The use, transport and storage of private equipment at the Animal Facility
Some experiments require that you bring specialized equipment to the Animal Facility. Equipment represents a risk of infection (fomite), so it is important that you follow the requirements for cleaning and disinfection of such. Not all equipment is compatible with our infrastructure (electricity, water, central gas systems) and the use of such equipment must first be cleared with the Animal Facility.
Main content
The Animal Facility has limited space to store equipment. Due to fire regulations for escape routes, storage of equipment in corridors is prohibited! For cleaning purposes, larger equipment must be relatively easy to move so that cleaning is not prevented.
Hygiene and infection control
As a general rule: Avoid bringing private equipment to the Animal Facility.
Personal equipment (such as keys, mobile phones, etc) that you need to take with you to the animal facility must be stored in a box with a smooth surface that can be disinfected upon access to the facility.
When removing items from the box, change gloves and disinfect hands before touching other objects.
After use, put your belongings back in the box and keep the box closed.
When you have finished the work for the day in the animal facility and you have packed the equipment you have used, you must clean the work space.
Equipment belonging to the animal department (including work surfaces) must be cleaned as follows: wash away visible dirt with soap and water, then spray the surface with the disinfectant that has been made available (often Virkon) enough to keep the surface moist for approx. 10 minutes.
Wash your hands with soap and water before leaving the animal room / laboratory.
Drugs and test substances
All medicines and injectables (test substances, cells, etc.) should be prepared in a sterile manner in a LAF bench and placed in a clean plastic container with a lid (minimum size possible).
Before entering the animal ward, wipe the container with alcohol-based disinfectant.
Requirements for cleaning and surface disinfection also apply to other and larger equipment brought to the facility.
Storage at the Animal Department
Equipment must be stored according to the specifications for the equipment in question.
Equipment can only be stored at the facility as long as the approval license for the project in question is valid.
No later than one month after the license expires, equipment must be removed - otherwise it will be thrown away.
Storage lockers
The animal department has some larger project lockers for temporary storage of equipment.
Private research equipment can be stored in such lockers.
We have a dedicated locker for the storage of medicines in the animal facility.Medicines must not be stored in front rooms or in laboratories!Contact the operations manager if you need a locker.
Equipment in common areas
Equipment located in common areas (laboratories, operating rooms) is considered available to everyone.
The equipment owner must be contacted before the equipment is used by others and the necessary training must be provided.
If you store equipment at the animal facility that cannot be used by others, it must be stored/ locked away in an agreed location.
Equipment that requires connection to electricity, water or central gas system
Contact the Animal Facility in advance, if there is space- or power-consuming equipment you intend to bring.
We must be sure that the equipment is compatible with our infrastructure.
Marking of equipment
All equipment must be visibly marked/ tagged with the name of the department, and the name and telephone number of the person responsible for the equipment.
Equipment that does not have any kind of marking will be removed and discarded.