Attachment_A_NIH_STD_No._7A.DOCX

NIH STD No. 7A November 2, 2017

National Institutes of Health Standard for Laboratory Animal Feed and Bedding Distribution Center Sanitation and Pest Management

1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE:

This standard establishes sanitation, pest management, and quality assurance requirements applicable to the commercial storage and transport of laboratory animal feed and bedding.

2. APPLICATION: Contracts for storage and delivery of commercially available laboratory animal feed and bedding, wherein this standard is made a part either by direct or indirect reference, shall comply with this standard.

3. REQUIREMENTS:

3.1 Pest Management

a. The storage facility and/or transporter shall have in place a documented effective integrated pest management program provided by a licensed pest control company. The pest control company shall adhere to all applicable local, State, and Federal regulations. The company shall be able to provide pest management training for their personnel and have the technical expertise to solve special pest problems.

The program shall at a minimum consist of monthly pest management services, including monitoring for pests (pests include invertebrate and vertebrate animals), and surveying facilities for conditions that promote pest activity. The program shall emphasize the use of non-chemical pest management methods such as traps, exclusion, harborage reduction, and willprovide corrective actions/recommendations that will provide long lasting pest management while reducing pesticide usage. The storage facility and/or transporter shall maintain accurate and complete records of all pest management activities and shall provide these records to the Government Inspector quarterly or when pests are noted.

b. Pest management records shall be maintained in a log book and at a minimum contain the following sections:

1) Program Information - this section shall contain pest management company contacts and service personnel information.

2) Client Pest Sighting- this section is intended for facility personnel to record pest sightings and to communicate that to the pest management professional servicing the facility.

3) Pesticides - this section shall include a list of primary pesticides being applied at the storage facility. A current copy of each pesticide label, followed by all corresponding SDS (Safety Data Sheets), shall be kept on file.

4) Facility Map - a floor plan(s) shall be used to indicate the location of any type of pest management device. i.e., sticky trap, pheromone trap, light trap, rodent trap etc. used in the integrated pest management (IPM) program. The locations of pest control and monitoring devices shall be maintained and kept current.

5) Quality Assurance Reports - This section shall contain program evaluation reports done by the pest control companies quality assurance personnel. Program evaluations shall be conducted semiannually, at a minimum. The person conducting the quality assurance oversight and writing the reports, shall not be the pest management technician.

6) Service Reports - Monthly pest management services performed at the facility shall be placed in this section. Service report records shall include but not be limited to:

a. Results of monitoring and inspections, including accepted common/generic names of all pests, numbers of each pest, and the location in the facility where they were trapped or observed.

b. Pest sightings and conditions observed that are conducive to pest infestation.

c. Control products applied, the concentration and quantity of the applied products, (including the accepted Environmental Protection Agency common or generic names),the method(s) of application, and the area of application in the warehouse and surrounding grounds.

7) Educational Information - This section should contain information about pests and procedures, as determined by the pest control company, that will help facility personnel better understand the pest management program. It shall serve as a reference for pests commonly found in and around the facility receiving the service.

c. Restricted Use pesticide application will be undertaken by a certified pesticide applicator or licensed pest control contractor or under the direct supervision of same in accordance with label directions and local, State and Federal regulations.

d. General Use pesticides, in states not requiring certification, may be undertaken by a person who has attended a pesticide seminar or been trained by a licensed applicator and who has demonstrated their expertise and knowledge in the correct and safe use of pesticides or is under direct supervision of a Certified Pesticide Applicator. All applications shall be made in compliance with label directions.

Bait stations designed for mouse and rat control using EPA registered rodenticide baits shall be tamper resistant, labeled, locked, and secured in place around the facility’s exterior perimeter. A key to access the bait station shall be available at the time of government inspection. Rodenticide shall never be applied inside the facility.

e. Internal measures for rodent control monitoring programs may include devices, such as glueboards, mechanical traps, extended trigger traps, but not feeding stations or rodenticide.

f. Interior methods for monitoring and management of stored product pest insects and other arthropods should include the use of light traps, sticky traps and pheromone traps.

g. No domestic animals,fowl, wild animals,or birds shall be confined in or have entry to building(s) providing storage for feed and bedding.

h. The storage facility shall be effectively pest proofed.

i. The storage facility and/or transporter shall have in place a program that discourages the nesting and lofting of nuisance birds and other feral animals on the exterior of buildings and on the grounds immediately surrounding the storage facility which is controlled by the distributor.

j. An exterior weed control program shall also be included in the pest management effort. Along exterior walls and pathways, a 2' wide by 3”- 6” deep border of pea stone or ornamental gravel is recommended. This discourages rodents from burrowing and helps with weed management.

3.2 Warehouse Sanitation

a. The storage facility and/or transporter shall have written Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the maintenance and sanitation of the receiving and storage areas. These SOPs shall provide, in detail, methods that are used to ensure these areas remain orderly, sanitary, properly maintained and pest free to comply with the standards herein. These SOP's shall also contain a schedule for the maintenance and sanitation of the aforementioned areas. A copy of these SOP's with the name and title of person(s) responsible for ensuring that these duties are performed shall be provided to the Government Inspector initially and upon updates

b. To prevent contamination of feed and bedding, warehouse sanitation methods, at a minimum, shall include:

1) Daily cleaning and removal of all loose feed and bedding from floors.

