Animal Ethics Policy

Transcription

1 Research Policy Group 1. Purpose: The University has a code of ethical conduct for the use of live animals for teaching and research that has been approved by the Minister of Agriculture. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the University complies with the code when using live animals for teaching and research. 2. Organisational Scope: This is a University-wide policy. 3. Definitions: 4. Policy Content and Guidelines: 4.1 The Code of Ethical Conduct for the use of Live Animals for Teaching and Research (a) The Code deals with all vertebrate animals plus octopus, squid, crab, crayfish and lobster and unborn mammals and pre-hatched birds and reptiles in the last half of gestation/development, in addition to any animal of a species declared by the Minister of Agriculture, by notice in the Gazette, to be a species of animal for the purposes of the Animal Welfare Act 1999 and its amendments. See Appendix 3 for a copy of the code. (b) As part of this code the University has an Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) with a membership approved by the Ministry of Agriculture. The chief functions of the committee are to consider all applications for the use of live animals for teaching and research, to monitor the use of animals in approved projects, and to inspect any animals held for the purposes of teaching and research. 4.2 Teaching and Research (a) All teaching or research involving the use of animals must be approved in advance by the AEC. There is a special application form for such approval available from the Executive Officer, AEC (see Appendix 1). Since applications will be considered by the AEC at its scheduled meetings, applications must be submitted well in advance of any planned starting date. Approval may be granted for periods of up to three years. (b) Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that students are aware of and comply with the Code of Ethical Conduct and the procedures of the AEC. (c) Refer to Appendices 2 and 4 for the responsibilities of principal investigators and undergraduate course organisers.

2 4.3 Responsibility of Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) The Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) is responsible for ensuring the maintenance of proper ethical standards in research and will liaise with the Human Ethics Committee and the Animal Ethics Committee for that purpose. 4.4 Responsibility of Head of School The Head of School has a responsibility to ensure that any member of their department contemplating teaching or research involving the use of live animals is aware of the Code of Ethical Conduct, and of the procedures for obtaining AEC approval. The AEC inspects the Animal Care Facility regularly and reports to the Vice-Chancellor on this and other matters relating to the use of animals within the University. 4.5 Animal Care Facility The AEC inspects the Animal Care Facility regularly and reports to the Vice-Chancellor on this and other matters relating to the use of animals within the University. 4.6 Misconduct Where University employees fail to obtain ethical approval when such approval is required or where they act contrary to the decision of a body authorised to consider applications for ethical approval, the matter may amount to misconduct and be dealt with under the University's Conduct Policy (Staff). Where a student has engaged in an unethical activity, the matter should be dealt with by the student's examiner or supervisor, and where necessary, referred to the head of the school. In serious cases, the misconduct provisions of the University's Student Conduct Statute may be used. 5. References: Animal Welfare Act 1999 Conduct Policy (Staff) Student Conduct Statute 6. Appendices: Appendix 1: Animal Ethics Committee Application for use of Live Animals Appendix 2: Use of Animals in Research Responsibilities of Principal Investigators Appendix 3: Code of Ethical Conduct for the use of Live Animals for Teaching and Research Appendix 4: Use of Animals in Teaching Responsibilities of Undergraduate Course Organisers 7. Approval Agency: Vice Chancellor 8. Approval Dates: This policy was originally approved on: 8 Oct 2002 This version was approved on: 8 Oct 2003 This version takes effect from: 8 Oct 2003 This policy will be reviewed by: 30 Sep 2006 Last Approved 8 Oct 2003 Page 2

3 9. Policy Sponsor: Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) 10. Contact Person: The Executive Officer, Animal Ethics Committee Extn 6082 Last Approved 8 Oct 2003 Page 3

4 Appendix 1 VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON ANIMAL ETHICS COMMITTEE APPLICATION FOR USE ON LIVE ANIMALS Number: Classification: Pain Classification: For AEC Use Only Approved: 1. Department or School: 2. Research/Teaching Application (delete one). Course Code 3. Title of Project: 4. Estimated duration of Project: (if on-going, maximum approval period is 3 years) 5. Personnel, Qualifications, & Experience: a) Principal Investigator: (must be academic staff of grade lecturer or above) b) Co-Investigators: c) Student/Technical Assistants: (Note training procedures planned) d) List Project Funding: (List all agencies from which funding has been received or sought for this project) 6. State where animals will be housed, who will care for them, how they will be maintained, and who will carry out anaesthesia, surgery and euthanasia: (refer Code 5 viii, x) Last Approved 8 Oct 2003 Page 4

