Beginning with the Fall 2025 round of semi-annual Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) facility inspections, all safety-related deficiencies will now be recorded and communicated through the MI Safety Portal (MISP) instead of the eRAM system.
This change will more closely align IACUC processes with those used by U-M’s department of Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) for other facility/laboratory-based inspections.
Examples of safety-related deficiencies that will now be tracked in MISP include, but are not limited to:
- Storage/maintenance of compressed gas cylinders
- Maintenance/certification of eyewash stations
- Certification of engineering controls (BSC, fume hoods, LEV)
- Proper maintenance and use of scavenging systems to capture waste anesthetic gases
Deficiencies that may have a direct impact on animal welfare (e.g., records maintenance, improper use of expired drugs/substances, equipment sanitization processes) will continue to be reported through eRAM.
More information about responding to deficiencies in eRAM are available in the eRAM: Action Plan Details and Complete Facility Inspection Deficiency Action reference guide.
Responding to Findings in MISP**
- Safety-related deficiencies found during semi-annual IACUC facility inspections will be documented in MISP
- If access to MISP is needed, please reach out to [email protected]
- Once a deficiency is assigned, laboratories have 30 days to provide a response in MISP
- Consistent with the Research and Academic Safety Escalation Process, failure to respond to safety findings within 30 days will result in notification to the Department Chair
- If unresolved after 60 days, the issue will be escalated to the Safety Accountability Leads (SALs) and the Unit Safety Committee Chair (USCC) with a request for a resolution plan
**Laboratories should only expect to receive a report from MISP if safety-related deficiencies were found during semi-annual inspections. Reports will NOT be sent if no deficiencies were noted.
Questions?
Questions about the MISP system, including access requests, should be sent to [email protected]. Please note that access requests may take 2-3 business days to process.
General questions or concerns about safety-related inspection items in animal care facilities should be directed to [email protected].
On behalf of the IACUC, EHS, and our many cross-campus partners, thank you for ensuring that safety remains a top priority throughout your daily research operations, and in your responsible care and use of animals.