2) Daily removal of all broken bags of feed and bedding from warehouse areas.

3) Insect-infested or rodent damaged bags of feed and bedding shall be removed from the premises immediately after detection.

c. Employees shall be provided with clean readily accessible toilet and sink facilities.

d. On a daily basis, rubbish shall be so conveyed, stored, and disposed of as to minimize the potential for the waste becoming an attractant and harborage or breeding place for pests and contaminant of feed and bedding.

e. Premises shall be dry, reasonably clean, and free of dirt, trash, animal and bird excreta and other foreign matter that could contaminate feed and bedding being stored. The premises are defined as the interior of the building and surrounding grounds controlled by the distributor.

f. To ensure optimal shelf-life for lab animal diets and bedding there shall be adequate environmental control of the storage area to ensure an optimum shelf life and integrity of the product. The lab animal diet shall be stored at a maximum temperature of 70° F and relative humidity of 65%.

g. All structural beams, supports, and other structural systems that are painted shall be maintained in an appropriate manner to preclude or eliminate chipping, flaking, and peeling paint.

h. Space should be provided for proper placement of equipment, storage of feed and bedding. Adequate aisles between feed, bedding and equipment and/or structures shall be maintained to allow for effective housekeeping and pest management.

i. Floors, walls, and ceilings shall be of such construction as to be adequately cleanable and kept in good repair.

j. Lighting shall be provided in all areas to allow effective housekeeping and pest management. Light bulbs, fixtures, mirrors, skylights, or other glass suspended over storage zones shall be of the safety type or otherwise protected to prevent breakage. It is recommended that exterior lights be mounted away from doors and use sodium vapor bulbs to reduce pest attractiveness.

k. Any sub-rooms such as, office areas, etc., should be clean and constructed in a manner to prevent pest entry and harborage.

l. Hydraulic dock floor levelers must have brush seals or gaskets sufficient to exclude rodents, dust and insects.

m. Exhaust fans and ventilators at walls or ceilings, as well as any openings through which conduits or pipes pass, must be screened or caulked to prevent entry of birds and insects.

n. Receiving doors must be undamaged and sealed to prevent pest entry.

3.3 Warehouse Grounds

a. The grounds adjacent to the warehouse facility under control of the operator shall be kept in a condition that will protect against contamination of the feed and bedding. The grounds are defined as drive ways, parking lots, receiving, shipping, and storage buildings.

b. Exterior facility water management systems shall be maintained to reduce pest breeding sites and water sources.

Exterior trash dumpsters, including the undersides of any ram units, must be ingood structural and sanitary condition. Dumpsters must have a lid that is in good repair. Exterior waste receptacles shall have drain plugs in place and lids closed at all time except when waste materials being loaded to reduce possible pest access.

3.4 Equipment:

a. There shall be a maintenance equipment SOP for pallet jacks and forklifts. All equipment shall be maintained and stored in a manner that prevents lubricants and coolants from leaking into the stored feed and bedding.

3.5 Operational Methods

a. Perimeter setback spaces of 18”– 24” should be provided at all walls to permit cleaning and pest management services access. Painting floor-wall junctures and perimeter setback spaces white benefits the sanitation and pest management program.

b. Feed and bedding shall be stored in an area of the warehouse separate from cleaning materials, equipment and equipment parts.

c. All cleaning supplies, toxic chemicals or any chemical compounds that could contaminate feed and bedding shall be stored in a hazardous storage cabinet or closet away from feed and bedding.

d. Proper rotation of feed and bedding shall be undertaken on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) basis or other verifiable methods to ensure stock rotation.

e. Lab animal feed and bedding shall not be stored in the same warehouse used to store products containing antibiotics, drugs, fertilizers, cleaning supplies, toxic chemicals, or any chemical compounds that could contaminate feed or bedding. Adequate precautions are required to protect the product, including the integrity of the packaging, during storage and handling. A contingency plan must be in place to address potential damages to packaging or the product.

3.6 Transportation:

a. Trucks transporting laboratory animal feed and bedding shall be as free as is practical of dirt, trash, and objects that could contaminate or puncture paper bags. The truck shall be free of any chemical compounds that could contaminate the feed and bedding during transport.

b. The vehicles shall be water tight and constructed to prevent entrance of rodents, birds, or insects.

c. Laboratory animal feeds shall be shipped on new pallets. The pallets shall be dry, clean, pest-free, and uncontaminated by undesirable chemicals.

d. Laboratory animal feeds shall not be transported with products containing antibiotics or drugs, fertilizers, or any chemical compounds that might contaminate the feed and bedding..

e. Laboratory animal feed and bedding shall not be transported with animals.

3.7 Inspection:

a. Prior to award of contract, or at any time during the effective period of the resulting contract, the contractor's distribution center will be subjected to inspection by authorized National Institutes of Health personnel. Failure to comply with the requirements of this standard shall constitute sufficient grounds for withholding contract award or for cancellation of existing contract(s).