5 7. Title of project: (as stated on page 1) 8. Lay summary: (short paragraph for non-scientists) 9. Background, aim and significance of project: (refer Code, Sections 5 ii, iv, v) 10. Give the species, strain, sex, age, and source of animals, and state the total number of each species needed for the project. (refer Code 5vii) (see Animal Use Statistics Application/Final Return Form at end of application). 11. If your project requires DOC approval, please tick here: DOC Ref. No. 12. Justification of animal use - Explain why the proposed use of animals is desirable, what alternative approaches are available, and how the number of animals used will be minimised. (State prior history of animals, and provide statistical or biological justification of numbers) (refer Code 5i, ii, iii) Last Approved 8 Oct 2003 Page 5

6 13. Details of Animal Manipulation: a) Classification of Project: (please tick appropriate boxes) A. Animals to be treated under anaesthesia, (and/or) administered or deprived of materials, (and/or) subjected to unusual conditions - all with recovery for subsequent investigation. B. Animals to be treated under anaesthesia and killed without regaining consciousness. C. Animals to be killed for preparation of tissues. D. Animals to be used for antisera production by standard techniques. E. All other Uses. b) Experimental Design of Project: (give overall design, including specific details of protocols involving animals, and state if method to be used is standard practice or a new approach. If applicable, give details of risk management and containment procedures) (refer Code 5 vi) c) Anaesthesia or euthanasia procedures: (give specific drugs, doses, and routes of administration) (refer Code 5 xi, xii) d) Surgical procedures: (give details for each type of operation) (refer Code 5 viii) Last Approved 8 Oct 2003 Page 6

7 e) Provisions for post-manipulation recovery and care - definitions of endpoints whether based on humane considerations, death of animal, or aims of the study: (Class A & E projects only) (refer Code 5 x) 14. Fate of animals at conclusion of study: (refer Code 5 ix, xi) 15. Proposed avenue of publication of research results: (results from research projects are expected to be published. Please forward publications to the AEC when they become available. For teaching, please attach a copy of a laboratory handout.) DECLARATION BY APPLICANTS I am aware that this project is undertaken within the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 1999, I have read the Victoria University of Wellington Code of Ethical Conduct for the Use of Live Animals for Teaching and Research, and I agree to abide by all the conditions contained in these two documents. In the event of this application being approved, I will promptly inform the Animal Ethics Committee of any subsequent unforeseen changes or planned modifications to the project, giving explanations for all such changes. I agree to maintain accurate records of all animals used (refer Code, Section 4 (c)) and to make these records available promptly to the Executive Officer of the Animal Ethics Committee. Signature of Principal Investigator: Date: Signature of Head of School: _Date: Signatures of Co-Investigators:Date: Date: Last Approved 8 Oct 2003 Page 7

8 Date: Signatures of Technicians & Students: Date: Date: Date: Date: Please Return the Completed Form to the Executive Officer, A. E. C. (J. H. Miller, School of Biological Sciences) Version 20/12/01 Last Approved 8 Oct 2003 Page 8

9 Appendix 2 VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON ANIMAL ETHICS COMMITTEE Use of Animals in Research Responsibilities of Principal Investigators The principal investigator (PI) is responsible for all aspects of the welfare of animals as given in the VUW Code of Ethical Conduct for the Use of Live Animals for Teaching and Research. A selected summary of these explicit and implicit responsibilities is given below. 1) Authorisation for Research: It is the responsibility of the PI to obtain approval from the AEC before beginning a programme of research that uses any vertebrate animals or any octopus, squid, crab, lobster or crayfish. 2) Significance of Research: The PI must continually reconsider the value of specific animal manipulations to the overall aim of the study before carrying out each series of tests on animals. 3) Consideration of Alternatives: If a suitable alternative to animal experimentation becomes available, the PI must consider whether or not to accept this alternative procedure in view of the desire to minimise the number of animals used. 4) Notification of Changes in Procedure: It is the responsibility of the PI to notify the AEC in advance before modifying a research programme. Major changes may require approval from the AEC at one of its scheduled meetings; therefore, projects should be planned well before the actual starting date. 5) Training and Supervision of Co-Workers: It is expected that the PI will ensure that all students, technicians, and collaborators are properly trained to carry out specific animal manipulations. Close personal supervision must be maintained until such time that complete competence has been attained. This is especially true for the administration of anaesthetics, for surgical procedures, and for post-operative care of animals. The PI must ensure that everyone connected with a project, including students, technicians, and collaborators, have read the VUW Code of Ethical Conduct for the Use of Live Animals for Teaching and Research and are aware of their individual responsibilities for the welfare of animals they are using. The ultimate responsibility, however, rests with the PI. 6) Keeping of Records: The PI is required to maintain accurate records of animal use during a project. When application for approval of a project is made, the appropriate MAF form indicating planned animal useage must be submitted. On completion of the project, the actual numbers of animals used are added to the original form, and it is re-submitted to the AEC, along with a summary of the results of the study. Under normal circumstances, the AEC will only liaise directly with the PI and not with other co-workers or students working under the PI's supervision. 7) Regular Reporting of Progress: The AEC requires that all researchers receiving approval from the AEC for research projects make annual progress reports to the Executive Officer. Last Approved 8 Oct 2003 Page 9

