Updates to Animals Administered a Hazardous Substance Requiring Containment SOP

Contact the Department of Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) for review and approval of any deviations from this SOP.

All requests for containment housing must be submitted online using the Containment Housing Request Form located in eRAM.

Water bottles from infectious hazard cages must now be placed in a wire bottle basket inside a red cloth laundry bag.

Water bottles from chemical hazard cages must be placed in a wire bottle basket insidea green cloth laundry bag.

Cages being transported within the vivarium to either a procedure room or standard housing room (with prior approval) must be wiped down with a suitable disinfectant.

Lab personnel must contact EHS, their ULAM Veterinarian, and their facility’s ULAM Husbandry Supervisor if moving animals to a non-ULAM managed procedure room or if transporting large, non-rodent mammals.

Infectious materials must not be stored in ULAM-managed areas. All other items stored in these areas must be labeled with the name of the item, PI name, expiration date, and chemical hazard sticker.

Lab personnel are responsible for checking expiration dates. Secondary containment of diets, water, and other substances containing a chemical hazard is required if items will be transported to a different location from where they are being stored.

After an escaped animal is captured, the floor must be mopped with bleach water.

If there is a loose animal that cannot be captured, alert the facility’s ULAM Husbandry Supervisor and email EHS (ehs-animalsafety@umich.edu).

All Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) except for eye protection must be donned outside of the animal room when it is to be used inside.

Hair bonnets and face masks are no longer required when working with rodents.

All spills should be handled as outlined in this SOP, regardless of the size. If personnel are uncomfortable handling the spill, contact EHS (734-763-4568) for assistance.

Spills outside the Biological Safety Cabinet must be reported to EHS and the ULAM Husbandry Supervisor. Infectious agent spills are cleaned by covering the spill area with paper towel then applying fresh bleach water or Clidox, letting sit for 20 minutes, then wiping up with paper towels. 

Any new containers must be labeled with all chemicals that may be present. An accumulation start date is not required on the Hazardous Waste sticker located on a reusable chemical hazard waste container.

A secondary bag for chemical hazard waste is only required if the EHS-approved waste container is located in a different room.

All animal carcasses removed from containment rooms must be contained within two sealed, leak-proof bags (new, unused gloves are acceptable “bags”) prior to removal from the animal room unless the carcass is being brought to the laboratory.

In these cases, the carcass must still be contained within two leak-proof containers; however, sealable containers other than bags can be used.

Any new containers must be labeled with the collection start date and room number.

Sharps containers that include chemicals must be labeled with a chemical hazard sticker, hazardous waste label, and the type(s) of hazards contained. Sharps containers must also have a rotor lid so that they can be closed when not in use.