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Biosafety
To ensure that all medical or animal care personnel are safe from animal poisons or animal diseases, the government regulates animal laboratories to secure worker safety. The first thing an animal decontamination professional must do is protect the entire facility from the spread of infectious agents. The cleaning process on your checklist may result in the cage being moved around and liquid cleaning products or clothes needing disposal. Facilities must have appropriate biohazard disposal systems, ventilation systems and have no cracks or openings in the building infrastructure.
Cleaning Procedure
A Department of Environmental Health and Safety guide for cleaning labs at the University of Pittsburgh outlines chemicals should be used in the cleaning process such as bleach. Once an animal is removed from the cage, physical debris, such as excrement or fur, is removed from the cage and frozen. The freezing process is done to see if the animals contained any pathogens in their system. After the animal is removed and physical waste and products are gone, the cage should be moved over a drainage area that disposes of cleaning chemicals safely and then bleach needs to be applied across the surfaces of the cage.
Washing Away
Once the surface area of the cage is bleached, the bleach must be removed from the cage with pressurized, hot water. The government recommends a water hose that utilizes only highly pressurized water be used in the cleaning process. The water must be at least 180 degrees Fahrenheit to effectively kill pathogens or viruses on the surface of the cage. Once the cage is washed, the lab assistants can dry it with towels that will be cleaned in hot water and bleached or disposed of, depending on whether or not there is a high chance of any pathogens surviving on the towels.
Lab Technician Safety
Certified lab technicians should be the only individuals who clean the animal cage. Along with professional training, a technician needs the appropriate gear to protect her from the harsh chemicals used in the cleaning process. Hazard suits are a typical protective gear worn by technicians, which help guard their skin from any harmful exposures, and protect their lungs from breathing in hazardous gases. If a hazard suit is not available, items such as rubber gloves, aprons, eye protection gear, protective footwear and respiratory protection might be needed.