Facilities FAQs
Question 1: What do I do if my equipment room significantly overheats on the weekend?
Question 2: How do I make sure my new very large piece of equipment is delivered to the correct room?
Question 3: What should I do if someone I don't know is trying to get on an elevator or enter a secure door behind me?
Question 4: What do I do if I feel threatened and I can't speak freely to ask for help?
Question 5: Am I required to have asbestos training?
Question 6: How do I recycle used batteries?
Question 7: How do I adjust my office chair so that it is comfortable?
Question 8: Where can I turn in lost and found items?
Question 9: Do I need to clean the hard drive of my computer before surplussing?
Question 10: What is the protocol for using employee kitchens?
Question 12: Does Genome Sciences have a lactation room?
If you are experiencing an urgent maintenance issue in WH Foege after 5:00pm weekdays or anytime on weekends:
Call 206-685-1900 and press 0 for emergencies. Your request will be forwarded to FOMS (Facilities, Operations, and Maintenance Specialists) via UWPD. A FOMS staff person will come to the building to check on the problem.
When calling in an emergency, clearly provide the following information:
1. I have a RESEARCH AREA (heating, cooling, etc.) EMERGENCY, and I need immediate assistance from Facilities Services.
2. The problem is located in South Foege [ROOM NUMBER].
3. My name is [YOUR NAME].
4. I can be contacted at [PHONE NUMBER].
5. The problem is [briefly describe problem: room too hot; equipment failure, etc.]
Work with your vendor at the time you place your order. Request the shipper provide an inside delivery to the specific room you would like the equipment placed. Explain that Foege does not have a freight elevator or a pallet jack. Our elevator carries people and boxes but not pallets. The elevator door dimensions are 7’ X 4’8”, and the length of the elevator is 8’6”.
Make sure the shipping company calls you prior to delivery so that you will be onsite to accept the delivery.
Occasionally a vendor isn’t able to make an inside delivery. Contact gsadmin [ a t ] u.washington.edu 7-10 days before the delivery date. We will arrange to have UW Moving Services transport the piece of equipment from the loading dock to your room. Your lab will need to provide a budget number.
All GS staff and faculty are responsible for maintaining building security. If someone you don’t recognize gets on the elevator with you or tries to enter a secure door behind you, politely ask them to use their Health Sciences Access card. If they don’t have an HSB card, direct them to the lobby phone on the first floor where they can call the lab or the GS Admin Office for access. Report any problems to S250. If the situation is serious, always call 911.
Question 4: What do I do if I feel threatened and I can't speak freely to ask for help?
Should you or others feel physically threatened and it is safe to use a campus phone, call 911. If you can’t speak freely but co-workers are nearby, say the code words, and they will call 911 for you. If you have forgotten the phrase, ask your supervisor or stop by the S250 Admin Office.
Question 5: Am I required to have asbestos training?
Yes, asbestos training is required for UW employees. This includes ALL staff, faculty, post-docs, grad students, and paid undergrad employees.
The training is online and it only needs to be taken once:
https://www.ehs.washington.edu/training/asbestos-general-awareness-online
Question 6: How do I recycle used batteries?
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S250E GS Supply room. Look for the box on the counter.
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An Emedia bin is located on the first floor near the elevators.
Question 7: How do I adjust my office chair so that it is comfortable?
For Steelcase Criterion Chairs:
https://www.steelcase.com/products/office-chairs/criterion/
For Steelcase Leap Chairs:
https://www.steelcase.com/products/office-chairs/leap/
Question 8: Where can I turn in lost and found items?
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GS Admin Front Desk in S250
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Health Sciences Building T283 - 685-0143
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Health Sciences Shuttle - 685-3146
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Husky Union Building - 543-8191
Question 9: Do I need to clean the hard drive of my computer before I contact gsadmin [ a t ] uw.edu about surplussing it?
Yes, DBAN is the recommended data wiping software: http://www.dban.org/
Question 10: What is the protocol for using employee kitchens?
Custodial Services cleans the sink and sweeps the floor daily. They periodically clean the floor. They do not clear out the refrigerator or clean appliances. Kitchen users must take responsibility for keeping the shared kitchens clean on a daily basis.
Kitchen Users:
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Wipe up anything that spills or drips.
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When using the microwave, cover containers with a microwaveable lid or a paper towel to prevent splattering.
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Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink.
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After washing your dishes, dry them and put them away.
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Store food in re-sealable containers to prevent pests. Put your initials on the container.
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Be mindful of the waste stream. Compost, recycle, and landfill bins are provided in each kitchen. Use them appropriately.
Question 11: How do I recycle rigid and flexible Styrofoam, packing “peanuts”, plastic film, and plastic pipette tip boxes?
1. Rigid Styrofoam, Flexible Styrofoam, and Styrofoam Packing Peanuts:
Recycle styrofoam and packing peanuts separately in their own bag. It is ok to mix colors. Remove any tape or labels. Take full bags to the loading dock and leave them near the recycling totes. If more bags are needed, email gsadmin [ a t ] uw.edu. Large blocks do not need to be bagged. Stack them neatly on the dock.
https://facilities.uw.edu/catalog/disposal-guide
https://facilities.uw.edu/files/media/recycling-styrofoam.pdf
2. Plastic film:
Plastic film and punctured plastic balloon packing can be placed in the plastic film recycling box. Take full bags to the loading dock.
3. Plastic Pipette Tip Boxes and Trays:
UW Recycling encourages customers to purchase and recycle pipette tip boxes and trays through a vendor with its own recycling program. If you are unable to recycle your pipette tip boxes and trays through the manufacturer, please dispose of your pipette tip boxes as mixed recycling and pipette tip trays as garbage.
https://facilities.uw.edu/bsd/procedures/tip-boxes
Question 12: Does Genome Sciences have a lactation room?
S340C is a multi-use room available for Genome Sciences staff. Sign-up sheets are posted on the door.
Alternatively, the shower rooms in the women’s restrooms on Floors G, 2, 3, and 4 can be used as lactation rooms.