Applies to: (examples; Faculty,Staff, Students, etc)
Faculty , Staff , Students , Contractors_Vendors
Faculty , Staff , Students , Contractors_Vendors
Term | Definition |
Animal | In the context of this policy the term applies to live animals, unpreserved tissues or body fluids, animal cages or animal carcasses. The term does not apply to preserved animals. |
Individual | Faculty, staff, student or other person working with or coming in contact with animals covered under this policy |
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) | The IACUC is a federally mandated committee, qualified through the experience and expertise of its members that oversees an institution's animal program, facilities, and procedures. |
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) | Appropriate job specific equipment designed to protect an individual from work risk. Examples of PPE include, but are not limited to, hard hats, plain and prescription safety glasses, goggles, welding helmets, shields, safety shoes, laboratory coats, aprons, gloves, protective clothing, ear muffs or plugs, and respirators. |
Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) | Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) are review boards appointed by an institution to evaluate and approve potentially biohazardous lines of research. Their function is to provide local institutional oversight and approval of nearly all forms of NIH-sponsored research utilizing recombinant DNA (rDNA) in order to ensure that such research is in compliance with the Guidelines.. |
Radiation Safety Committee (RSC) | A committee responsible for monitoring and maintaining a safe radiation environment in institutions where radiation is produced and/or used. |
University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis (UHSP) is committed to providing a safe working environment for all personnel, including individuals who have contact with animals. This would include employees, students and visitors who handle live animals, unpreserved tissues or body fluids, animal cages or animal carcasses. This handling typically occurs in research areas where animals are used.
Risk of Exposure to Animals
Allergic Reaction
Animal or animal products such as dander, hair, scaled fur, saliva and body wastes contain powerful allergens that can cause both respiratory and skin disorders. Allergies and the development of allergies are perhaps the most common hazard associated with working with and around laboratory animals. It is estimated that as many as 40% to 70% may experience allergic reactions of some type when working with laboratory animals. Up to 20% of allergic animal users may develop occupational asthma, which can limit the ability to work and may lead to permanent disability.
Inhalation is one of the most common ways for allergens to enter the body. After a period of time (often several months, but occasionally years), workers may inhale sufficient quantities of allergens to become sensitized, thus they develop symptoms when exposed again, even to tiny amounts of the allergen.
Individuals with a history of allergic reactions are much more likely to develop laboratory animal allergies and the incidence increases with increasing exposure. The purpose of the medical surveillance program and questionnaire is to identify program participants with conditions that could place them at increased risk.
Types of allergic reactions to animals can include:
Injuries
There is risk that those handling animals may be bitten, scratched or sustain some other minor injury from the animals being handled.
Infection
Infectious disease can also be spread between animals and people. Methods of infection could include direct contact, indirect contact (such as areas where animals live and roam, or objects or surfaces that have been contaminated with germs), or vector born (being bitten by a tick, or an insect like a mosquito or a flea).
Other risks
Immunocompromised Individuals
Immunocompromised individuals may be at increased risk for development of infectious diseases as a result of research activities, including working directly with potential pathogens as well as caring for infected animals and their environment.
There are many medical conditions that may cause the immune system to be compromised. These conditions may mean that the individual’s immune system does not work as well as it does in healthy individuals. Some examples include:
Occupational health and safety program
The University maintains an occupational health and safety program to mitigate the risks associated with individuals who work with animals. This program works in combination with other institutional policies such as Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan (ECP), Globally Harmonized System (GHS), Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP) and Hazard Communication, and includes the following components:
Mitigating Risk
Animal related allergies can often be managed by a combination of medical management and work place strategies. Wearing masks, gloves, hair bonnets, shoe covers, laboratory coats, safety glasses, performing animal manipulations within biological hoods, and showering after the workday all help decrease exposure and allergic reactions.
Reporting
All injuries (animal’s bites, including rodent bites) or allergic symptoms from an exposure to animals at work should be reported on a STLCOP injury report as soon as possible. Complete the report https://my.stlcop.edu/hr/Documents/Employee%20accident%20report.pdf here. All injuries/incidents related to work with animals will be reported to the IACUC administrator within 48 hours. If biohazardous materials or chemicals are involved in the incident, then the incident would be reported to the IBC administrator within 48 hours. If the incident involved radioactive materials then the Radiation Safety administrator would notified in a timely manner.
For non-emergent, routine treatment on regular workdays, Monday-Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., call Human Resources at (314) 446-8132 to report the incident; after hours or on weekends, call Public Safety at (314) 446-SAFE to report the incident. A UHSP official will authorize treatment.
