Accessing P-18 or P-15 CCM With the decon of the P-18 (RC-1 North) facility, we updated our procedures for all staff to better protect our research colonies.

Why it matters Every person and item that enters the facility has the potential to carry rodent pathogens which are harmful to our research colonies Research animals can be very expensive to replace – some in the hundreds of thousands of dollars per mouse.

How to enter Emergency vs Non-Emergency It’s an emergency if there is imminent danger to the building or to human and/or animal health If you are running, it’s an emergency If it’s an emergency, do not stop to put on PPE. We will handle any potential contamination issues once all is secured.

An additional note about emergencies…. In a perfect scenario, the University Veterinarian, would be on campus and be able to immediately respond Unfortunately Emergencies rarely happen in a perfect scenario. You might be the first person to discover/respond to an emergency If after hours, please contact Campus Police. They will notify our program phone tree. If during business hours, please immediately contact the facility manager.

The below all assume a non-emergency entry Only enter via the Passenger elevators! Never enter the vivarium through the stairwells. Entering via the passenger elevators puts you in close proximity to the main office where you are encouraged to stop in and ask for staff assistance with decon or ask for any other guidance Proper Gowning You must have a hair bonnet completely covering your hair. If you have a ball cap on, the bonnet must completely cover the hat, including the brim. If it cannot completely cover the hat, please put the hat in your pocket. The gown must be secured at the neck and waist with your arms through the sleeves. The gown should completely cover your arms and be closed in the front. Shoecovers must completely cover the soles of your shoes. Open the shoecover completely, especially the toe box area, before attempting to put on the shoe cover. This will make it much easier to put on over work boots and rubber soled shoes.

Moving through the facility Work from Cleanest to dirtiest areas, never re-enter a clean area if you’ve been to a dirty area You may move from Clean area to Clean area You may move from Clean area to Dirty area You may move from Dirty area to Dirty area Do not move from Dirty Area to Clean area without working with animal facility staff This will require we take additional clean up measures once the repair work is completed so it’s imperative that you work with our staff

How do I know if it’s clean or dirty? Visually observe what process happens in that room/area Look for posted signage Historically most people don’t notice the signage or do not notice that signage has changed Staff assistance – we are more than happy to assist you. Our goal is to help you complete your task and protect our colonies. Don’t hesitate to ask for an escort or to ask for help wiping down your equipment

Supplies and Tools These will be the biggest risk from you because your tools travel every where on campus. Every possible item must be disinfected by hand by wiping it with chemical disinfectant at the entry way. We understand that some things just can’t be hand sanitized. Please work with us so that we can clean the area once your work is complete. No porous materials: No leather, no fabric, no paper, no paperboard, no cardboard

Disinfecting takes time OLAR staff are working on stored/common tools that stay inside the facility that you can use. Try to plan what you will need or try to evaluate the job area then return for items you will need. Ask our staff for assistance Please use our provided carts

Disease Control and Prevention Changes in procedures were/are required from all of us, not just Facilities, not just researchers, not just OLAR staff. We understand it can be confusing and cumbersome. We’ll happily work with you if you find the procedures are prohibiting you from completing your work on time

Questions? If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact Charleen.Warder@cuanschutz.edu Lorraine.Bell@cuanschutz.edu