12. Responsibility for the welfare of research workers, educators and technical support personnel

The ECRA stresses the importance of safeguarding the welfare of personnel participating in the research.

The principal investigator must apply safety rules and guidelines for the handling of hazardous materials, micro-organisms or parasites. In particular, the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act No. 85 of 1993 regarding a safe working environment must be adhered to.

The ECRA stresses the importance of safeguarding the welfare of animals being held in laboratory animal facilities.

13. Responsibility for the welfare of laboratory animals confined within breeding and experimental holding facilities

Research Unit Directors/Managers must apply safety rules and guidelines for the preservation and protection of the health and welfare of laboratory animals when hazardous substances, micro-organisms or parasites are being worked with in experimental situations. In particular, the provisions of the Animals Protection Act No. 71 of 1962 must be observed.

14. Responsibility for compliance with statutes and provincial ordinances that specifically regulate some aspects of animal experimentation

The Director/Manager of animal research facilities shall have as a primary responsibility compliance with all laws and ordinances that regulate the acquisition, capture, importation, production, breeding, transportation, treatment, care and/or killing of laboratory animals and the acquisition, storage and use of hazardous substances, micro-organisms and parasites, including:

Animals Protection Act No. 71 of 1962 Animal Disease Act No. 35 of 1984 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ( CITES) Medicines and Related Substances Control Act 101 of 1965 Veterinary and Para-Veterinary Professions Act No. 19 of 1982 ( amended 1993) The Provincial Nature Conservation Ordinances.

15. Responsibilities of researchers, educators and animal care personnel

15.1 The responsible researcher, educator and animal care staff are to be appropriately qualified and experienced and to have facilities to ensure that all procedures conducted on laboratory animals will be undertaken with due discretion and precautions to protect the welfare of the animals.

15.2 Adequate preliminary studies of the literature pertaining to their proposed work should have been undertaken to define as far as possible the risks inherent in their animal studies, and they should be fully conversant with these.

15.3 Ethical issues regarding the role of the principal investigator and co-worker in an animal experiment include possession of the necessary attributes, competence to perform the studies, and the release of publication of the results.

15.4 The users of laboratory animals require two attributes: sensitivity to identify an ethical issue and responsibility to act appropriately in regard to such an issue.

15.5 The character of laboratory animal users is critical to the quality of scientific knowledge and for the soundness of ethical decisions in any research or teaching project. The integrity of investigators and educators, their honesty and fairness, knowledge, qualifications and experience, are the decisive factors.

15.6 The users of laboratory animals have a responsibility to their professions, to the animals which they use, and to the public to ensure that an animal experiment is likely to yield information worth knowing, and that such information is well supported by valid experimental data and analysis of that data.