10 8) Publication of Results: Approved research projects are expected to result in publication of results without undue delay in journals of international standing. 9) Submission of Research Publications: It is the responsibility of the PI to forward all publications to the AEC that arise from a project, even if that project is no longer in force. 10) Respect for Animals: Work done with animals within this University has the purpose of advancing and disseminating knowledge and the animals are used and sometimes sacrificed to these serious ends. The Animal Ethics Committee expects that at all times, all animals (even after sacrifice) will be accorded respect in keeping with these ends. Last Approved 8 Oct 2003 Page 10

11 Appendix 3 VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON CODE OF ETHICAL CONDUCT FOR THE USE OF LIVE ANIMALS FOR TEACHING AND RESEARCH 1. Preamble The use of animals for teaching and research within Victoria University of Wellington by staff and students shall be controlled by the Animal Ethics Committee of Victoria University of Wellington. No member of staff or any student shall use animals for teaching or research without the prior approval of the Animal Ethics Committee (AEC). The AEC shall review written applications for the use of animals for teaching and research and issue approval for their use only if it is satisfied that their use is in compliance with the Animals Protection Act 1960, the Animals Protection Amendment Act 1983, Animals Protection (Codes of Ethical Conduct) Regulations 1987 and all other Acts of Parliament, regulations and by laws relating to the obtaining, holding, possession, care and treatment of animals. In accordance with the above regulations the AEC has established the following code of ethical conduct and all approval for use will depend on the AEC being satisfied that the proposed use of animals will comply with this code. 2. Composition of the Animal Ethics Committee The AEC of Victoria University of Wellington is appointed by the Vice-Chancellor and shall comprise: 1. A senior member of the academic staff as convener. 2. A member of the academic staff capable of evaluating proposals involving animal manipulation to act as executive officer. 3. One suitable lay member not affiliated with the University or scientific community or with an animal welfare agency to represent the public interest. 4. Director of the Animal Facility of the University. 5. A veterinarian nominated by the NZ Veterinary Association, not a member of the University staff. 6. A nominee of the Royal NZ Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or other national organisation concerned with the welfare of animals who is not a member of the University staff. The committee shall have power to coopt subject to the approval of the Vice-Chancellor. In exceptional circumstances, an individual on the committee may serve in more than one of the above capacities. 3. Applicability of the code of ethical conduct 3(a) Species Approval for use of animals must be sought with respect to the following species. 1) all mammals including any marine mammal 2) all birds 3) any vertebrate animal that is kept in a state of captivity or is dependent on man for its care and sustenance 4) any animal of a species that is declared by the Minister of Agriculture, by notice in the Gazette, to be a species of animal for the purposes of the Animal Protection Act 1960 and its amendments. Last Approved 8 Oct 2003 Page 11

