Reporting of Temperature Excursions in Animal Housing Locations

IACUC Policy: 052-03 Effective Date: 10/18/13 Last Revision: 02/17/2023 

Overview/Purpose

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) must be made aware of conditions that have the potential to negatively impact animal welfare. Temperature extremes outside the recommended housing conditions can result in stress or even death, and therefore are considered a critical parameter. This policy provides guidance on expectations for action following temperature excursions in animal housing areas and specifically defines requirements for reporting to the IACUC. 

Definition 

• Temperature excursions - any temperature outside the Guide recommended range or the range approved in IACUC housing SOPs/SMPs 

Requirements 

• Reporting Requirements
  • Temperature excursions must be reported to a Principal Investigator (PI), facility manager, building coordinator and/or Service2Facilities at 292-HELP; 
  • Temperature excursions must also be reported to IACUC within 24 hours when:
    • Excursions negatively impact animal welfare resulting in morbidity and/or mortality 
    • Excursions result in animals being moved out of the housing location 
• Documentation Requirements: All actions taken as a result of temperature excursions must be documented and available during semiannual inspections. For example:
  • Printed email and/or date and time of phone communication with a PI, facility manager, team leader, etc.) even if no other action was taken 
  • Reports to FOD (e.g., printed email and/or date and time of phone communication, S2F work order, PO to commercial vendor for repairs) 
  • Documentation that actions taken to resolve a problem have been completed (e.g., printed email that a repair is complete, documentation that a work order is closed, commercial vendor receipt) 

Recommended Dry-Bulb Macroenvironmental Temperatures for Common Laboratory Animals

• Mouse, rat, hamster, gerbil, guinea pig: 20-26°C (68-79°F)
• Rabbit: 16-22°C (61-72°F)
• Cat, dog, nonhuman primate: 18-29°C (64-84°F)
• Farm animals, poultry: 16-27°C (61-81°F)

Applicable Regulations

• National Research Council Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, Eighth Edition. National Academy of Sciences, 2011, p. 44

Additional Information/Guidance

• Reporting to the IACUC: an email describing the problem and actions taken can be submitted to IACUCinfo@osu.edu, or verbal notification can be provided by calling 614-292-0409 or 614-292-4494
• An example of a work order log for environmental concerns can be downloaded here and used or modified as needed.