“Thanks to everyone’s sustained efforts, it was possible to get through this first year of a global pandemic relatively unscathed.” Michel Charest
Michel Charest is Head of Security at the IRCM. From the earliest days of the pandemic, he and his team made sure that the IRCM’s premises were safe in order to allow the research work to continue; A huge responsibility that they took on with rigour, tenacity, and perseverance.
Michel, thanks to the incredible work of your team, research was able to continue at the Institute. What did this entail?
From the onset of the pandemic, I knew that our department would have an important role to play in keeping our community safe. So, we had to quickly channel our concerns into actions. Our first big task was to implement the measures and instructions in record time to allow operations to be maintained without compromising the safety and health of the staff.
This involved a lot of complex logistics. We acquired astronomical quantities of sanitizer and masks, and we put up signs to remind everyone of the instructions to follow. At the same time, our maintenance staff conducted daily rounds of surface disinfection, and we established circulation corridors to minimize contact. Today, we can be proud of what we achieved!
What was your biggest concern?
My biggest concern was to not doing enough to prevent the virus from spreading throughout the Institute. We knew that, next to nursing homes and retirement homes, workplaces were the source of many outbreaks.
How did the community react to these instructions?
The community was very accepting of our measures. We received many words of encouragement. It helped us get through the most difficult months.
What will you remember about this first year of the pandemic?
It’s a year we don’t want to relive, and we hope we won’t have to deal with another pandemic anytime soon. However, what I’ll remember most is the fact that, thanks to everyone’s sustained efforts, it was possible to get through this first year of a global pandemic relatively unscathed. Of course, we had to reinvent ourselves to change our work methods and routines, but it was all done in harmony and with the understanding that we were in an extraordinary situation.
