The use of hazardous agents and substances requires special review by DEHS and a plan for personnel protection and waste disposal. Animals infected with biohazardous agents must be handled using appropriate biosafety procedures . All gas anesthetics should be used with appropriate waste gas scavenging systems . Ether must be used in a fume hood and stored appropriately. If animals are euthanized with ether, the carcass must be left in an open container within a fume hood for 30 minutes to allow the ether to evaporate, before they are bagged and placed within a carcass cooler.
Urethane is a carcinogen.
It should only be handled in a fume hood using gloves. It should not be used for anesthesia in survival studies. Sharps handling and disposal The use of sharps, such as needles, scalpels and glass can present a risk to personnel if handled and disposed of improperly. In research settings, sharps may be contaminated with animal blood or body fluids, or with unknown substances. It is always safest to assume they are a potential hazard.