Safety Services
Sections
In this section
Safety Services

276 Hoagland Hall
Davis, CA 95616

 
Safety Services > IACUC > Policies > Occupational Health Program for Animal Care and Use Personnel
Personal tools

Occupational Health Program for Animal Care and Use Personnel

 

Policy

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

 

UC Davis Employees or Students Listed on an Animal Care and Use Protocol

  1. Risk Categories: An individual’s risk category will be determined by an Occupational Health medical provider after review of the information provided in the Risk Assessment and Health Surveillance Questionnaires.
    1. High Risk: Examples include but are not limited to the following:
      • Animal care staff
      • Individuals who work with non-human primates, BSL-3 agents, or wild rodents
      • Individuals with known animal allergies
      • Individuals who work with lambing sheep and/or kidding goats
      • Individuals whose health history places them at higher risk (i.e. those who are pregnant, immuno-compromised or have other significant medical conditions)
    2. Low Risk: Includes all others who work with live vertebrate animals and who are not at high risk.
    3. Minimal Risk: Those who do not normally have direct contact with live, vertebrate-animals, but who may be exposed to them.
  2. Initial Medical Assessment Process
    1. All individuals (including the Principal Investigator) listed on an Animal Care and Use Protocol must submit an initial medical assessment PRIOR to working with animals.
      1. The Principal Investigator will complete and submit the Risk Assessment Form electronically to UC Davis Occupational Health Services (http://safetyservices.ucdavis.edu/occupational-health-services/acu), documenting the work environment for each individual listed on the Animal Care and Use Protocol. This information includes:
        • 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
      2. Each individual will then submit his or her medical history electronically to UC Davis Occupational Health Services using the Health Assessment Questionnaire.
      3. An Occupational Health medical provider will make a medical assessment and contact the participant once the risk category is determined.
      4. Individual facilities may have additional Occupational Health requirements for entry. Examples include but are not limited to the following:
        • California National Primate Research Center
        • Center for Neuroscience Annex
        • BSL-3 facilities
  3. On-going Assessments
    1. For those at High Risk or Low Risk, the need for additional reviews, evaluations, and services will be determined by the Occupational Health medical provider based on the initial assessment, the individual's annual injury records, and reported health status changes.
    2. The Principal Investigator is responsible for updating the risk assessment when there are changes in work assignments (change in species, contact level, etc) for participants.
    3. Individuals listed on Animal Care and Use Protocols are responsible for updating their personal health records.
  4. Tracking

    5. The IACUC Office is responsible for verifying that individuals listed on a protocol have complied with the Occupational Health Program requirements for initial risk assessment. Notification will be provided to the IACUC when an individual has completed his or her initial evaluation.

  5. Training

    6. 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 hygiene
    • 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 (part of the online protocol form, see example here) which will be forwarded to the Cowell Student Health medical provider 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, students working with wild-caught mammals or involved with lambing), the instructor MUST consult with a Cowell Student Health medical provider 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, zoonoses 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 instructor will provide students exposed to live vertebrate animals with the following information:
  3. For Variable-Unit courses or independent study courses with animal contact, the Principal Investigator or instructor must provide each individual with information pertinent to the protocol on which they are working. This will include, but is not limited to, the following:
  4. Veterinary students must complete the Medical Entrance Requirements of the School of Veterinary Medicine.
  5. Students doing course work at the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) must comply with the medical entrance requirements of CNPRC.
  6. Other facilities may have additional Occupational Health requirements for entry. Examples include but are not limited to the following:
    • Center for Neuroscience Annex
    • BSL-3 facilities

 

Visiting Researchers & non-UC Davis Collaborators

  1. This includes individuals who are listed on an Animal Care and Use Protocol or have contact with live vertebrate animals used in research or teaching and who are NOT UC Davis employees or students.
  2. The Principal Investigator will provide each individual with information pertinent to the protocol on which they are working and document that the information has been provided. The information provided will include, but is not limited to, the following:
  3. UC Collaborators must submit an UC Exemption form (PDF, MS Word) 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:
    • California National Primate Research Center
    • Center for Neuroscience Annex
    • 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 have contact with live vertebrate animals used in research or teaching.
  2. The Principal Investigator or Facility Manager will provide each individual with information pertinent to the species/protocol on which they are working and document that the information has been provided. The information provided will include, but is not limited to, the following:
  3. Individual facilities may have additional Occupational Health requirements for entry. Examples include but are not limited to the following:
    • California National Primate Research Center
    • Center for Neuroscience Annex
    • 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 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. This training will include, but is not limited to, the following:
  3. Individual facilities may have additional Occupational Health requirements for entry. Examples include but are not limited to the following:
    • California National Primate Research Center
    • Center for Neuroscience Annex
    • BSL-3 facilities
  4. Occupational Health Services may be contacted to provide group training sessions upon request.

 

 

Procedure: IACUC-47
Date: 1/8/2009
Enabled By: PHS, Guide
Supersedes: New