Every three years WashU takes part in a voluntary comprehensive on-site assessment of the Institution’s animal care and use program. The assessment is conducted by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) and hopefully results in an important accreditation that benefits the entire WashU animal research community.
What is AAALAC?
AAALAC International is a private, nonprofit organization that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through a voluntary accreditation program. Incorporated in 1965, the American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) has conducted a voluntary accreditation program for laboratory animals for more than 50 years.
Why is the AAALAC accreditation so important to WashU?
Accreditation shows that WashU is serious about setting, achieving and maintaining high standards for animal care and use and committed to animal welfare in science. Accreditation benefits include acting as recruiting tool for researchers and staff as well as assure scientific validity for to publications and funding agencies. For additional benefit information of accreditation visit the AAALAC website.
Preparing for the AAALAC Site Visit
The accreditation process includes an extensive internal review conducted by all WashU departments involved in the animal research program. During this review, the institution creates a comprehensive “Program Description” which details all aspects of the animal care and use program (policies, animal housing and management, veterinary care, and facilities). The review also ensures that all previous AAALAC findings or other self-identified deficiencies have been addressed and resolved. The Program Description is then submitted to AAALAC prior to their visit. Additional AAALAC site visit preparation requires organizational teamwork from multiple animal research departments at WashU.
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
The IACUC conducts a thorough self-assessment of their animal care and use program, animal protocols, documentation, staff training, and compliance with relevant regulations, ensuring all records are up-to-date, accessible, and demonstrating a commitment to high standards of animal welfare; while also coordinating with researchers and facility staff to ensure they are fully prepared to answer questions about their specific research practices during the site visit.
Division of Comparative Medicine
DCM ensures the animal facility infrastructure and housing materials are in good condition. They review medical records and documentation of any required socialization or enrichment programs. SOPs for both husbandry and veterinary care are reviewed and updated if needed. Staff prepare to answer questions about their areas of responsibility.
Environmental Health and Safety
Ensure compliance with all safety requirements and processes such as BSL2/3 practices and proper personal protective equipment (PPE), proper attire. Review Hazard Identification in animal facilities. Work with labs utilizing anesthetic vaporizer systems to ensure proper Waste anesthetic gas disposal.
Occupational Health and Safety
Evaluate the and level of participation in the WashU OHS program and perform a risk assessment of job related and personnel health risks associated with animal research.
Operations and Facilities Management
Ensure that animal housing facilities and utilized equipment are in good repair. The university must provide AAALAC with HVAC performance data such as air flows, humidity, and temperature that is current within 12 months of site visit. Ensures that there are contingency plans for power loss.
WashU Researchers
Review their IACUC-approved protocols and ensure that all personnel are performing procedures as described in the approved protocols. Review IACUC policies related to animal researcher activities associated with their approved protocol. Review all records related to lab animal research activities such as controlled substance logs, animal surgery Green Cards, and covered species medical records. Review IACUC provided AAALAC site visit preparation materials.
AAALAC Preparation Lab Preparation Documents
AAALAC Preparation Questions with Answers
AAALAC Inspection Checklist
Rodent Survival Surgery Checklist
What happens during a site visit?
Site visitors serve as the AAALAC Council’s eyes and ears to gain a thorough understanding of our program of animal care and use and collect evidence of how well we are performing. The visitors meet with WashU animal research program stakeholders to review the Program Review for clarifications. During the visit they will also meet with the IACUC committee to discuss issues and describe the accreditation process. The site visitors tour the animal holding and support facilities, as well as any laboratories where animals are used. At the conclusion, site visitors share their findings and recommendations with the institution. Site visitors pass along any findings and recommendations to the AAALAC committee which decides if an institution meets accreditation standards. Accreditation is usually awarded in the fall of the site visit.
WashU Accreditation Status: AAALAC Letter of Accreditation
Post AAALAC Site Visit Program Refinement and Enhancements
As part of the site visit evaluation, AAALAC makes suggestions for improvement for the animal care and use program. Suggestions may result in new or modification of institutional guidelines or IACUC policies such as below:
- IACUC Husbandry Policy
This policy describes the four different types of housing, the documentation requirements, and the roles and responsibilities associated with each. - Cage Card and Tag System
The addition of a single housing card to clearly identify which institutional enrichment exception requires the need for single housing. - Blood Collection Policy
Modified to meet industry standards of the calculated amount of blood volume that can be drawn during a three-week period.
Additional AAALAC related IACUC Brown Bags Seminars and newsletter materials in the IACUC Brown Bag and Newsletter Archive.
Next AAALAC Accreditation Site Visit is expected in Summer 2027!