Information and guidance on wearing cloth masks

Montana State University’s physical campus remains open to provide living accommodations and services to students who need them during the COVID-19 pandemic. To safeguard public health and the health of the essential staff and service providers working on campus, MSU has taken a number of precautions in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including strictly adhering to appropriate social distancing. 

The university also encourages essential staff, students, service providers and others on campus to follow the CDC’s guidance and wear face masks in public to help reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. 

Guidance from the CDC on the recommended use of cloth face coverings is available online, as are recommendations on the materials needed, how to construct masks and how to launder them. Instructions for putting on and removing masks are available on MSU’s COVID-19 website. 

Please note, cloth masks or bandanas may cause additional hazards for tasks such as operating equipment or motor vehicles or working in shop environments. Masks or bandanas can cause glasses to fog or can be an entanglement hazard with rotating machinery. Staff members with workplace safety questions should reach out to Safety and Risk Management for guidance at 406-994-2711.  

Due to limited supply, the university can only provide manufactured face masks or respirators to those employees performing essential functions that require the use of those masks. MSU will continue to work on obtaining additional supplies, but until then, the university will not be providing masks to all employees.

Additional information about COVID-19 and the university’s precautions in response to the pandemic is available on MSU’s official COVID-19 website at montana.edu/coronavirus.  

Safety and Risk Management
406-994-2711