Enrichment Impact on Post-Surgical Recovery
By Szczepan Baran, VMD, David Disselhorst, LVT, RLATG, Elizabeth Johnson, VMD, Marcel Perret-Gentil, DVM
Knowledge and understanding of the fundamental biological requirements and the impact of the laboratory environment on laboratory animal species continues to be a topic of debate among the research community
Since You Asked... AAALAC Site Visit Preparation
By Angie Heiser
“What are some tips for AAALAC site visit preparation?”
Lean in the Lab: A Primer
By Helen Kelly
Learn what being Lean means and how it was successfully implemented at the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Comparative Medicine.
Creating a Great Place to Work: The Basics
By Helen Kelly
People are happier at work when they can be themselves. That means the enterprise takes account of both emotion and intellect when setting policy, and employees can be transparent rather than political.
Since You Asked..."How do you determine appropriate workloads for technicians?"
By Michele Whelan
This question was sent in by a reader and is no doubt one that many people are dealing with on a daily basis. We asked Michele Whelan with The Jackson Laboratory to provide a few thoughts in response to this question.
Lab Animal Care: Guidelines to Good Practice in Housing and Handling
By Vera Baumans, Helen Kelly
A checklist for good practice when caring for rodents in the laboratory.
Throw Away Your SOPs!
By Ken Lepidi, D. Brian Lucid
Welcome to the first installment of “What’s That Engineer Doing in My Vivarium” where we will share with you all types of information and insight on new methods and technology that can be applied in lab animal research facilities, to reduce costs and improve operations. Our perspective in providing you these ideas is based on over 50 years of combined experience in lean manufacturing and industrial engineering in a variety of fields, where the focus is always on continuous improvement in business processes, quality, productivity, operating cost, and other key factors. And now, on to our first article……….
Writing Action Steps, Part II
By Norm Moreau, PE
Could your Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) be improved by moving toward more action oriented statements? Well here are five more principles to consider.
Writing Action Steps
By Norm Moreau, PE
Our approach will be to write SOPs from the perspective of the user. They are responsible for performing the work, so the SOP should be written with them in mind.
Mind Mapping
By Norm Moreau, PE
What if our process isn’t linear or sequential or if it involves a number of different pieces of equipment or activities? What if we really don’t know or understand how the process will flow? Solution — mind mapping.
Writing SOPs Using Flowcharting
By Norm Moreau, PE
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. If that is true then a flowchart must be worth a thousand procedures.
The SOP Warrior
By Norm Moreau, PE
We continue our journey through the PDCA framework by working on the DO phase.
Model for Writing SOPs
By Norm Moreau, PE
This article introduces the SOP Writing Cycle and its time-honored four phases — Plan, Do, Check, and Act.
5 Keys to Innovation and Excellence in Today's Laboratory Animal Environments
By Javier Chavez, Brad Fisher, AA, LATG
Following these keys will help strike the highest level of operational success and research excellence.
Writing SOPs that Work
By Norm Moreau, PE
SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) at many animal care facilities are only updated just prior to IACUC reviews or AAALAC inspections and are written from an administrative perspective rather than the perspective of the user.
Welcome to the SOP Corner! That’s right — Corner — where many of our SOPs rest and relax, and catch a few “zzz”s.
A Program Built on Compliance
By David Pinson, Steve Hackman
Accreditation by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) is a demonstration of a research institution's commitment to quality scientific research and animal care. A fully accredited program can be achieved with dedication to four broad categories of activities: