Facility Operations and Sanitation Flashcards
7 cards from real ALAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Facility Operations and Sanitation flashcards as text
An animal room has a persistent ammonia odor despite regular cage changes. What is the most likely corrective action?
Answer: Increase cage change frequency or improve ventilation
Persistent ammonia buildup indicates that cage change frequency or room ventilation is insufficient to remove waste-derived gases.
What is the function of a biological safety cabinet (BSC) Class II Type A2 in an animal facility?
Answer: To protect personnel, the environment, and the product from contamination
A Class II Type A2 BSC provides personnel, environmental, and product protection by recirculating HEPA-filtered air within the cabinet.
Which disinfectant class is considered most effective against non-enveloped viruses in animal facilities?
Answer: Aldehydes such as glutaraldehyde or accelerated hydrogen peroxide
Non-enveloped viruses are more resistant to disinfectants, and aldehydes or accelerated hydrogen peroxide products are among the most effective against them.
What is the purpose of a sentinel animal program in a laboratory animal facility?
Answer: To monitor the health status of a colony by exposing specific animals to potential pathogens
Sentinel animals are exposed to dirty bedding or other colony materials so that their health status reflects the overall disease status of the room or colony.
In a negative-pressure isolation room, air flows in which direction relative to the corridor?
Answer: From the corridor into the room
Negative-pressure rooms draw air inward from the corridor, preventing potentially contaminated room air from escaping and protecting the surrounding environment.
What does 'contact time' mean in the context of disinfectant use?
Answer: The duration the disinfectant must remain wet on a surface to be effective
Contact time (dwell time) is the minimum time a disinfectant must remain on the surface while wet to achieve the labeled level of microbial kill.
Which record is most important to maintain for each cage washing cycle in an animal facility?
Answer: Wash water temperature and cycle duration logs
Documenting wash water temperature and cycle duration provides verifiable evidence that sanitization parameters met the required standards for each load.