Animal Housing Access

A Principal Investigator (PI) must first assign personnel who will work with animals to the animal handling details of their animal use protocol. All required training – including training on animal room procedures – is then automatically assigned to these personnel. To remain on a protocol, personnel must complete all Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) required training at the necessary intervals. For more information, please review the Animal Care & Use Program’s Training Requirements Summary (PDF download).

The Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine (ULAM) also requires that additional training be completed BEFORE access to certain animal housing areas can be granted.

For card reader access to a rodent housing area in your facility, you must complete:

• ULAM-10131 Animal Room Procedures for Rodents Part 1 (online class) and
• ULAM 10132 Animal Room Procedures for Rodents Part 2 (in-person workshop)

For keypad access to a biocontainment rodent housing area in your facility, you must complete:

• ULAM-10050 Hazard Containment Part 1** (online class) and
• ULAM-10055 Hazard Containment Workshop for Rodents Part 2 (in-person workshop)

You will find these classes included in your Cornerstone Learning Transcript if you are listed as handling rodents and/or hazards on an IACUC approved protocol.

**All personnel with hazards listed in their animal handling details are required to complete the ULAM-10050 Hazard Containment Part I class, regardless of whether or not they require animal housing access.

You must also complete a tour of your facility’s animal housing area with the ULAM Husbandry Supervisor

• Schedule your tour by reviewing the ACU Program Contact Directory (PDF download)and searching for the Husbandry Supervisor in your facility
• After the tour, the Husbandry Supervisor will submit your request for room access ONLY IF your training requirements have also been met. For additional details on required Animal Care & Use Program training, please visit the Training page.

All plant operations and building services staff that access animal areas must complete ULAM-10039 U-M Plant Employee Awareness Training. Those needing access to primate areas must also complete ULAM-10042 U-M Plant Employee Non-Human Primates & Zoonoses. This training can be requested through the ULAM Training Core via the Training Request Form.

Maintaining a Safe and Secure Environment

The University is committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for both our staff and our animals. Visits by non-U-M individuals to any areas where animals may be present should be planned well in advance and approved by the appropriate University entities.

Visitors must be accompanied by a credentialed U-M employee at all times during the visit and should obey all safety requirements (goggles, gloves, lab coats, etc.), read and abide by all instructions on posted signage, and remain cognizant of important security considerations (no “tailgating” through doorways or propping doors).

If you ever suspect that someone has gained improper access to any area where animals are present, or to the offices of faculty/staff involved in animal care and use, please contact U-M’s Division of Public Safety & Security at (734) 763-1131.

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