In the case of severe symptoms with difficulty breathing, call (314) 446-SAFE, for transport to the emergency room by UHSP Public Safety. Those reporting significant animal allergy symptoms will be contacted by Human Resources for further evaluation.
Identification of animal exposure and participation in the program
The Vice President, Operations is responsible for physical access control to animal facilities as well as management of waste removal, general cleaning, etc. In addition, certain trained program participants may be designated by the Vice President, Operations as authorized to access animal facilities for these non-research purposes. In general, the Vice President, Operations has designated the Coordinator, Emergency Management to assist in procedures.
The Primary Investigator (PI) is responsible for notifying Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) with a list of individuals who will be exposed to animals. Currently, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis partners with the Washington University in St. Louis IACUC.
Individuals exposed will be listed as participants in the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis Occupational Health & Safety Program for Animal Handlers. UHSP Human Resources and the Vice President, Operations will maintain a list of individuals who are participants in this program.
Participant requirements
Education
All participants are required to complete the required occupational health module for information for training on risks associated with animal exposure.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
The primary investigator is required to train the individual regarding personal protective equipment for use with the animals the individual will come into contact with. It is the individual’s responsibility to follow appropriate use of PPE.
Health evaluation
New Participants
Individuals participating in the animal handling program must complete a UHSP Occupational Health & Safety Screening for Animal Handlers Health Form. The form should be submitted to Human Resources at UHSP and reviewed by a health professional prior to being granted access to the animal facility.
Human Resources, or designee, such as the Vice President, Operations, shall authorize medical evaluation of the completed form at an approved vendor such as:
BarnesCare Midtown 5000 Manchester Ave St Louis, MO 63110 Phone:(314) 747-5800 Fax:(314) 747-5866 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday |
Concentra - Midtown 6542 Manchester Ave St. Louis, MO 63139 Phone:(314) 647-0081 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday |
Ongoing Participants or Participants with Health Changes
A subsequent evaluation form will be completed for all individuals in the program on at least an annual basis to ensure that health situations haven’t changed. Should a change be noted, this information will be re-evaluated by the contracted health professional.
In addition, should an individual become aware of a health change such as pregnancy or becoming immunocompromised it is the individual’s responsibility to complete a new form immediately and submit it to Human Resources. This form will be re-evaluated by the contracted health professional. If an individual has a change in work place conditions, such as working with a different species, then it is the individual’s responsibility to complete a new form immediately and submit it to Human Resources.
Results of the Health Evaluation
The health evaluation will be reviewed by a physician with occupational health hazard background and reported to Human Resources. Upon receipt of the assessment report from the physician at the facility, Human Resources will review the report and share results with the individual if specific health hazards are identified. The individual may follow up with the provider to discuss specific medical management or work place strategies required to work with animals.
It is possible that based on that evaluation an individual may not to be able to mitigate risk sufficiently to work with animals. If that is the case, once the individual has been notified,
Human Resources will track the results of the health evaluation in HR Information Systems and in the Occupational Health Record of the employee.
Results Report
Once an individual has successfully completed all steps of the program Human Resources will notify the Vice President, Operations (or designee).
Animal Facility Access
The Emergency Management Coordinator will coordinate physical access controls to the animal facility based on completion of the program. Completion of general laboratory safety training, personal protective equipment, bloodborne pathogens training and globally harmonized system training is also required before access can be granted to the animal facility.
Confidentiality
All information obtained through the health evaluation process will be kept confidential by Human Resources. However, information may be shared with appropriate UHSP leaders and key WU program administrators, as determined by the Director of Human Resources, with a legitimate business need to know.
Visitors
From time to time researchers may want to grant access to students, faculty or other researchers for short periods of time to animal facilities. These short-term visitors need not complete a health evaluation if they participate in a similar program at their home institution and sign a waiver. A waiver must be completed by the visitor, Primary investigator (PI) and maintained on file with the Vice President, Operations. The waiver form should be completed prior to entry to the animal facility. See the attached UHSP Animal Facility Visitor Release Form.
Position/Office/Department | Responsibility |
Director, Human Resources |
|
Vice President, Operations |
|
Primary Investigator (PI) |
|
Individuals with access to animal facilities |
|
Personal Protective Equipment – PPE - Policy
Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan (ECP)
Globally Harmonized System (GHS)
Hazard Communication (on file with UHSP EH&S)
Name | Contact Information |
Daniel Bauer | 314-446-8308, Daniel.Bauer@uhsp.edu |
Eric Knoll | 314-446-8375, Eric.Knoll@uhsp.edu |
STLCOP Occupational Health & Safety Screening for Animal Handlers Health Form