Animal Safety Training
The Animal Research Safety (ARS) team provides oversight and training for all animal research labs and facilities for UW-Madison campus and agricultural research stations. The team maintains a number of online training courses on various animal related topics, several of which are required for working with animals, which are described below. Other, non-required, courses are available on many topics such as Reproductive Hazards, Animal Allergens, and Hazardous Pharmaceutical Disposal. These additional topics may or may not be mandatory depending on your place of employment and provide supplemental information to the required trainings.
Link to Animal Safety Trainings
Required Trainings
There are four important training courses to be aware of before beginning work. Each course has a final quiz that must be passed to complete the training requirement. Trainings are valid for 3 or 5 years after completion; when a training is due for renewal you will be notified by email.
You must complete one of the three following trainings depending on the protocol type you are assigned to:
- Safety for Personnel with Animal Contact – This online course is required for animal users working with laboratory animals such as rodents, zebrafish, and small mammals. This course is NOT required if you work on a farm or with agricultural animals. The course covers topics such as how to handle animals safely, health concerns like zoonotic disease and allergies, injury and exposure response protocols, and personal protective equipment. This training is divided into two course streams, one for personnel working in veterinary clinical care (e.g. Staff at UW Vet Care) and another for all other personnel with animal contact such as researchers, animal care staff, or student workers. When taking the course, choose the course stream that best applies to your position. Training must be renewed every 5 years. On the Training page, you may need to select “Load More” to see the link for this training.
- Agricultural Safety Training – This online course is required for animal users working on farms or with agricultural animals such as cows, pigs, sheep, or chickens. The course covers how to handle animals safely, health concerns like zoonotic disease or farm-specific hazards, and personal protective equipment. This course is divided into two course streams, one for Farm Staff and another for Animal Researchers. When taking the course, choose the course stream that best applies to your position. This training must be reviewed every five years.
- Safety in Wildlife Research – This online course is required for researchers working with in the field or with wildlife subjects. The course covers hazards found in the field such as zoonotic diseases, environmental hazards, and safely handling wild species. This course specifically references hazards common in North America, but resources are provided for more information regarding international research. This training must be renewed every five years
Additionally, you must complete the following training if you are taking Safety for Personnel with Animal Contact or Agricultural Safety Training.
- Risk Communication in Animal Facilities – This online course is required for anyone on an approved Animal Care and Use Protocol and for animal care staff working in animal facilities. The course covers how to communicate the use of hazardous chemicals, biologicals, and radioactive materials in an animal facility, cage labelling for hazards, and how to properly notify animal care and veterinary staff of risks. This training must be renewed every 3 years.
Additional Trainings
ARS provides online courses for many other animal research safety related topics. Please explore our additional trainings and contact us if there is a topic you would like more information about that is not already covered.