Office of Research IACUC Facility Inspection Program - Office of Research

IACUC Facility Inspection Program

 

  1. Purpose:

 

The purpose of the IACUC Facility Inspection Program is to ensure that all animal housing facilities are managed and maintained according to PHS (The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and The Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Research and Teaching, USDA, UC Davis policies and the Attending Veterinarian Standards of Care.

 

  1. Policy:

 

All facilities housing live, vertebrate animals or cephalopods for research or teaching purposes must be inspected semi-annually by the IACUC.

 

Inspection teams for USDA-covered species must include two voting members of the IACUC. Alternatively, inspections may be conducted by a member of the IACUC staff and/or a member of the IACUC. No IACUC member may be excluded from an inspection in which they wish to participate, unless there is a conflict of interest.

 

A full copy of each inspection report will be submitted to the IACUC for review/approval and will be included in the semi-annual report to the Institutional Official (IO).

 

III.      Procedure:

 

The Scientist in Charge (SIC) and Technician in Charge (TIC) will be notified by the IACUC office of any upcoming scheduled inspections. However, some inspections may be conducted “unannounced in which case the SIC and TIC will not be notified until the morning of the inspection..

 

The inspection will be conducted using the Facility Inspection Checklist (Attachment 1) following the standards set forth in the Animal Welfare Act Regulations, the ILAR Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, and the Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Agricultural Research and Teaching. A quick reference guide for review includes the areas the IACUC will be inspecting during these semi-annual facility inspections, which may be sent to the SIC/TIC prior to a scheduled inspection.

 

Deficiencies will be characterized as either minor or significant* with applicable correction plans to be discussed with the SIC/TIC and documented in the report. A report describing each observation/deficiency will be sent via the online system to the SIC/TIC. The report will also include the due dates for required response(s) to any deficiency noted. The SIC/TIC must respond by the due date by listing the reasons the deficiencies occurred and providing a corrective action plan for each deficiency. It is the responsibility of the SIC/TIC to ensure that all deficiencies identified during the inspection are corrected in a timely manner.

 

The IACUC and the IO will be notified of any significant deficiencies and take appropriate actions, as needed. Any significant deficiency involving USDA-covered species that is not corrected by the specified date will be reported to the USDA within 15 business days following the date of proposed correction. Any minor deficiency that is not corrected by the specified date will be reviewed by the IACUC and necessary action(s) will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

 

The completed inspection report will be submitted for review and approval by the IACUC. The SIC/TIC will be provided access to the IACUC approved inspection report. A final copy of the report will be included in the Semi-Annual Program Evaluation and will be available to the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) upon request.

 

*Nearly identical definitions of a significant deficiency are found in the USDA AWA Regulations and PHS Policy. The two definitions are shown below:

 

  1. USDA Animal Welfare Act Regulations, 9 CFR Part 2, Subpart C, Section 2.31, par. (c)(3): “A significant deficiency is one which, with reference to Subchapter A, and, in the judgment of the IACUC and the Institutional Official, is or may be a threat to the health or safety of the animals.”

 

  1. Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, IV. Implementation by Institutions, paragraph B.3: “A significant deficiency is one which, consistent with this Policy, and, in the judgment of the IACUC and the Institutional Official, is or may be a threat to the health or safety of the animals. If program or facility deficiencies are noted, the reports must contain a reasonable and specific plan and schedule for correcting each deficiency.”

References

  1. Public Health Service Policy IV. B. 1-3
  2. USDA CFR 9. 2.31(c) (1-3)

Procedure: IACUC-3
Date: September 19,2019
Enabled by: PHS and USDA
Supersedes: August 25, 2016