1. Give a short summary of the duties and responsibilities of your job.

• Feeding and watering assigned animals or cages as prescribed. Filling water bottles and feed containers at room level with prescribed feed for that species
• Observing animal’s behavior and body condition while attending to their cages and report any abnormalities to the Facility Manager or Animal Health Technician. Reporting any apparent problems in the cages or rooms within the facility
• Following prescribed methods and transfer animals from one cage to another
• Putting enrichment devices in or on cages as prescribed
• Moving clean and dirty caging. Flushing watering systems or automatic watering cages
• Performing minor room maintenance such as changing exhaust filters as prescribed
• Bedding and preparing pens or cages as directed. Process includes sterilization by running autoclave
• Accurately identify, handle, weigh, and restrain animals used in the facilities using indelible pens, cage cards, animal record cards, and appropriate restraint devices
• Lifting heavy animals and equipment e.g. bags of food, paper, cleaning fluids, caging, and food containers
• Cleaning and general cosmetic care of rooms.

These skills are applied to the housing, maintenance and use of the following species: mice, rats, guinea pigs, monkeys, hamsters, etc.

3. Is it necessary in this position to oversee the work, or to instruct other staff? If so, what does this involve?

No

4. What other people must you deal with in this job and why? (i.e. is there direct contact with students, teaching staff, other departments, and people outside the university community).

The incumbent deals with department staff giving feedback and asking questions and may deal with research staff who have questions about animals the incumbent is providing care for.

5. How is your work assigned to you and how closely is your work checked by someone else?

Schedules are posted providing a daily outline of work to be performed. For general daily work, the helper is responsible for meeting departmental standards and procedures. Deviations from daily routine are posted or are communicated by the Facility Manager, designate or Animal Health Technician.

6. a) Are the sorts of problems encountered in this job usually covered by established procedures or do you frequently have to develop or invent solutions to problems yourself

Minor problems are solved by established standard operating procedures, but the helper can make decisions on priorities and exceptions to daily routine if verified with the Facility Manager. If major or unusual problems arise dealing with the healthy status of animals, the Animal Health Technician or Facility Manager is contacted.

When major problems dealing with animal management arise, the Senior Technician, Facility Manager or Veterinary Doctor is contacted.

6. b) Are you involved in establishing standard procedures? (Give examples)

The entire animal care group has input with regard to standard procedures. All staff input into weekly meetings, which play a role in the development of standard operating procedures.

7. a) What is the size of your department (i.e. #of classes for which you are involved with labs., # of students, # of staff you might come in contact with, # of technicians in department).

1 University Veterinarian
1 Clinical Veterinarian
1 Facility Manager
1 Administrative Assistant
9 Animal Care Technicians
1 Animal Care Helpers
5 Casual Animal Care Technicians
Over 200 students, technicians, faculty, and principal investigators

7. b) What kind of equipment or material are you responsible for? Are you solely responsible for it and what is its approximate value?

• Autoclaves Plastic cage rack
• Bedding dispenser Pan racks
• Disinfectant units Bowl carts
• HEPA filtered laminar sterile containment units (both vertical and horizontal) Various trolleys and wagons
• One truck (2 ton) Racks, cages, and accessories
• Weigh scales Animal transfer units
• Automatic watering for animals Bags of food and bedding
• Multitude of mobile animal housing units Boxes of paper and other supplies
• High pressure spray units Cleaning supplies
• Protective clothing Various types of data records – order forms, slips, and boarding sheets etc
• Meters Garbage bag holders and containers
• Protective transfer boxes, cages Hoses and nozzles
• Restraining devices Various hand tools
• Portable transfer boxes, cages CO2 cylinder for euthanasia of small rodents
• Automatic light timers Keys for all areas, truck, and buildings
• Flush drain systems Step ladders and stools
• Thermostat and temperature controls Portable shelving units

8. Give details of any unusual factors affecting this job? i.e. hazards, unusual working conditions, requirement for a high degree of manual dexterity etc.

• All individuals working the animal facility may come in contact with: toxic, carcinogenic, teratogenic compounds, infectious microbiological agents, dust, and other allergens
• There is a requirement to handle animals, which may pose a risk of scratches, bites, and zoonotic agents inherent to the animal.
• The incumbent must lift heavy objects and animals e.g. 30 to 40-kilo bags of feed and caging.
• The incumbent must use cleaning solutions
• The animal care service operates 365 days a year, the incumbent may work weekends and holidays along with other staff and technicians. The Facility Manager will be available during these shifts

9. Do you have any general comments about this position which may not be covered by the preceding questions?

All individuals working in the animal facility must have a patient, humane and caring attitude towards all animals, and a balanced ethical attitude to the humane use of animals in research, combined with the strength and knowledge to handle them successfully.