26 February 1993
achieved primarily by means of keys. However, other
storage. Animals should enter the surgical suite from a surgical
technologies such as electronic, keyless and newer technologies
preparation area while surgeons and surgical assistants should
for biological identification (e.g. voice identifying, fingerprint ID)
enter through a surgical scrub and gown room. A post-operative
are clearly superior. The number of doors opening into an animal
intensive care room should be near the operating room so that
facility should be the minimum necessary for proper function and
animals may be held there before they return to an animal room.
safety. Elevators should be equipped with lockout systems to
Unless separate lockers are provided for the surgical suite,
control access. Ground level windows opening into the animal
the lockers, lounge, toilets and showers for the VMU staff should
facility should be avoided or if provided, designed in a manner to
be located in the vicinity of the surgical suite. The radiographic
prevent forcible entry. Apart from security concerns, outside
suite should also be located convenient to the surgical suite.
windows in animal rooms are to be avoided due to interference in
Clustering the administrative offices, personnel space (lockers,
controlling lighting cycles and temperature. Intrusion alarms,
lounge, toilets, and showers), surgical suite and radiographic
television surveillance, and exterior lighting add to the level of
suite provides the opportunity for oversight by the VMU staff and
physical security. In addition to perimeter security, provisions
administration, convenience for users, and isolation from areas of
should be made for restriction of access to rooms. Interior
potential contamination.
access should be limited to authorized personnel via keypads or
Large animal rooms may be noisy, therefore they should be
other devices. Communication within the facility may take the
distant from quieter areas such as small animal rooms,
form of an intercom system and use of walkie-talkies.
administrative offices and the lounge. Procedural laboratories
Telephones should be located at intervals in the corridor. Means
should be placed near rooms used for housing small animals and
of notifying VMU personnel when animals and supplies arrive at
in some instances procedural space may be located within
the dock should be provided. Physical security requirements and
cubicle rooms. The dry feed and bedding storage space should
options are described in VA Handbook H-08-3.
be near the receiving dock and preferably close to the animal
rooms as well. The cage sanitation area should be convenient to
Environmental monitoring is essential in contemporary
the animal rooms but distant from administrative offices and
animal research settings. Consideration should be given to
personnel space.
combining the security system and the environmental monitoring
system. Ideally, temperature, humidity, air flow, light cycles, and
If the facility includes a barrier suite and/or biohazard areas
water leakage from automatic watering devices are monitored
(chemical/radioisotope suite and/or infectious disease suite),
and recorded continuously. An alarm should be activated when
these should be distant from high traffic corridors.
the temperature rises above or falls below a predetermined point.
Areas in which contaminated material such as soiled bedding
The alarms should be connected to a central control such as the
and animal carcasses are received or stored should be located
Security Office or Engineering Control Center of the VAMC in
near the soiled dock area. Such areas include necropsy, the dirty
order that malfunctions will be detected during off-duty hours of
side of the cage wash room, carcass and waste storage, and the
animal facility personnel.
incinerator room.
The sound of conventional fire alarms, even when confined
Safety, Security, and Environmental Monitoring
to corridors, may be stressful to animals and should be avoided.
Use of alarms that produce a pure tone alternating between 430
The need for careful attention to physical security of VMUs is
and 470 Hz, so as to be easily heard by humans with no adverse
a recognized reality. In the past, access to an animal facility was
VA Design Guide -- Veterinary Medical Unit
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