Protocol for animal handling in pharmaceutical or medical fields

All persons working with experimental animals must receive training regarding procedures and equipment to ensure their safety and that of the animals. Training must occur prior to the handling of animals. The principal investigator/professor is responsible for ensuring that personnel working on the project are aware of any risks to health and safety and that proper precaution are in place to reduce or eliminate the risks. Many tasks in animal facilities require moderate to heavy physical labor, and performing these tasks may expose personnel to a variety of risks (e.g., moving heavy equipment (strains), slippery floors, electrical hazards when washing, noise). Each person must exercise due caution when performing such tasks. The flight zone is an animal's "personal space". The size of the flight zone varies with the tameness of the animal, and other animal-related factors. Completely tame animals have little or no flight zone and allow a person to touch them. An untamed animal, however, will begin to move away when the person enters the edge of the flight zone. Different species defend themselves in different ways. For example, a mouse, rat, hamster or dog may bite, a rabbit may struggle furiously and kick or sometimes bite to try and escape, a cat may scratch (with intent) or bite; a cow or horse may kick. The approach to restraining the animal, including any equipment used for restraint, is to prevent the animal from taking such action while ensuring it is safely and humanely restrained. Although the correct approach to handling and restraint can be understood from printed and audio-visual materials, practice is essential.