What is the importance of proper handling of laboratory animal for testing?
Correct positioning of both the handler and animal is necessary to achieve quick and secure restraint. Animals need to feel secure and to be completely immobile to avoid struggling, which would promote anxiety and could result in injury to the animal or handler.
Laboratory animals are very useful in such biomedical research and served for safety and therapeutic studies of different drugs and medical devices in preclinical studies and animal models for various disease.
When handling laboratory animals, gloves should be worn, adequate washing facilities should be provided and prophylactic immunisation against tetanus is strongly recommended. During dissections and post-mortem examinations, gloves, aprons (preferably disposable) and safety glasses or goggles should be worn.
Many factors can affect stress levels during handling including animal breed, temperament, previous handling experience, age, fitness, and quality of the handling facility. These factors need to be taken into consideration when training personnel and improving handling skills.
It is necessary for animals to be stress and injury free during operations prior to slaughter, so as not to unnecessarily deplete muscle glycogen reserves. It is also important for animals to be well rested during the 24-hour period before slaughter.
Animal Handling Skills-Professionalism and Safety
Being professional means being SAFE and HUMANE. Good animal handling skills prevent staff from being injured. Good animal handling skills reduce stress for the animal.
The harm that is committed against animals should not be minimized because they are not considered to be "human." In conclusion, animal testing should be eliminated because it violates animals' rights, it causes pain and suffering to the experimental animals, and other means of testing product toxicity are available.
The different purposes for which laboratory tests are ordered (diagnosis, monitoring therapy, and screening) and the operating characteristics required for each purpose. The "normal" test result and its meaning.
- Know locations of laboratory safety showers, eyewashstations, and fire extinguishers. ...
- Know emergency exit routes.
- Avoid skin and eye contact with all chemicals.
- Minimize all chemical exposures.
- No horseplay will be tolerated.
- Assume that all chemicals of unknown toxicity are highly toxic.
Observing the animal's response
It is important to observe the animal's behaviour during handling as this allows immediate adjustment to keep the animal secure and safe.
Why is it necessary to follow the guidelines in handling laboratory equipment?
Proper use of laboratory equipment is required to work safely with hazardous chemicals. Maintenance and regular inspection of laboratory equipment are an essential part of this activity. Many of the accidents that occur in the laboratory can be attributed to improper use or maintenance of laboratory equipment.
The objective of humane animal handling is to move animals with minimum stress to both the animals and handler. Considerate handling reduces the risk to the animal of pain, injury and suffering.
The purpose of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Guide), as expressed in the charge to the Committee for the Update of the Guide, is to assist institutions in caring for and using animals in ways judged to be scientifically, technically, and humanely appropriate.