LABORATORY ANIMAL OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM

Description

Introduction | Purpose | Participants | Responsibilities | Risk Assessment | Training & Education |
Medical History Questionnaire | Laboratory Animal Occupational Health Risk Assessment Form

Introduction

An occupational health program is essential for personnel who work in laboratory animal facilities, or who through their work, handle, maintain or use animals for teaching or research. These types of animal contact potentially expose personnel to physical demands, allergens, and hazardous agents, including infectious diseases, radioactive materials, and toxic substances. The most significant occupational health risks are allergic reactions, animal-related injuries (e.g. bites, kicks) and zoonoses. Allergies affect about 20% of workers involved with research animals. Wild or domestic animals can carry diseases (zoonoses) such as hantavirus, Herpesvirus simiae, plague, psittacosis, Q-fever, and rabies, which are transmissible to people. For further information on the risk of working with laboratory animals, please go to www.its.caltech.edu/~olar/occ_health.htm. We believe that by following proper procedures and taking appropriate precautionary steps, many of these risks can be minimized. The Laboratory Animal Occupational Health Program is made up of three components:

1. Participant specific risk assessment
2. Occupational Safety Training regarding hazards associated with working with animals
   
3. Medical history questionnaire and medical surveillance
   

This program incorporates the requirements of:
- 8 CCR 3203 (Illness and Injury Prevention Program)
- Caltech Environment, Health and Safety Mission Statement
- Occupational Health and Safety in the Care and Use of Research Animals (National Academy Press, 1997) [TOP]

Purpose

The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is committed to providing a healthy and safe work environment. The Laboratory Animal Occupational Health Program has been designed to:
i. Protect individuals form work-related risks associated with exposure to animals through a program of species-specific health information, education and risk based medical evaluation.
ii. Protect the health of research animals from certain transmissible diseases.
iii. Be pertinent to the species with which individuals are exposed and the work they perform (www.its.caltech.edu/~olar). [TOP]

Participants

All CIT personnel who work in laboratory animal facilities or who have "contact" with laboratory animals or animal tissue must participate in this program. A determination of what constitutes "contact" includes consideration of such factors as the animal species, the microbiological status of the animals and the frequency of animal contact. Mandatory participation is required for personnel who are responsible for the direct care of animals their living quarters, those individuals who have direct contact with animals (live or sacrificed), their viable tissues, body fluids, or wastes.

Participation is mandatory for the following groups:
- Veterinary care and animal husbandry staff
- Faculty, students and staff listed on approved animal protocols
- IACUC committee members
- Facility staff that perform maintenance work in the animal care facilities

Participation is voluntary for the following groups:
- Persons who work in the vicinity of animals (not working directly with animals) have the option to participate if they have a health condition that could increase the risk of acquiring or increase the severity of a disease associated with their animal contact. Individuals who fall in this category may have the following conditions:

1. Known allergies or suspected allergies to animals;
2. Chronic health problems such as diabetes;
3. Serious renal or liver disease;
4. Valvular heart disease;
5. Immune system deficiencies or other limitations to your ability to fight off disease;
6. Current therapy with high dose steroids, radiation therapy or cancer therapies;
7. History of problems with your spleen or absence of your spleen;
8. Pregnant or planning to get pregnant?

- Visitors to the animal facilities will be provided a copy of the Laboratory Animal Occupational Health Program pamphlet outlining the hazards associated with animals. All visitors must sign that they have read and understood the information. In addition, all visitors must be escorted by a trained animal facility staff member when going through the animal facility. [TOP]

Responsibilities

Environmental, Health and Safety

• Administer and maintain the laboratory animal occupational health program.
• Evaluate completed risk assessment to determine the need for engineering controls, training and written procedures.
• Provide necessary training to faculty, staff and students regarding occupational hazards.
• Assess and revise program as necessary.
  

  Principal Investigators

• Implement appropriate practices and equipment to minimize risks associated with their research projects.
• Ensure that all group members that work with animals are part of the lab animal occupational health program.

  Office of Laboratory Animal Research

• Provide training regarding the care and use of laboratory animals.
• Require the participation of all researchers on approved animal protocols.
• Provide information on zoonosis associated with laboratory animals to the Caltech community.
• Provide routine evaluation of laboratory animal health status and report pathogens with zoonotic potential to Environment, Health and Safety.

  Medical Provider (Currently, Huntington Center for Occupational Health)

• Review completed medical questionnaires.
• Provide follow-up and consultation when needed.

Participant

• Complete risk assessment form
• Participate in appropriate training and education as required
• If required under the program, submit medical history questionnaire and participate in medical evaluation/surveillance [TOP]
  

Risk Assessment

An essential step towards creating a safe working environment is the assessment of the risks related to the work and the environment in which it is conducted. Risk assessment begins with evaluating and understanding the risks related to the hazardous materials, physical hazards, and work processes.

Each participant will complete a risk assessment to determine the participant's level of risk to animal allergies, zoonoses, illnesses, bites/cuts, and other physical injuries. Based on the risk assessment, training and completion of a medical questionnaire may be necessary. [TOP]

Training & Education

All people working with research animals are required to attend an orientation to animal research or Level One training course, offered by the Office of Laboratory Animal Research (OLAR). The risk assessment will be used to determine what additional training/education isnecessary to address specific risk factors or conditions. Training may be provided by OLAR; Huntington Center for Occupational Health, the Environment, Health and Safety Office, the principal investigator, or the laboratory manager. Training materials may be presented in different media such as classes, web pages, written instructions, meetings, standard operating procedures, one-on-one training, medical consultation, etc. Possible topics include: specific animal classes, zoonoses information, medical counseling, pre-project health and safety considerations meetings, bloodborne pathogens, chemical safety, radiation safety, biosafety, etc. [TOP]

Medical History Questionnaire

Certain participants will be identified via risk assessment and asked to complete a Medical History Questionnaire, which will be provided to the medical provider (Huntington Occupational Health Clinic). Participants required to complete medical questionnaires include individuals:

• working with animals
• working in areas where animals are housed
• involved in veterinary care or animal husbandry
• working with human specimens (cells, body fluids, etc.) in conjunction with animal studies.

The Medical History Questionnaire will be reviewed by an occupational health physician from the medical provider (Huntington Occupational Health Clinic). The occupational health physician will determine if the participant needs to implement additional safety precautions before working with laboratory animals based on the participant's medical history and completed risk assessment. All records of medical histories or medical examinations will be maintained by the medical provider (Huntington Occupational Health Clinic) in accordance with regulatory requirements. CIT does not have access to confidential medical records. The medical provider will provide the participant's supervisor or advisor with an overall evaluation of the results of the review such as whether the participant has any restrictions but will not reveal any information about the participant's medical condition.

The occupational health physician will determine on case by case basis what additional medical surveillance is required based on participant's exposure level and medical history.

Laboratory Animal Occupational Health Risk Assessment Form