If you store research or pharmaceutical materials in a temperature-controlled unit, it is imperative that you take action to prevent losses due to equipment malfunctions, power outages, etc. University Risk & Insurance Services provides loss prevention protocols to help you address best practices and work to mitigate the risk of losing valuable contents from your unit(s). As you establish plans for dealing with disruptive scenarios, please consider such things as alarm response protocols-including distance and time to respond, technology and communications failure backup, loss of trained staff, availability of backup units, cross-training and so forth. If you find there are protocols that are effective for your department or lab, please share them with others.

In order for stored contents to be insured, temperature-controlled units must be listed and/or reviewed in the PULSE database during the annual inventory period, which opened on Oct. 1, 2025, and closes on Nov. 24, 2025.  The annual inventory process also allows departments to confirm they are meeting the current protocols required for insurance coverage on stored contents.  If your department or lab has contents in a temperature-controlled unit(s) that you want insured, please access the PULSE database prior to the close of the FY26 inventory period, in order to complete the annual inventory process for your unit(s).

Thank you for your time and effort to prevent the loss of your valuable research and pharmaceuticals.