A person carrying out an animal experiment is competent, when he/she has completed a laboratory animal course. Animal caretaker must complete the professional examination or he/she must gain the professional skills with working experience.

In Finland, we are following EU Directive´s (2010/63/EU) minimum requirements to education and training and the requirements for obtaining, maintaining and demonstrating requisite competence for the functions A, B, C and D:

(a) carrying out procedures on animals
(b) designing procedures and projects
(c) taking care of animals
(d) killing animals

Laboratory Animal Centre arranges an on-line course of EU Functions A & D in English for the people who use mice and/or rats in their research. The course gives rights to carry out procedures on mice or rats or both species (according to Finnish Act 497/2013 and Decree 564/2013, and EU Directive 2010/63/EU).

The course follows the EU Modules that are included in Functions A & D (carrying out procedures and killing animals):

Module 1: National legislation
Module 2: Ethics, animal welfare and the Three Rs (level 1)
Module 3.1: Basic and appropriate biology – species specific (theory)
Module 3.2: Basic and appropriate biology – species specific (practical)
Module 4: Animal care, health and management – species specific (theory)
Module 5: Recognition of pain, suffering and distress – species specific
Module 6.1: Humane methods of killing - species specific (theory)
Module 6.2: Humane methods of killing - species specific (skills)
Module 7: Minimally invasive procedures without anaesthesia – species specific (theory)
Module 8: Minimally invasive procedures without anaesthesia – species specific (skills)
Module 10: Design of procedures and projects (level 1)
Module 20: Anaesthesia for minor procedures
Module 21: Advanced anaesthesia for surgical or prolonged procedures
Module 22: Principles of surgery

The course is accredited by FELASA - the Federation of Laboratory Animal Science Associations.

Course for people car­ry­ing out pro­ced­ures in 2023

The theory of the course is carried out on-line by e-learning material in Moodle and it can be started at any time. The calculated working time to go through and learn the material is about 50 hours. 

The exams are arranged on site in Viikki campus once a month as follows in 2023. The material and the tasks in Moodle must be carried out before the exam.

The exam must be passed in order to participate in the animal exercises. Those of the participants that will use rats, can also participate in the rat exercises, but those are not arranged in every month. Practical exercises include the handling techniques, procedures, anaesthesia and euthanasia of animals.

The dates reserved for the animal exercises in 2023:

The course fee is dictated by the chosen exercises (mouse/rat). For external customers, 24% VAT will be added to the sum of the invoice:

The course gives 2,5 ECTS credits.

PhD students and researchers working at the University of Helsinki are first in line to participate in the course.

Binding course registration starts on 27 December, 2022:

Fill the e-form https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/121453/lomake.html

Registered students at the University of Helsinki, can register also to Sisu (course code 955003)

Please include to your registration:

1. Billing information (Only registrations with complete billing information will be confirmed!)
2. Are you going to carry out the exercises with a mouse, a rat or both species
3. Shortly, why you need the course. Especially, if you will carry out the rat exercise, please tell, what you are going to do with rats.

The online registrations are checked and confirmed on Mondays. Only forms that are properly filled, will be processed.
 

Further information: Niina Kemppinen

Studies for EU Modules 1, 2 and 10 (users of the other species)

Those, who are using for research purposes other species than the laboratory rodents, can carry out the EU Modules 1 (National legislation), 2 (Ethics and 3Rs / level 1) and 10 (Design of procedures and projects).

The theory of the course is arranged in Moodle platform with self-study material and it can be carried out at any time.

The course fee is 60 EUR for the students and staff at the UH and for external customers 120 EUR (+24% VAT). Billing information must be included in the registration.

Further information and registration: Niina Kemppinen

Laboratory Animal Centre arranges a Functon B course for researchers "The use of animals in research: course for people designing procedures and projects" once a year. This course together with the course for the people carrying out procedures on animals and a relevant higher academic degree gives legal competence (according to Finnish Act 497/2013 and Decree 564/2013) to design procedures and projects in Finland. The course for the person carrying out procedures on animals must be completed previously in order to be accepted into this course.

EU Modules included to Function B (designing procedures and projects):

Module 9: Ethics, animal welfare and the Three Rs (level 2)
Module 10: Design of procedures and projects (level 1)
Module 11: Design of procedures and projects (level 2)