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OSUCCC Space, Operations, & Projects (SOP)


Freezer Monitoring Requirements

Equipment Identification Form

Freezer Monitoring Policy – The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC)

The OSUCCC understands the importance of preserving irreplaceable research/patient samples, and for over a decade, the Cancer Center has provided a centralized relatively inexpensive service for environmental monitoring to aid our investigators in protecting their priceless samples. This service, provided through Rees Scientific, is available to every lab and shared resource in OSUCCC space as well as many labs outside of our space, but Rees is just one option that labs can use to meet their monitoring needs. What matters is this: All Cancer Center member labs must have monitoring on freezers that contain patient or research samples. This is true for labs that are within and outside of OSUCCC-managed space.

If you have not done so already, make sure you take the following steps to protect your research and patient samples.

 

  1. Label all freezers and refrigerators.
    • If a power outage or freezer/refrigerator malfunction occurs, onsite staff need to be able to contact the appropriate lab(s) if they need to take action to protect their samples.
    • Please be sure all refrigerators and freezers (including -20, -80, and LN2 freezers) are clearly labeled with the PIs name, names and telephone numbers of emergency contacts, and the monitoring service used by your lab.
    • The linked equipment identification form should be used to label your equipment.
      Equipment Identification Form
      • All freezers and refrigerators should be labeled regardless of the contents.

  2. Purchase and install monitoring equipment for any freezer containing research and patient samples.
    • The OSUCCC has an established contract with Rees Scientific and infrastructure to support their services in our research buildings including:
      • The Pelotonia Research Center (PaRC), Biomedical Research Tower (BRT), Tzagournis Research Facility (TRF), Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC), Wiseman, Goss Laboratory, Polaris, 3650 Olentangy, and portions of the Brain and Spine Hospital and the James Cancer Hospital.
    • Labs can use other monitoring companies if that is their preference or if REES is unavailable at their location; however, OSUCCC-supported labs and shared resources must have something, and this should be noted on the unit using the attached form.

 

Please understand the OSUCCC will not be able to cover losses of reagents or samples because of equipment or building malfunctions if the equipment is not on a monitoring system.

Finally, the OSUCCC is responsible for conducting physical equipment audits throughout the year. If an OSUCCC – supported lab is not in compliance with this policy by January 1st, 2024, the lab will have its Cancer Center funds frozen until they take the necessary steps to comply with this policy.

 

If you need additional help regarding monitoring services, please request assistance using the following link. When you select the “Request Type,” please select “06 – Equipment Monitoring” so the request is routed appropriately.

https://onlinerequest.facsur.com/osu/d04ee36e-6724-4901-a295-bbc4eef72391