Preparing for a Facility Inspection
Background
Federal Animal Welfare Regulations require that the IACUC conduct physical inspections of all areas where live animals are housed or used. These inspections occur every six months, in May and November. The facility inspection process provides an opportunity for IACUC members to interact with the research community, follow up on issues that may have been discussed during protocol review and answer questions researchers might have about specific protocols.
The following guidelines will assist researchers and laboratory staff with preparing for facility inspections.
Preparing for Facility Inspections
- Know when the IACUC will be inspecting your facility. By subscribing to the "ORA-IACUC News" Zotmail list, you will receive a campus-wide email announcement about the facility inspections approximately two weeks prior to the inspections. This announcement will include a schedule for the visits to the various laboratory areas where live animals are used.
- Arrange for someone from the laboratory to be present during the time when IACUC members are scheduled to visit your facility. The site visit teams find it very helpful to have someone in the lab that can describe the types of procedures performed on live animals, where in the lab those procedures are performed, and answer any questions the site visitors may have.
- Know where a copy of all approved IACUC protocols are kept, and be prepared to show them to the site visitors on request. Federal regulations and IACUC policy require that the currently approved protocols, including all approved modifications, are readily accessible to all laboratory personnel, particularly those directly responsible for procedures performed on live animals. EVERYONE in the lab should know where the protocols are kept and be familiar with all IACUC-approved animal activities.
- Be sure that your laboratory is clean, neat and orderly. Empty animal cages should be removed from the laboratory and returned to the cage wash area of the vivarium as soon as possible after procedures are completed. Benchtop areas where animal procedures are performed should be cleared of all clutter and debris.
- Designate an area in the lab for survival surgeries if they are performed on rodents. Animal welfare regulations and IACUC policy require that aseptic techniques must be used, and instruments must be sterilized between procedures. For more information, please refer to the IACUC Surgery Policy and Guidelines
- Display a current Housing Exemption when the IACUC has approved animals to be kept in the laboratory for longer than 12 hours. The IACUC Exemption sign must be displayed prominently in the laboratory. If you have an approved housing exemption and have not received a form for posting in your lab, contact the IACUC Administrative Office at (949) 824-8664.
- Be sure that all experimental and therapeutic agents used in animals are within their printed expiration date. Most drugs and many medical materials (such as sutures) have an expiration date printed on them by the manufacturer. Expired drugs may not be used for any procedure with live animals, INCLUDING TERMINAL SURGICAL PROCEDURES. Expired drugs and medical materials must be discarded or appropriately labeled "Not for Use in Live Animals" and stored separately from "in date" materials. Please refer to the IACUC Policy on the Use of Expired Drugs.
- Be sure that all controlled substances are securely stored. Federal law requires that controlled substances be kept under double lock (e.g., in a locked box that is stored in a locked drawer or cabinet), accessible only to personnel authorized to use them. An updated, complete log of all use of controlled drugs must be kept within the laboratory as well. Please see Use of Controlled Substances in Animals for more information.
Facility Inspection Follow-up
The facility inspection team may leave a note with your laboratory staff requesting additional information or confirmation regarding issues discussed during the inspection. If you receive such a note, follow any instructions it may contain regarding additional follow-up with the IACUC Administrative Office. Feel free to contact the IACUC Administrator at (949) 824-8170 with any questions.
