Policies, Procedures and Guidelines

IACUC Guidelines

These guidelines have been written to assist faculty, staff, and students in performing vertebrate animal procedures in a humane manner and complying with pertinent regulatory requirements. Under some circumstances deviations from these procedures may be indicated but such variances must be approved in advance by the IACUC.

The University of Texas at Austin Revised Handbook of Operating Procedures (HOP)

• Policy Number 7-1310: Animals Used in Research, Teaching, and Testing Activities

Animal Resources Center (ARC) Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines

These policies, procedures, and guidelines have been written by Animal Resources Center veterinarians and staff to be used as a resource for faculty, staff, and students to provide guidance and best practices for animal users.

• Animal Resources Center (ARC) Policies and Procedures
  • Facility Access
  • Cage Identification Requirements
  • Requirements for Housing Mice and Rats
  • Sending Animals From UT Austin to Other Institutions
  • Requirements and Approval for the Use of Private Vehicles for Animal Transport
  • Procedures for Nonstandard Feeding and Watering
  • Importing Special Rodent Strains
  • Campus Carry Exclusion Zones – Animal Care Areas

• Animal Resources Center (ARC) Surgical Guidance
  • Rodent Anesthesia and Post-Op Monitoring Guidance
  • Rodent Anesthesia Record and Example
  • Non-Rodent Anesthesia Recommendations
  • Large Animal Anesthesia Monitoring Sheet

Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Guidelines

These guidelines have been written by Environmental Health & Safety staff to be used as a resource for faculty, staff, and students to provide guidance and best practices for animal users.

• Controlled Substances
  Principal Investigators (PIs) using controlled substances in their laboratory research (including research animals) are subject to extensive state and federal regulatory requirements.

• Safety Guidelines for Field Researchers
  Fieldwork is an important part of teaching and research at The University of Texas at Austin. Since fieldwork activities take you off campus, this guide is intended to help you plan and prepare for health and safety problems you might encounter in the field.

• Incident Reporting
  What to report: Near miss, Injury-illness (Condition or aggravation of an existing condition resulting from an event or exposure to hazards in the learning and/or work environment), Property damage, and Spills.

• Anesthetic Gas Guidance and Chemical SOP Templates
  EHS Guidance on anesthetic and chemical safety.

Occupational Health Program

The following documents were created by HealthPoint OHP to assist researchers with personnel health-related topics.

• Lab Animal Allergy Prevention – Information Guide
  Personnel who handle or conduct research with animals may be exposed to a variety of animal products. These animal products contain proteins that may be allergenic and can trigger an allergic reaction in some personnel and may lead to the development of asthma. The development of an allergic response to animal proteins while working with laboratory animals is an occupational risk that can require medical treatment and affect future career options.

• First Report of Incident Injury Memo
  For work-related injuries, please complete an Incident Injury Memo and fax the form to OHP.

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Handbook of Policies and Procedures (IACUC/HOPP)