What are the best practices for managing laboratory staff who work with animals or human subjects?

Managing laboratory staff who work with animals or human subjects can be challenging and rewarding. You need to ensure that your staff follow ethical and legal guidelines, maintain high standards of quality and safety, and communicate effectively with each other and with external stakeholders. In this article, you will learn some best practices for managing laboratory staff who work with animals or human subjects, such as:

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1 Training and certification

Your staff should receive adequate training and certification in the relevant areas of animal or human subject research, such as animal welfare, biosafety, informed consent, data protection, and research ethics. You should provide regular refresher courses and updates on the latest policies and regulations. You should also monitor and evaluate your staff's performance and provide constructive feedback and recognition.

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Laura Marjorie Miller

Certified Animal Communicator; Dedicated Shelter Volunteer; Nature Writer, Artist, and Shakespeare Student
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Continuing education and knowledge of animals’ psychology and emotional needs should be encouraged and rewarded through the reward & promotional structure, especially that which is sought by caretakers of their own initiative, and from ‘outside’/diverse/nonprogrammatic sources.

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2 Health and safety

Your staff should adhere to strict health and safety protocols to prevent injuries, infections, and exposure to hazardous substances or situations. You should provide them with appropriate personal protective equipment, such as gloves, masks, goggles, and lab coats. You should also ensure that they have access to emergency procedures, first aid kits, and medical services. You should also promote a culture of reporting and learning from incidents and near misses.

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Laura Marjorie Miller

Certified Animal Communicator; Dedicated Shelter Volunteer; Nature Writer, Artist, and Shakespeare Student
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Over-documentation by caretakers and a high-touch checking system is absolutely key. People need to have eyes on each other as well as the animals to ensure scrupulous, above-and-beyond animal care.

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3 Animal care and use

Your staff should respect and care for the animals they work with, and follow the principles of replacement, reduction, and refinement. You should ensure that they have the necessary approvals and permits from the institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) or equivalent body. You should also ensure that they follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for animal handling, housing, enrichment, anesthesia, euthanasia, and disposal. You should also conduct regular inspections and audits to ensure compliance and quality.

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Laura Marjorie Miller

Certified Animal Communicator; Dedicated Shelter Volunteer; Nature Writer, Artist, and Shakespeare Student
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Standard procedures are not good enough. Care should exceed ‘standards’ in every possible way and surpassing excellence of care should be factored in to the expenses when a budget is made, instead of creating a proposal according to standard expectations and then being limited by the cost.

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4 Human subject protection

Your staff should protect the rights and welfare of the human subjects they work with, and follow the principles of respect, beneficence, and justice. You should ensure that they have the necessary approvals and consent forms from the institutional review board (IRB) or equivalent body. You should also ensure that they follow the SOPs for recruitment, screening, enrollment, intervention, data collection, data analysis, and data sharing. You should also conduct regular reviews and oversight to ensure compliance and quality.

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5 Communication and collaboration

Your staff should communicate and collaborate effectively with each other and with external stakeholders, such as funders, sponsors, regulators, reviewers, and the public. You should establish clear roles and responsibilities, expectations and objectives, and feedback mechanisms. You should also foster a positive and supportive work environment, where your staff can share ideas, experiences, and challenges. You should also encourage your staff to participate in professional development activities, such as conferences, workshops, and courses.

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Laura Marjorie Miller

Certified Animal Communicator; Dedicated Shelter Volunteer; Nature Writer, Artist, and Shakespeare Student
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Transparency with the public is *key* and if there is hesitancy on that issue it indicates an area where there is likely an ethical problem.

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6 Continuous improvement

Your staff should strive for continuous improvement in their work processes and outcomes. You should involve them in planning, implementing, and evaluating improvement initiatives, such as quality assurance, quality control, quality improvement, and risk management. You should also solicit and act on their suggestions, complaints, and compliments. You should also benchmark and compare your performance with other laboratories and best practices.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What are the best practices for managing laboratory staff who work with animals or human subjects?

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1 Training and certification

2 Health and safety

3 Animal care and use

4 Human subject protection

5 Communication and collaboration

6 Continuous improvement

7 Here’s what else to consider

Laboratory Management

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