12 3(b) Manipulations requiring approval Approval for use of these species must be sought if the animal is subject to one of the following. - any interference with its normal physiological, behavioural or anatomical integrity by i) Deliberately exposing it to any parasite, microorganism, drug, chemical, biological product, radiation, electrical stimulation or environmental condition. ii) Subjecting it to enforced activity, unusual restraint, abnormal nutrition, or surgical intervention. iii) Depriving it of its usual care. The above definitions are interpreted to mean that approval must be sought for all manipulation of any of the above species housed within the University. With respect to the use of animals in field work, the above definitions are interpreted to mean that approval shall be required if the use shall extend beyond simple observation and brief capture for inspection and identification. Any therapy or prophylaxis necessary or desirable for the welfare of any animal will not require approval. Note: Where the application of this code is uncertain, the AEC encourages information consultation with the committee. 4. Method of application and statutory responsibility 4(a) Method of application Approval shall be sought by application to the AEC on appropriate application forms available from the Executive Officer. Approval shall be given for a period of 3 years or any lesser period the AEC shall determine. The AEC may require inspection of the facilities, procedures and personnel before giving approval. Any significant modification to the protocol or change in personnel must be subject to approval from the AEC. 4(b) Compliance i) The AEC or its appointed representative shall have the right at any time to inspect the facilities in which the animals are housed, the procedures used and the condition of the animals; and where there is concern they shall be required to investigate and to take appropriate action. All members of the University or other persons may bring to the attention of the AEC any concern regarding compliance with this code. ii) The AEC shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with the code of practice and can require a University member through the chairperson of their department to either modify (as directed by the committee) or to stop their teaching or research programme involving live animal usage. 4(c) Reporting of animal use All use of animals approved by the AEC must be recorded. The head animal technician shall, on behalf of the AEC, maintain the records for the University and make them available as required in terms of the regulations. These records shall comprise the records required under the Animal Protection Regulations 1987 and shall include a record of (a) (b) The name of each species of animal manipulated or used. The number of animals of each species manipulated or used. Last Approved 8 Oct 2003 Page 12

13 (c) The purpose for which each animal was used. (d) The source of supply of each animal used. (e) The fate of each animal as specified in the Animal Protection Regulations (f) The name and address of any outside organisation receiving animals. 4(d) Responsibility The principal investigator must accept primary responsibility for work undertaken including the selection of an appropriate animal species, the choice of the number of subjects, the nature of the procedures and all matters related to the continuing welfare of the animals and their ultimate disposal according to the principles outlined in this ethical code. 5. Code of ethical conduct In considering whether to approve an application for animal use the AEC must be satisfied with respect to the following, each of which the applicant is specifically required to address in making application to the AEC: i) The application shall state why the proposed use of animals is desirable and whether there are any practical alternative approaches which avoid the use of animals and yet achieve the identical goal. ii) iii) The application shall state whether the species is appropriate on scientific, technical, humanitarian and educational grounds for the procedures proposed, to allow extension of the body of knowledge in the case of a teaching proposal. The AEC will not approve use of an endangered or threatened species unless the findings are expected to assist the management and conservation of that species. (a) In the case of a research protocol, the application shall include an assurance that the number of animals used will be minimised to ensure that no more animals are used than are necessary to ensure unequivocal interpretation of the findings. An indication of the number likely to be used shall be given in the application. The AEC must be satisfied that the experimental design is adequate. (b) In the case of a teaching protocol an assurance must be given that the number of animals to be used is the minimum compatible with the educational objective. iv) In the case of a research protocol there must be good reason to believe that the findings will add to the scientific understanding of biological functions and behaviour, or will extend the body of knowledge aimed at improvement in the health and welfare of humans or animals or the productivity of animals. In the case of a research protocol the investigator shall state whether the protocol is a duplication of previous work. Duplication shall in general only be considered ethical if evidence is provided that the original study requires scientific validation, or if the study was flawed or inadequate such that the conclusions were invalid. v) Teaching is a prime function of Victoria University of Wellington. With respect to applications for teaching purposes, in general, live animals may only be used where there is no alternative satisfactory method to achieve an appropriate educational objective. Graduate education is an essential role of the University and applications for the use of animals for research towards a dissertation or thesis shall be made by the supervisor and shall be considered with respect to both educational and research objectives. vi) In general the AEC will not improve multiple procedures on a single animal but recognises that in certain experimental or teaching exercises multiple procedures Last Approved 8 Oct 2003 Page 13

