IMPORTANT NOTICE: Changes to E Block Animal Facility SPF Entry

Dear Researchers

The E Block SPF Animal House main entry door needs to undergo upgrade works to increase the height to allow for the entry and removal of SPF equipment. In order for these works to be carried out, the main entrance to the facility will be blocked off for a period of 2 weeks time from the start date of Monday, 6 August. Unfortunately, this does mean there will be some access restrictions to the SPF areas during the two week period of Monday, 6 August - Monday, 20 August. We apologise for any inconvenience that this causes and we will try to work with users to address the requirements for access to the rooms and animals during the time frame that the main entry is restricted. 

During this time frame, we will be putting some changed procedures for entry and exit to and from the facility/rooms into place. Below these procedures are explained and a map of the facility areas is included below to assist in explaining locations and entry/egress routes.

Access during weekdays and regular operational hours

During weekdays and normal operational hours for the facility, the old High Barrier change room external entrance (AH.91) will be utilised for access to SPF areas via the change room airlocks and through SPF Holding Room 3. Researchers will need to notify Mel Smith and she will be able to arrange access to this area for entry. Any users who are unsure of the location of this access point (labelled on the floor plan below) please see Mel Smith or Jo Howden. From this entry point, researchers can change into scrubs and add other required PPE as usual and gain access to SPF Holding Room 3, Holding Room 1 and Holding Room 2 following the route outlined on the attached plan. Users can also access the main corridor (AH.76) and Experimental Rooms 5 and 4 by following this route through the main holding rooms. Once any required animal work is completed, users can exit the facility by going back via the same route as they entered through Holding Room 3 and the old High Barrier change rooms (AH.94 and 96 out to AH.91).

To uphold the hierarchical system that we have in place in the SPF areas that restricts access to other rooms for staff or users accessing Experimental Room 3, we will be putting another procedure into place:

• Any users requiring access to Experimental Room 3 will be required to place their street clothes in a pillow case provided in the old High Barrier entry change rooms (AH.94 and 96) and seal it using a zip tie, also provided. The zip tied pillowcase can be taken into the barrier as the user enters and they can walk it through to the main airlock (AH.72) and out to the general  change area (AH.67) to store in a locker. The barrier can then be re-entered via the normal method through the main airlock and Experimental Room 3 and/or the associated experimental labs can be accessed. Once any required animal work is completed in Experimental Room 3 or the labs, users can exit via the airlock (AH.72) to the regular change area and change back into street clothes from the zip tied pillowcase and then exit via the washroom and store room (AH.62).
• Experimental room 3 users will not be able to enter and exit the facility multiple times per day during the time frame that the main entry door is unable to be used, due to the requirement to exit the facility via the washroom. Re-entry to any rooms behind the barrier is not allowed once the washroom areas have been entered without an exclusion period and showering.

Access on weekends

On weekends, access to the areas will be slightly more restricted due staff only being in the facility at certain times of day. We will have a staff member in the SPF office (AH.65) for a period of 5 hours on Saturdays and Sundays between 9am and 2pm to assist researchers with access and exit via the correct areas during the time frame the main doorway is blocked off. All animal monitoring will need to be done within this time frame during the period of time that the entry door is blocked off.

Please pass this information along to other members of your lab groups that regularly use the animal facility areas at E Block. If possible, it would be advisable for group heads to raise this at any lab meetings prior to Monday, 6 August so that we can try and ensure a smooth transition and reduce delays for people with getting access to complete work as required.  Please contact us for assistance with plans for any animal work within this time frame or if you have any additional concerns or queries.

View door upgrade access plans here

Thank you

MMCAF Management​

Josephine Howden / Monika
t: 9594 1665
m: +61 (0)478 802 692 
e: josephine.howden@monash.edu

Melinda Smith
t: 9594 1781
e: melinda.smith@monash.edu