Effective immediately, anyone coming on a Lab site must wear one of four options when coming to a Lab site:
- N95 respirator
- KN95 or KF94 mask
- Surgical mask alone or under a cloth face mask
- Filtered cloth covering
Unfiltered cloth face covers alone will no longer be allowed, however, you can wear a cloth face cover over a surgical mask. The Lab will continue to provide surgical masks at the Blackberry and Strawberry Gate entrances for those who need them. Surgical masks are also available through building managers. Some divisions also have a supply of KN95/KF94 masks.
If you work on site and want an N95 respirator, contact rpp@lbl.gov with your name and employee ID number to schedule an appointment and receive more information. If a surgical mask does not fit your face properly, you can knot and tuck the strings to provide a better fit.
From the Berkeley Lab COVID-19 Safety Protocol
The Lab requires all individuals to wear a surgical mask, N95, KN95/KF94, or filtered cloth mask:
- Inside buildings. Reminder: Protocol B must also maintain 6-foot distancing inside buildings.
- At security checkpoints.
- Driving or riding in a government vehicle, if other people are present.
- Driving or riding in a shuttle bus, whether or not other people are present.
- For any on-site employee who has not received the flu vaccine, face coverings are required – for the duration of the flu season – indoors, and when outdoors and less than six feet from others. This is irrespective of COVID-19 vaccination status and applies even if COVID-19 face-covering requirements are loosened.
Protocol B individuals must also wear a surgical mask, N95, KN95/KF94, or filtered cloth mask when:
- Outdoors if less than six feet from other people.
Note: Respirators provide more protection for unvaccinated individuals and are encouraged to be worn. Berkeley Lab will provide respirators for this purpose upon request. Contact rpp@lbl.gov with your name and employee ID number to schedule an appointment and receive more information.
All individuals may remove their surgical mask, N95, KN95/KF94, or filtered cloth mask when:
- Alone inside an enclosed room and the door is closed.
- Actively eating or drinking indoors as long as others are at least six feet away. Wear the covering between bites and sips; this helps reduce risk.
- Using sign language, by any worker who is deaf and uses facial and mouth movements as part of communication. Coverings may only be removed for the purposes of this communication.
