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Animals Administered a Hazardous Substance Requiring Containment
To ensure compliance with current Occupational Safety & Environmental Health (OSEH) and Animal Care & Use practice standards, the Animals Administered a Hazardous Substance Requiring Containment Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been updated. In order to allow adequate time for staff training and compliance, the new procedures will be implemented in two phases based on facility location.
Phase | Facilities | Implementation Date |
I | MSRB, BSRB, Brehm, Cancer Center | August 15, 2016 |
II | LSI, Dental School, School of Public Health, NCRC | September 15, 2016 |
Staff in each facility will be held accountable for the new procedures 30 days after their implementation date (i.e., all facilities in Phase I must be compliant by September 15, 2016. All facilities in Phase II must be compliant by October 15, 2016). Failure to adhere to the new procedures after the posted dates will result in non-compliance notifications.
These changes affect personnel (including but not limited to) involved in the cage changing of animals, personnel involved with equipment contaminated with hazardous substances, and personnel involved in the administration of these hazardous agents to animals. Risk protection to individuals using these agents is imperative.
- Investigative Personnel: Refers to Principal Investigators (PIs), laboratory personnel, and staff that administer hazardous agents to the animals and have a responsibility to inform the Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine (ULAM) staff of any changes in their hazardous agent uses, animal numbers, animal cages or other changes that may affect personnel, and animal health or procedures within the animal room.
- ULAM Personnel: Refers to the ULAM Husbandry Supervisors and Technicians that maintain health and care within the biocontainment animal room. The ULAM Supervisor ensures signage is posted appropriately and that all ULAM and investigative staff are performing procedures appropriately within the biocontainment area.
Note: Please provide husbandry supervisors with 72 hours advanced notice prior to placing animals into containment housing.
Strict adherence to these procedures is necessary. Everyone performing procedures involved with handling animals or animal equipment contaminated with hazardous agents is required to read the SOP in its entirety.
The complete SOP can be found here.
Posting of the Containment Room Sign Previously, there was no requirement to post a sign listing all of the hazardous substances in procedure rooms. Also, there was not a requirement to remove the sign after work with hazardous substances was completed in procedure rooms.
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Animal Containment Housing Entry Procedures The requirement for alternate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was not outlined previously. Examples of clothing that may need to be protected include religious or cultural dress. Standard prescription glasses are NOT considered a form of eye protection and are NO longer allowed in the biocontainment room.
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Standard Husbandry and Substance Administration Practices All substances, whether chemical or infectious, required 10 minute disinfection contact time between them. Now, ONLY infectious substances require 10 minute disinfection contact time.
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Containment Husbandry Practices The full name of the hazardous substance was not required to be listed on the water bottle. The old requirement also allowed water bottles to be sanitized every two weeks; now it is once a week. Previously, all cages had to be covered once removed from the Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC). Now, only infectious cages have to be covered. Chemical cages must still have the bedding removed.
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Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC) Procedures EHS had to recertify the BSC when moved within the animal room. Now, the BSC has to be recertified ONLY when moved between buildings or rooms.
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Transport of Animals from Containment Rooms Previously, animals had to be placed in a clean cage, secured, and covered when transported throughout the building. Now, all animals have to be placed in a clean cage, secured, and placed in a secondary container with absorbent material prior to transport.
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Animal Escape Procedures This entire section has been added, there was no previous procedure.
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Disposition of Animals in a Large-Scale Emergency This entire section has been added, there was no previous procedure.
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Animal Euthanasia and Carcass Disposal There was no previous requirement to clean gross contamination or disinfect euthanasia equipment.
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Departing the Containment Room There was no previous requirement to disinfect safety goggles or glasses prior to exiting the room.
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Spills of Hazardous Substances Previously, spill volumes were not defined and spills occuring outside the BSC did not have to be reported to the ULAM Supervisor. Chemical hazard clean up did not specify soap and water.
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Storage of Hazardous Materials This entire section has been added, there was no previous procedure.
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