Office of Research Animal Care and Use Occupational Health Program - Office of Research

Animal Care and Use Occupational Health Program

Purpose

To establish the Occupational Health policy for the Animal Care and Use Program. This policy is intended to provide guidance for all persons who are listed on an Animal Care and Use Protocol or work with live, vertebrate animals.

Policy

All employees, students, volunteers, visiting researchers, and non-UC collaborators who are listed on an Animal Care and Use Protocol or work with live, vertebrate animals in research or teaching are required to participate, as detailed below, in the UC Davis Animal Care and Use Occupational Health Program.

All individuals (including the Principal Investigator) listed on an Animal Care and Use Protocol must be cleared through the Occupational Health Surveillance System (OHSS) PRIOR to initiating any work with animals.

Procedures

  1. Initial Medical Assessment Process

    1. The Principal Investigator or designee will fill out and submit the Risk Assessment form electronically to OHSS, documenting the work environment for each individual listed on the Animal Care and Use Protocol. This includes information on risks within the participants work environment including the following:
      • The functional demands and environmental factors associated with the work to be performed
      • The potential animal exposures
      • Other potential work-site health and safety hazards (i.e., biological, chemical agents, blood borne pathogens)
      • General safety training
    2. The participant reviews the Risk Assessment and accepts, or rejects if changes are needed.
    3. After accepting the Risk Assessment, the participant fills out the confidential Health Questionnaire and submits for review by a Medical Professional.
    4. The Medical Professional reviews the participants Risk Assessment and Health Questionnaire and sends them a Medical Assessment for review.
    5. The participant logs on to the OHSS site and reviews/acknowledges the Medical Assessment. If there are questions from the Medical Professional on either the Health Questionnaire or Risk Assessment a response from the participant will be needed to complete the process.
    6. The IACUC system will be updated once steps 1-5 are completed. The review process may take several working days. In some cases, consultation with a Medical Professional or medical services (i.e., TB testing, respirator clearance, vaccinations) may be required prior to obtaining clearance to enter certain facilities.
    7. Individual facilities may have additional Occupational Health requirements for entry, Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:
      • Nonhuman primate facilities
      • BSL-3 facilities

  2. On-going Assessments

    1. The need for additional reviews, evaluations, and services will be determined by the Occupational Health medical professional based on risk and health history and will range from 1-5 years.
    2. The Principal Investigator is responsible for updating the risk assessment when there are changes in work assignments (i.e., change in species, contact levels) for participants.
    3. Individuals listed on Animal Care and Use Protocols are responsible for updating their personal health records.

  3. Tracking

The IACUC Office is responsible for verifying that individuals listed on a protocol have complied with the Occupational Health Program requirements.  Completion dates are provided to the IACUC Office via a nightly feed from the OHSS system.

4. Training

Individuals listed on an Animal Care and Use Protocol will be provided access to information regarding the following:

  • The availability of medical evaluations and treatment
  • The value of universal precautions and personal hygeine
  • Information regarding allergic reactions and relevant zoonoses based on their particular animal exposures
  • Reproductive health information

Students in Classes

  1. As part of the submission of an Animal Care and Use Protocol for teaching, the instructor will complete the Exposure Assessment form which will be forwarded to the Student Health and Wellness Center Medical Professional by the IACUC office for review and risk category assessment.
    1. The Exposure Assessment form will include a brief description of the class, the species of animals involved, and a description of student contact with the animals.
    2. If a course is determined to be a High Risk (high probability of an adverse health effect, for example, student working with wild-caught mammals or involved with lambing), the instructor MUST consult with a Student Health and Wellness Center Medical Professional to determine if a visit to the class during the first week of the quarter is necessary. The physician will briefly discuss with the class the potential hazards, zooneses and the students’ options for individual medical assessment.
    3. Risk categories:
      • High Risk – High probability of an adverse health effect, for example, students working with wild-caught mammals, or involved with lambing.
      • Low Risk – Low to moderate probability of adverse health effects.
  2. Each Principal Investigator or instructor will provide students enrolled in courses involving animals, Variable-Unit courses or independent study courses that include live, vertebrate animals with the following information:
  3. Veterinary students must complete the Medical Entrance Requirements of the School of Veterinary Medicine.
  4. Other facilities may have additional Occupational Health requirements for entry. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Nonhuman primate facilities
  • BSL-3 facilities

