Animal Welfare Information Center Bulletin, Spring 1999, Vol. 9 No. 3-4

These sidebars accompanied the article: Nader, Leslie. "Year 2000 Impact on Biomedical Research" Animal Welfare Information Center Bulletin, 9(3/4):3-8, Spring 1999.

• Year 2000 Facilities Checklist
• Y2K Readiness for Animal Facilities: HOPE for the best...but PLAN for the worst
• Y2K Risk Management
• Y2K and the NIH
• Online Y2K Vendor Compliance Databases

Y2K Readiness for Animal Facilities: HOPE for the best... but PLAN for the worst Not even the most credible Y2K computer gurus can predict the exact nature of the problems that will result from the Y2K computer problem. Contingency planning for the millenium turnover, therefore, must account for the worst-case scenario. The critical issues to be considered are utilities (electricity, gas, water, telecommunications); staffing (security, overtime/on-call requirements, transportation); supplies (pharmaceuticals, feed, bedding); equipment (testing); and training (for manual backup). The best recommendations we can offer for contingency planning at this time are to: Plan to work with no outside power or water. Consider generator backup, alternative heat source, and stockpile blankets. Think about personnel and security issues associated with loss of utilities. Plan to work with interruptions in vendor deliveries. Stockpile 2-4 weeks of feed and bedding.  Use the “just-in-time” method of purchasing blood products and pharmaceuticals. Consider a moratorium on surgical procedures for a period prior to 12/31/99. In a worst-case scenario, adequate post-operative care may be impossible. Check anything that plugs into the wall or is run by a battery. Have vendor compliance statements on file whenever possible.  However, vendor claims may not be good enough and all equipment must be tested. Have manual procedures in place. Be sure staff is trained in manual backup procedures. Develop procedures for recovering lost or damaged data. Plan to use financial reserves to cover possible shortfall in per diem.

Y2K Risk Management Four major risk factors should be considered in beginning a Y2K-related institutional risk analysis: What critical services does your organization or facility provide that depend on basic utilities - power, water, and telecommunications? What critical services does your organization provide that could be affected by the failure of computer systems or equipment containing embedded devices? What would be the consequences if these services were disrupted or were unavailable for an extended period of time? What are the financial implications of such failure, especially in the event of litigation?

Y2K and the NIH Extracted from a memorandum from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to presidents of university and college grantee organizations: Recipients of NIH grants have full responsibility for their scientific data. This extends to anticipating and reacting to events such as Y2K, which may affect results from electronic devices and other laboratory equipment containing embedded date functions. NIH grantees must take necessary steps to mitigate potential problems such as inaccurate data that could affect research results. For a copy of the memo, contact the Massachusetts Society for Medical Research office at (978) 251-1556 or visit the NIH Year 2000 site at http://nih.gov/grants/era/era.htm

Online Y2K Vendor Compliance Databases Chime (http://www.chime.org/y2k) requires a password and provides info on specific manufacturers’ compliance. You can search by manufacturer and then inquire on compliance, equipment and contact. Compliance Database (http://www.y2k.gov.au/biomed) provides specific information by manufacturer, description, or model. EDS Vendor 2000 Database (http://www.eds.com/general/cio_services/offerings/cio_services_offerings_vendor2000.shtml) a compliance database that provides up-to-date information on tens of thousands of products from thousands of suppliers.  This database reports which assets are Year 2000-ready and which need to be replaced or upgraded. FDA’s Manufacturer Compliance Database (http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/yr2000/year2000.html) a database which provides info on manufacturers NOT in compliance as well as specific info by manufacturer and description. Hewlett Packard Medical Devices Compliance Site (http://hp.iwcon.com/mpg-y2k/) Year 2000 Biomedical Search Engine (http://www.billythebot.com) a search engine that evaluates biomedical sites looking specifically for Y2K compliance information. Federal Y2K Commercial Off-the-Shelf Product Database (http://y2k.policyworks.gov) Year 2000 Status Vendor Product Database (http://globe.lmi.org/lmi_pbs/y2kproducts/)

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