Adverse events or unexpected effects during the conduct of a project

Guidelines for action

NSW legislation requires investigators to promptly notify the Animal Care and Ethics Committee (ACEC) of any adverse or unexpected effects that impact on animal wellbeing (Clause 3.1.12, Australian Code of Practice). In addition, when an animal dies unexpectedly, or is euthanased due to unforeseen complications, an autopsy should be performed by a person with appropriate qualifications and/or experience, and the ACEC should be notified promptly (Clause 3.3.24, Australian Code of Practice).

Apart from being a legislative requirement, there are practical reasons for advising the ACEC of a problem that occurs during the conduct of a project. It allows the ACEC to assist with any investigation of the problem to ensure that it does not recur. It also serves to educate the ACEC of the potential complications associated with a procedure or study that it has approved.

To assist researchers in complying with this section of the legislation, the ACEC has developed: