SOP: MEG Contingency Plan

Subtitle:

Emergency Operations

Author:

Hadi Zaatiti

DocID:

CTP_MEG_002

Issue:

1.0

po_number:

Date:

March 2026

approved_by:

Reza Rowshan

date_approved:

March 2026

Location:

A2-008, MEG Lab

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1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Contingency Staffing Plan is to ensure the continuous, safe, and efficient operation of the NeuroWaves KIT-MEG Lab during periods of unexpected staff shortages due to emergencies, public health crises, severe weather, or other disruptions. This plan outlines responsibilities and minimum operational requirements tailored specifically to the MEG lab environment.

2. SCOPE

This plan applies to all Core Technology Platform (CTP) technical staff, principal investigators, and trained users operating within the NeuroWaves MEG Facility. It establishes clear protocols for adjusting lab access, scaling back operations, and ensuring safety when regular staffing levels cannot be maintained.

3. EMERGENCY CONTACTS

  • NYU Abu Dhabi Security (24 hrs):, nyuad.campussafety247@nyu.edu +971 2 628 5555

  • Director of CTP: Osama Abdullah, oa22@nyu.edu, +971 2 628 4990

  • MEG Research Scientist / Lab Responsible Person: Hadi Zaatiti, hz3752@nyu.edu, +971 56 275 4921

  • Director of Laboratory Operations and Maintenance: Jake Edmondson, je53@nyu.edu, Office: +971 2 628 4756, Mobile: +971 56 194 5026

  • Director of Laboratory: Reza Rowshan (02 628 4110)

  • CTP Technical Contact: Haidee Paterson (02 628 7635)

4. OPERATIONAL TIERS AND MINIMUM STAFFING

The lab operates on varying tiers depending on the severity of the staffing shortage. At all times, two trained individuals are required to be present during human subject scanning.

Tier 1: Normal Operations

  • Staffing: Full complement of CTP technical staff and operators.

  • Activities: Full schedule of MEG scanning, system maintenance, and new user training.

Tier 2: Restricted Operations (Moderate Shortage)

  • Staffing: Minimum of one primary MEG operator (e.g., Lab Manager) plus one trained assistant/researcher per scan.

  • Activities: Priority research scans only. Non-essential maintenance and new user training sessions are postponed.

  • Requirement: No solo operation of the MEG system is permitted inside the Magnetically Shielded Room (MSR). A second person must be in the vicinity (control room) during all subject preparations.

Tier 3: Essential Operations Only (Severe Shortage)

  • Staffing: Operations Lead or Director only.

  • Activities: Complete halt of all human subject research. Only critical infrastructure maintenance (e.g., liquid helium supervision and room climate control) is conducted.

  • Requirement: The CTP Operations Lead or an alternate essential personnel member will perform weekly checks to ensure the system is stable and safe. No experiments will take place.

5. CROSS-TRAINING AND DESIGNATED ALTERNATES

To mitigate the risk of a primary operator absence, cross-training of CTP staff is maintained actively: * Primary Contacts for Helium and System Maintenance: Hadi Zaatiti, Osama Abdullah. * Trained Research Assistants: Identified researchers in the NeuroWaves lab who have completed the full KIT-MEG operator training are authorized to assist the primary operator.

All alternate staff must have valid Cryogenic Safety Training and up-to-date documentation regarding the KIT-MEG system procedures.

6. COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL

Upon activating this Contingency Staffing Plan:

  1. Immediate Notification: The CTP Operations Lead or Director will inform all active MEG users via email about the shift in operational tier.

  2. Rescheduling: Scheduled scans that cannot be supported due to staffing will be cancelled directly via the booking system, and researchers will be notified.

  3. Daily Updates: During a prolonged disruption, the Lab Manager will provide status updates to the Director of Laboratory regarding system health (helium levels, compressor status).

7. CRITICAL SYSTEM MAINTENANCE (UNMANNED)

If the lab must be completely unstaffed for an extended period, the following critical steps must be arranged: * Helium Level Monitoring: A schedule must be established for an authorized individual to verify helium levels to prevent empty Dewar conditions. * Building Services Coordination: Facilities Management must be notified to prioritize power and HVAC for the MEG lab (C2, G.03). * Remote Monitoring: Ensure any network-accessible status dashboards for the MEG system and MSR environment are actively monitored remotely by CTP staff.

8. RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATIONS

The Director of Laboratory will formally declare the return to Tier 1 operations. Upon return: * Backlogged maintenance tasks and liquid helium top-offs (if necessary) will be addressed first. * Priority will be given to delayed research projects. * All systems will undergo a brief functionality check using a phantom before human scanning resumes.

9. SIGNATURES

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