14 may be necessary. Excessive intervention shall be grounds for not approving an application. vii) The application shall state whether the animal has been lawfully acquired and whether the source of animal is appropriate for the proposed use. Where possible animals should be used that have been specifically bred for research and teaching. viii) ix) The application shall provide details of where and how the animals are to be housed, who is to care for them, who is to perform any manipulations and who has primary responsibility for their care and for the experiment/teaching. The AEC must be satisfied that the facilities are adequate to allow for the general health and welfare of the animals at all times, that the personnel have the appropriate training and expertise to care for the animals and to perform the manipulations. The application shall state the proposed fate of the animal at the end of the experiment/teaching. If it is to be destroyed either as part of the manipulation or subsequently, the means of euthanasia and the personnel involved must be approved by the AEC. The means of euthanasia and disposal must comply with the methods considered by the AEC to be humane and generally in accord with standard practice. x) The applicant shall provide details and satisfy the AEC that the animals will be inspected at frequent intervals by persons with sufficient expertise to recognise any animal with ill health or in distress. Appropriate means must be available to maintain pain and distress at a minimum, within reasonable levels and in the case of postoperative care consistent with the accepted practice of veterinary surgeons. Facilities must be available, provision made in the protocol and authority given to those in immediate care of the animal to allow for immediate humane destruction of animals if pain and distress cannot be held within reasonable levels. xi) xii) The AEC must be satisfied that during operative procedures, appropriate anaesthetics are used to eliminate sensitivity to pain. Where recovery from anaesthesia is not intended the animal must be killed in a humane way at the conclusion of the experiment. The AEC will not approve the use of a neuromuscular blocking agent without concurrent use of an anaesthetic except in an exceptional circumstance. 6. Modifications to the code of practice Amendments to this code shall be subject to the approval of the Minister of Agriculture (as required in accordance with the Animal Protection Regulations 1987). Last Approved 8 Oct 2003 Page 14

15 Appendix 4 VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON ANIMAL ETHICS COMMITTEE Use of Animals in Teaching Responsibilities of Undergraduate Course Organisers The course organiser (CO) is responsible for all aspects of the welfare of animals as given in the VUW Code of Ethical Conduct for the Use of Live Animals for Teaching and Research. A selected summary of these explicit and implicit responsibilities is given below. 1) Authorisation for Teaching: It is the responsibility of the CO to obtain approval from the AEC for each student laboratory that uses any vertebrate animals or octopus, squid, crab, lobster or crayfish. 2) Goal of Laboratory Exercises: The use of animals in teaching generally will not involve original work. The CO must consider the value of an exercise to training in the subject, whether the specific goal is to impart a surgical skill or to teach the scientific approach to in vivo experiments. Where a demonstration by the CO will adequately meet the objectives of an exercise, individual student experiments should be dispensed with in favour of such a demonstration. In all events, the number of animals should be minimised. 3) Consideration of Alternatives: If a suitable alternative to animal use becomes available for teaching, the CO must consider adopting this alternative procedure in view of the desire to minimise the number of animals used. 4) Notification of Changes in Procedure: It is the CO's responsibility to provide the AEC with updated copies of all class laboratory handouts involving animals. The CO is expected to notify the AEC well in advance before modifying a relevant laboratory programme, since major changes may require approval from the AEC at one of its scheduled meetings. In the case of group projects by students, AEC approval must be obtained for specific projects selected by the students. Since this may not be possible on short notice, CO's should consider having a selection of short-term projects approved in advance for the course. 5) Supervision of Students: It is expected that the CO will ensure that all technicians, and demonstrators who are associated with a course are properly trained to carry out and to supervise specific animal manipulations. All surgical techniques must be satisfactorily demonstrated to the students before they are permitted to carry out the same procedures under the CO's supervision. In spite of the limited number of trained staff available during a laboratory period, close personal supervision of the students must be maintained at all times. The administration of anaesthetics and the post-operative care of animals are the personal responsibility of the CO or that of a deputed, experienced staff member and must not be left to the students. As a general rule, the students must never be put in a position that forces them to make decisions that will influence the welfare of the animals they are working on. Those decisions must be made by the CO. 6) Keeping of Records: The CO is required to maintain accurate records of laboratory animal use and to report the numbers of animals used annually on the appropriate MAF Last Approved 8 Oct 2003 Page 15

16 form. If the CO is away for any length of time from the university, suitable arrangements must be made to supply this information if required while the CO is absent. Under normal circumstances, the AEC will only liaise directly with the CO and not with other demonstrators, technicians, or students working under the CO's supervision. 7) Respect for Animals: Work done with animals within this University has the purpose of advancing and disseminating knowledge and the animals are used and sometimes sacrificed to these serious ends. The Animal Ethics Committee expects that at all times, all animals (even after sacrifice) will be accorded respect in keeping with these ends. Last Approved 8 Oct 2003 Page 16