Temporary Affiliates (TAFs) – Visiting researchers and non-UC Davis collaborators

  1. This includes individuals who are listed on an Animal Care and Use Protocol or work with live, vertebrate animals used in research or teaching and who are NOT UC Davis employees or students.
  2. The Temporary Affiliate has the option of receiving a medical evaluation by going through the OHSS process or the Principal Investigator can provide each individual with information pertinent to the protocol on which they are working and document the information has been provided.  The information provided will include, but is not limited to, the following:
    • The availability of and the option to request medical evaluations from Occupational Health
    • Hand-outs or the link to: General Information: Potential Hazards (zoonoses, allergies and injuries)
      Universal Precautions and Personal Hygiene
    • Other potential health and safety hazards
    • The link to the Risk Analysis Tool
    • Advice to contact their personal health care provider for consultation if they have concerns based on the medical evaluation provided by Occupational Health. Persons who are pregnant, immunocompromised, diabetic, or have a history of allergies or other significant medical conditions should contact their personal health care provider for a consultation prior to working with animals.
  3. UC Collaborators must submit a UC Exemption Form indicating they participate in their home institution’s Occupational Health program.
  4. Individual facilities may have additional Occupational Health requirements for entry. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Nonhuman primate facilities
  • BSL-3 facilities

Volunteers

  1. This includes individuals NOT listed on an Animal Care and Use Protocol and who are NOT UC Davis employees or students, however do work with live, vertebrate animals.
  2. The volunteer has the option of receiving a medical evaluation by going through the OHSS process or the Principal Investigator or Facility Manager will provide each individual with information pertinent to the species/protocol on which they are working and document the information has been provided. The information provided will include, but is not limited to, the following:
    • The availability of and the option to request medical evaluations from Occupational Health
    • Hand-outs or the link to: General Information: Potential Hazards (zoonoses, allergies and injuries)
      Universal Precautions and Personal Hygiene
    • Other potential work-site health and safety hazards
    • The link to the Risk Analysis Tool
    • Advice to contact their personal health care provider for consultation if they have concerns based on the medical evaluation provided by Occupational Health. Persons who are pregnant, immunocompromised, diabetic, or have a history of allergies or other significant medical conditions should contact their personal health care provider for a consultation prior to working with animals.
    • Workplace exposures must be reported and treated at Occupational Health Services.
  3. Individual facilities may have additional Occupational Health requirements for entry. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Nonhuman primate facilities
  • BSL-3 facilities

Ancillary Personnel

  1. Ancillary personnel are those employees who do not have direct animal contact in their daily job functions, but who may need to enter an animal area or multi use laboratory in the course of performing their duties.
  2. Ancillary personnel will be provided, by their supervisor or designee, information based on their need for entry into animal care facilities. IACUC staff will provide annual training to Facilities Management employees and is available to provide training to other groups as needed. This training will include, but is not limited to, the following:
    • The availability of and the option to request medical evaluations from Occupational Health
    • Hand-outs or the link to: General Information: Potential Hazards (zoonoses, allergies and injuries)
      Universal Precautions and Personal Hygiene
    • Other potential work-site health and safety hazards
    • The link to the Risk Analysis Tool
    • Advice to contact their personal health care provider for consultation if they have concerns based on the medical evaluation provided by Occupational Health. Persons who are pregnant, immunocompromised, diabetic, or have a history of allergies or other significant medical conditions should contact their personal health care provider for a consultation prior to working with animals.
  3. Individual facilities may have additional Occupational Health requirements for entry. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:
    • Nonhuman primate facilities
    • BSL-3 facilities
  4. Occupational Health Services may be contacted to provide group training sessions upon request.

References

  1. Occupational Health and Safety in the Care and Use of Research Animals
  2. Policy and Procedure 290-25

Procedure: IACUC-25
Date: October 6, 2016
Enabled: PHS, Guide
Supersedes: August 22, 2013