bags before entering into labs.
To ensure proper conduct of procedure for an experiment, maintenance of digital documentation, equipment conditioning & maintenance and checking of lab – specific stock shall be followed.
Cleanliness, hygiene, periodic sanitization of the lab equipment and objects as per guidelines received from the concerned authority to be followed.
Smooth functioning of lab, follow up of general and lab specific guidelines, safety and cleanliness follow up by assigned cadre personnel shall be done.

Canteen

Maintain social distance, stand in a queue
As far as possible, make use of electronic payment methods.
Stand in a designated place, earmarked with distances.
Use sanitizer that you carry.
Never remove your mask
Avoid crowding around shops.
Avoid eating in a crowded place, carry eatables to your rooms if you are a hostel student.
All regular users should follow the staggering time while using the canteen.

Playground & Indoor stadium

Mask is mandatory for all the people working in the playground and open areas.
People working in the open areas should ensure to maintain physical distancing as per norms.
Sporting activities in the playgrounds will be resumed in a phased manner with an initial phase of small groups consisting of 5-10 persons and those performing activities in a non contact manner shall maintain the physical distance.
Every person entering the playground / open areas shall be screened before being allowed access to the common field – of – play / training facilities.
Hand-Hygiene facilities shall be made available adjacent to the field for use as and when necessary.
Personal training equipment carried by a player shall be disinfected before putting into use.
Large meetings /gatherings in the open areas are prohibited.
The people playing in the ground should boost their immunity by following healthy food, habits. They should exercise regularly to maintain fitness and to develop resistance against the virus.
Sharing of accessories between the players should not be allowed.
If any player is unwell during the playtime he or she should be taken to the isolation centre and necessary treatment should be provided by the health centre.
Indoor sports will be allowed with physical distancing and sanitation measures.

Transport

Sanitization of College transportation on regular basis at least twice a day – once before students board the bus and once after.
College drivers and conductors should maintain physical distance at all times and ensure physical social distancing among students in the bus/cab.
A minimum physical distance of 6 feet should be maintained during seating. Staggering of Colleges/Universities timings/days/shifts may be essential for ensuring this. Wherever possible, more buses may be arranged.
If possible, thermal screening of students may be done by the bus conductor at the time of their boarding the bus.
All commuters to wear face cover/masks in the bus/cab. Colleges transport should not permit students without masks to board buses.
No curtains on windows in the bus.
Preferably keep all windows open.
Students may be oriented not to touch surfaces unnecessarily. lf possible, hand sanitizer may be kept in the bus
Students may be advised to patiently wait for their turn to board or alight from the vehicle keeping a safe distance.
Students commuting through public transport should be adequately guided by College to take all precautions such as – physical/social distancing, covering nose and mouth with up masks, sanitizing hands when touching any surface etc

Hostels

To ensure yours and others safety in the hostel, students are strongly encouraged to stay at home if they

Have cough, fever or respiratory symptoms, or have been in contact with anyone with these symptoms for the past 14 days;
Have tested positive for COVID-19 and have not yet been cleared to return to regular activates.
Have returned within the last 14 days from a containment Zone

Self-discipline is very important to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic through social distancing and maintaining hygienic conditions.
Wearing the mask is compulsory for everyone entering and leaving hostel premises. No entry will be given to persons without facemasks.
Used masks should be discarded in the bins properly.
Have your own masks, sanitizer and a thermometer for monitoring body temperature for personal use (advisable).
Hand wash/Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance gate, so that every person must sanitize their hands before entering the hostel.
Only one student will be accommodated in each room.
Students should wear the University Identity cards while entering the hostel. A Security guard or staff at the entrance gate will do a temperature check of all people entering the hostel. Students having fever will not be allowed to enter the hostel. All hostellers entering the hostel should cooperate with this mandatory temperature screening.
Use AarogyaSetu App on your mobile and it should remain active at all times (through Bluetooth and Wi-Fi)
To minimize movement and physical contact with others, hostellers are not allowed to leave the hostel, except for academic work and emergency needs. This is enforced through security checks at the hostel exit and entrance. Residents must cooperate with the hostel staff and other security personal in this regard. They are not allowed to leave the hostel premises between 9pm and 8am to prevent non-essential travel.
Essential hostel staff at the hostels will assist students 24/7. However, in our effort to further reduce physical contact, housekeeping and cleaning will be done in common areas within the hostel premises from time to time. Students should maintain a safe distance during such time.
Guests in the hostel are strictly prohibited during the current pandemic situation.
Unnecessary gatherings inside and outside the rooms of the hostel will be avoided. Students must avoid going in other rooms and also maintaining social distance as described by govt. health authorities.
Students should make sure that their rooms be cleaned on daily basis (depending on the timings of housekeeping staff and must dispose of their waste properly.
Mess staff must wear gloves, mask and hair caps during the mess timings. Food will be served as per the timings displayed at the mess hall.
Seating arrangement at the mess halls is done so that social distancing is maintained. No one should try to rearrange the chairs according to his/her wish.
Where ever queue has to be maintained, each student should follow the social distancing norms. Students, if they wish can bring their own utensils. However, they have to take it back while leaving the mess hall.
For students under quarantine, packed food will be served at the designated location at the designated time. Students should pick it from the table kept outside the room and dispose of the used one in the bin properly.
Disinfection spray will be carried out in public areas on daily basis and in rooms on weekly basis.
Students having COVID-19 symptoms should inform the hostel staff/warden immediately and visit the hospital for immediate medical care.
Avoid the use of an elevator if you can climb the stairs. In case, if you need elevators, follow the safety precautions.
In hostels having common washrooms, take necessary care all the time by diligently following all instructions/notices/protocols in the hostel.
Maintain the hygienic condition of shared bathrooms and toilets after their use to protect yourself and others

Emergency Contact Details

Summary

The paramount purpose of the elaborated SoP stipulating the policy and procedural observance is to instill a sense of self-discipline to observe COVID responsible behavior. Social distancing norms, hand & respiratory hygiene, use of sanitizers frequently, avoid gatherings and crowding etc. would ensure each one of us act responsibly in individual as well as community interest and contribute to prevent spread of COVID-19 pandemic. It is of utmost importance that we prevent even the slightest chance of susceptibility so we can continue to focus our aim on imparting and receiving education and achieve our primary objective of being among the best.