Animal Carcass Storage Policy

Adopted by the University Committee on Animal Resources

Animal carcasses must be stored according to one of three procedures:

1. Animal carcasses dosed with hazardous agents must be handled, stored and disposed of following practices determined by Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S).
2. Nonhazardous animal carcasses must be placed in tagged* vivarium bags and taken to the morgue coolers provided in KMRB, SMD or Meliora Vivarium Procedure Rooms.
3. Nonhazardous animal carcasses may be bagged, tagged* and placed in a leak proof, “Animal Carcass”-labeled container (e.g., Tupperware™ tub) in a laboratory freezer.  The freezer may also be used for reagents and other experimental compounds but not diet.  If the laboratory freezer is dedicated to nonhazardous animal carcass storage, the door must be labeled “Animal Carcasses” and only a tagged* leak proof bag is required to contain the carcasses.

All nonhazardous animal carcasses must be bagged, tagged* and taken at an early convenience to a Vivarium morgue cooler for subsequent incineration.  Final disposition of animal carcasses dosed with hazardous agents or compounds must be in compliance with EH&S policy.

Euthanasia Tag Provided by the Animal Resource at CO2 euthanasia stations, mailboxes outside of the Animal Resource Office.  Tags may be mailed to labs via intramural mail. Contact the Animal Resource Office at X5-2651.  

updated 6/22/05