Prepare for and support minimally invasive procedures on animals in a Home Office designated establishment

This standard covers preparing for and supporting minimally invasive procedures which are carried out without anaesthesia on animals in a Home Office designated establishment. Procedures include administering substances and collecting samples.

When working with research animals recognise humanity’s obligation to them and your responsibility for ensuring their proper care and treatment at all times.

You will be required to prepare for and support minimally invasive procedures by ensuring that the necessary equipment and materials are available and in a fit state for use, restraining and preparing the animal for the procedure and monitoring environmental conditions, such as light, temperature and noise as required.

You should have a good understanding of the procedure taking place and why animals are used.

This standard is for animal technologists in Home Office designated establishments.

It is essential that you work strictly within the limits of the relevant project licence.

1. confirm that your work is carried out in accordance with the approved codes of practice and organisation’s procedures and within the limits of your authority, expertise, training, competence and experience
2. carry out all work in accordance with the relevant environmental and health and safety legislation, risk assessment requirements, codes of practice and the organisation’s policies
3. assess the risks to health and safety before starting and throughout the activity
4. comply with legislation, codes of practice and the organisation’s policies relating to the care and welfare of animals in a Home Office designated establishment
5. use safe practices and the correct clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the activity
6. maintain the required levels of hygiene and biosecurity in accordance with the organisation’s procedures
7. implement infection control measures and use aseptic techniques in accordance with the organisation’s procedures
8. maintain communication with colleagues and all those involved in, or affected by, your work
9. select and prepare the equipment required for the efficient conduct of the procedure to be conducted
10. select, prepare and store the materials required for the procedure
11. select and confirm the identity of the animal according to the requirements of the procedure
12. acclimatise the animal to the environment to reduce stress
13. safely and humanely handle and restrain the animal correctly for the procedure, and the condition and temperament of the animal
14. provide support to enable others to conduct the procedure safely and accurately with due care for the animal’s welfare, in accordance with the organisation’s procedures and best practice
15. monitor the condition of the animal correctly during the procedure
16. take the necessary protective measures to prevent cross-infection or injury to the animal
17. monitor the environmental conditions to suit the needs of the animal and the procedure being undertaken, and report any necessary adjustments to the responsible person
18. respond appropriately to any changes in the condition of the animal
19. return the animal to the correct recovery location and environment following the procedure
20. take action to prevent interference with administration sites by the animal, or other animals
21. deal with waste from the activity safely and correctly, in accordance with the relevant legislation and the organisation’s procedures
22. restore the area and all equipment to a clean, tidy and orderly state, after use
23. keep accurate and up-to-date records as required by the relevant legislation and the organisation
24. conduct all activities within the provisions of the project licence

1. your responsibilities under the relevant environmental and health and safety legislation, codes of practice and the organisation’s policies
2. your responsibilities for the care and welfare of animals in a Home Office designated establishment under the relevant animal welfare legislation and Home Office codes of practice
3. the reasons for using animals in scientific research and humanity’s responsibilities to them
4. the current legislation relating to the conduct of general procedures on animals and the need for appropriate personal and project licences
5. the importance and correct use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when carrying out activities in a Home Office designated establishment
6. the importance of maintaining the appropriate levels of hygiene and biosecurity and the procedures for this
7. the appropriate infection control measures and the methods of sterilising equipment and materials
8. the equipment and materials required for different procedures, and the correct ways of preparing and positioning them
9. the common faults that occur with equipment and materials, and the action to take for each type of fault
10. what types of preparation activities should be undertaken for different types of procedure
11. the type of information that could be used to identify the animal, its condition and the planned procedure
12. the different identification methods, methods of application, their limitations and contradictions
13. how to interpret identification marks and codes
14. the acclimatisation requirements for the animal
15. the safe and humane handling and restraint techniques for different animals and procedures, including the use of restraining equipment
16. how to acclimatise animals to the environment to minimise stress
17. the environmental conditions that should be provided for different animals and for different types of procedure
18. how to monitor and adjust environmental conditions to suit the needs of the animal and the planned procedure
19. the legal and organisational requirements for the handling, storage and disposal of waste produced by the activity
20. the information that needs to be recorded and the organisation’s procedures for this
21. the provisions of the project licence

Factors influencing the selection of a suitable animal include:
• strain
• age
• weight
• sex
• species

Identification methods include:
• body marks
• tags
• electronic means

Minimally invasive procedures include:
• administration of substances (enteral, parenteral, topical)
• injection
• sampling and dosing techniques
• dietary modification
• gavage
• tissue biopsy
• behavioural tests
• use of metabolic cages