University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Facility Access and Visitor Policy

Badge Access to the Vivaria requires IACUC approval. For complete information on the approval process please visit the IACUC web page.

Escorted Visitor’s Access may be granted by approval from the OLAR Director or their designee. Requests must be made 2 business days in advance. Contact OLAR for approval.

Visitors Policy

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) maintains oversight review for federally mandated rules and regulations with regard to animal research, ethics, misconduct and biomedical research for the University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus (CUDenver | Anschutz). Office of Laboratory Animal Resources (OLAR) is responsible for thehealth and well-being of the animals used in research at all CU Denver | Anschutz vivarium and Satellite Facilities. Individual Investigators that maintain IACUC approved satellite facilities are responsible for maintaining their facilities to the standard set by the IACUC.

To ensure that the research enterprise at CU Denver | Anschutz is protected, the exposure ofanimals to adventitious pathogens is minimized, all IACUC and OLAR policies and procedures are followed and everyone is informed of the risks involved when entering an animal facility, visitors to animal facilities are prohibited, unless prior written approval is given by the Director of the Facility being entered or their designee. In the case of OLAR run facilities, the Director of OLAR, or their designee will provide approval. In the case of a satellite facility, the Director of the Satellite facility will be the approver. Approvals will be given for educational purposes and collaborations. The visitor must be escorted at all times by an individual with badge access (as defined in this policy) to the vivarium or satellite facility they are entering.

All individuals that do not have access to the vivarium/satellite that they are trying to enter are considered visitors to the facility, including CU Denver | Anschutz employees.
All visitors must be approved in writing. Requests for visitors should be made to the Facility Director, or their designee, at least 2 business days in advance
Visitor approval is for short-time periods and should not be used in order to by-pass access requirements. Generally, visitor approvals will not be given for time periods greater than 2-weeks.
All Visitors must be escorted at all times by a CU Denver | Anschutz employee with access in the vivarium/satellite that they are entering. The CU Denver | Anschutz employee will be deemed by CU Denver | Anschutz to be responsible for the visitor’s actions.
Visitors must sign the Visitor Release Sign-In Form located in the administration office or entrance to the satellite each day prior to entering the vivarium/satellite. Visitors to OLAR run facilities will receive a visitor badge each day they will be entering.
Visitors must wear the visitor badge during the entire time that they are in the
vivarium/satellite and return it prior to leaving.
All visitors must understand that there are inherent risks to entering an animal facility including animal bites, scratches, chemicals, allergic responses, and risk of injury from equipment.
All visitors must understand that the possibility exists of exposure to pathogens which are infectious to humans (zoonoses exposure). It is recommended that visitors are healthy prior to entry, including no signs of upper respiratory tract infections, influenza, or strep. Visitors should be enrolled in an occupational health program at their originating institution or have an active relationship with a physician.
- Visitors to the Perinatal Research Facility (PRF) are required to have a current respirator fit test or wear a PAPR while in the restricted areas of the facility.
- More than one entry per year to the PRF may require a Q fever titer. Occupational Health should be consulted in advance for these visitors
Visitors are not permitted to handle animals unless the have been named on all pertinent CU Denver | Anschutz IACUC-approved protocols and they have read and understood those protocols and have appropriate training or supervision to perform the procedures indicated. Visitors that will handle animals must also have an approved, current Personal Qualifications Description on file in the IACUC for all procedures that they will perform on these protocols, unless they are a student participating in a teaching protocol.
Visitors are not permitted to photograph, video or audio tape in the vivarium without prior written approval of the Director of OLAR, or their designee. In the case of satellite facilities, the Director of the Satellite Facility will grant the approval.
Minors between the ages of 14 - 18 are only permitted to enter if they have been approved via the same mechanism as stated for all other visitors. Minors under the age of 14 are only permitted if they are participating in a formal, CU Denver | Anschutz sponsored educational program, no individual educational tours will be permitted.
- Minors under the age of 18 are prohibited from entering the PRF facility at any time.
Visitors are only permitted if they are entering for educational reasons.
Failure to follow this policy will result in the visitor being immediately escorted out of the OLAR vivarium or satellite facility and may result in the visitor being removed from CU Denver | Anschutz property. Corrective action may also be taken regarding the CU Denver |Anschutz employee who escorted the visitor into the OLAR vivarium or satellite facility, including revocation of facility access. The Director of OLAR, or in the case of the satellite facility, the Director of the satellite facility, has the authority to make the short term decision on temporarily removing access to the vivarium for the CU Denver | Anschutz employee violating this policy. Long term access decisions will be made through the IACUC and the Vice Chancellor for Research. Human resources and the individual’s supervisor will be involved in any disciplinary action of the employee.

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Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research

CU Anschutz

Fitzsimons Building

13001 East 17th Place

WG109

Mail Stop F520

Aurora, CO 80045

Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Chief Research Officer, Philip De Leon, PhD

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Facility Access and Visitor Policy

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Facility Access and Visitor Policy

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