GB/T 35892-2018Laboratory animal—Guideline for ethical review of animal welfare (English PDF)

4.2 Ethics committee requirements

4.2.1 General requirements

According to the relevant laws, regulations and quality-technology standards of laboratory animal, it is responsible for the ethical review and supervision of the laboratory-animal-related welfare of the laboratory animal working units within its jurisdiction, and accepts relevant reports and complaints.

4.2.2 Specific requirements

4.2.2.1 Inspect the management norms and implementation of the laboratory animal working units every half year; conduct project prior review, project in-progress supervision and inspection, project end review; investigate the violation of laws and regulations.

4.2.2.2 Independently carry out review and supervision work, be responsible for issuing review and inspection reports, and be responsible for reporting to unit-supervisors and higher authorities.

4.3 Ethics committee composition

4.3.1 The Ethics Committee shall at least be composed of such experts from different fields -- laboratory-animal experts, doctors, laboratory-animal managers, animal-using researchers, and public representatives. Committee number from the same field shall not be more than 3 persons. The Ethics Committee has one chairman, several vice-chairmen and members. The number of vice-chairmen and members shall be determined based on the actual needs of the review work.

4.3.2 The term of office of each Ethics Committee is 3 to 5 years. The competent authority, in charge of its establishment, is responsible for the appointment, pre-post training, dismissal and timely addition of members.

4.3.3 All Ethics Committee members must promise to abide by laws, regulations, and standards; and maintain the ethics of laboratory animal welfare.

4.4 Ethics management

The Ethics Committee shall formulate statutes, review procedures, supervision systems, regular meeting systems, work disciplines, and professional training programs, etc., and be responsible for reporting to higher management institutions. The Ethics Committee's decision adopts the principle of the minority obeying the majority, but the minority opinions shall be recorded.

5.6 Principles of fairness

The review and supervision work shall be independent, equitable, fair, scientific, democratic, transparent, non-disclosure and free from political, commercial, and self-interest influences.

5.7 Principles of legality

For project objectives, animal sources, facility environment, personnel qualifications, and operation methods, etc. as a whole, there shall not be any violation of laws, regulations or related standards.

5.8 Principles of being suitable for national conditions

Welfare ethical review shall follow internationally accepted norms and China's traditional public order and good customs, suitable for China's national conditions, and oppose all kinds of radical ideas and extreme practices.

6.1 Personnel qualification

6.1.1 Laboratory animal employees shall obtain professional qualifications and skills through professional technical training.

6.1.2 The laboratory animal working units shall, according to the actual needs, formulate a laboratory animal welfare-ethic professional training program, and conduct it, to ensure that the employees are familiar with the relevant regulations and technical standards for Laboratory Animal Welfare Ethics, understand the knowledge and requirements of humane treatment to laboratory animals, and master the habits of relevant species of animals, as well as correct operating techniques.

6.1.3 Technical training for newcomers or trainees, where living animals and related experiments are needed, shall under technical personnel's guidance and supervision until the newcomers or trainees are skilled in operation.

6.1.4 Laboratory-animal technical training and welfare-ethic teaching practices, if non-animal experimental methods can effectively reduce or replace the use of living animals, while ensure the achievement of training objectives, shall use living-animals replacement teaching methods as much as possible.

6.2 Facilities conditions

6.2.1 Animal facilities

The facilities conditions and environmental indicators for laboratory animal […]

6.4 Animal sources

Making marks on animals shall use reliable and methods of least pain or harm.

6.4.3 If there must use wild animals in experiments, it shall capture those animals through legal channels and by humane technologies, and take into account health, welfare and safety of human and animal.

6.4.4 Field studies shall not cause disturbance to animal habitats, or adverse effects to target and non-target species.

6.4.5 Conduct welfare ethical review of the interference possibility of wild animals, and take effective measures to minimize the interference. such as capture, transport, sedation, anesthesia, marking, sampling, and other stress responses, as well as the accumulation of potential stressors, which may cause serious and even fatal consequences to the animal.

6.4.6 Endangered species can only be obtained and used in accordance with the law in extremely exceptional circumstances; when there are scientific reasons that they are irreplaceable, and the expected results cannot be achieved by using any other species, then, only after review-approval, may the project be implemented.

6.5 Technical specifications

For the laboratory animal's feeding management, facility management, as well as various types of animal experiment operations (including determination of humane endpoint and euthanasia), experimental environment control, and the implementation of various types of laboratory animal projects. It shall formulate the laboratory animal's welfare ethical quality standards, management regulations, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which shall be submitted to the Ethics Committee for review and implementation supervision.

6.6 Animal feeding

6.6.1 The employees shall not tease or abuse laboratory animals. When grabbing at animals, they shall use proper methods, with a mild attitude and gentle movements to avoid causing unrest, panic, pain, and injury to animals.

6.6.2 In daily feeding management, they shall observe the animals regularly. If there is any abnormality, they shall search for the reason promptly, and take targeted measures to improve it.

6.6.3 The feeders shall, based on animal's feeding habits and nutritional needs, give animals sufficient fodder and clean drinking water. Its nutritional components shall meet the requirements of GB/T 14924.2.

The fodder microbiology, physical-chemical control, and other indicators shall meet the requirements of GB 14924.3.

6.7 Animal use

6.7.3 To conduct surgery and dissection on living animals (including motor […]