Authorized users and Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine (ULAM) personnel are responsible for decontaminating animal cages and pens where animals are housed that have been used for research with radioisotopes.

Authorized User

The authorized user is responsible for:

• Decontaminating all animal cages/pens labeled with a yellow or red color-coded cage card.  NOTE: Animal cages with a green color-coded cage card can be sent to ULAM for washing.
• Performing laboratory swipe surveys on each cage/pen after completing the decontamination.  NOTE: For cages/pens to be considered contamination free, the contamination survey results must be less than 3 times background.
• Maintaining documentation of all swipe survey results for cages/pens.  NOTE: Survey records are subject to RSS and NRC inspections.
• Notifying the ULAM area supervisor of the swipe survey results after the cages/pens are found to be free of radioactive contamination.
• Following successful decontamination, removing:
  • Animal color-coded cage cards.
  • Other postings on the cages and pens, and room doors.
• Returning animal color-coded cage cards to the ULAM area supervisor.

ULAM Personnel

ULAM is responsible for:

• Contacting authorized users when animal cages and pens are no longer needed and need to be cleaned and surveyed.
• Following successful decontamination by the authorized user cages/pens can be returned for general use.

For More Information

Contact RSS at (734) 764-6200