Program overview

Personnel working with or near research animals face several occupational health risks, including the possibility of allergic reactions, animal-related injuries such as bites or kicks, zoonoses (diseases that spread from animals to humans), and exposure to hazardous materials.

The Occupational Health and Safety Program (OHSP) provides information and procedures to protect the health and safety of these individuals.

OHSP has 3 parts:

• Risk assessment
• Training
• Medical surveillance

Risk assessment

Risk assessment evaluates the physical risks, work processes, and hazardous materials related to the work and the environment in which it's conducted.

Requirement

Every individual working with or in close proximity to research animals, even if there is no exposure to animals, must complete a risk assessment to determine if their medical status may make him or her more susceptible to possible illnesses.

Vivarium access can be denied or revoked until the UCSD Center for Occupational & Environmental Medicine (COEM) has medically cleared you to work in a vivarium environment.

How to get a risk assessment

1. Print and complete forms A, B, and C below. Contact Deborah Durand, Vivarium Safety Officer, (858) 534-6715, if you need assistance with the forms.
   • Form A: Risk Assessed Work Evaluation Questionnaire for Employees or Affiliates with Animal Contact (PDF) (Word)
   • Form B: COEM Registration & Charge Document (PDF) (Word)
   • Form C: Medical History Questionnaire for Employees or Affiliates with Animal Contact (PDF) (Word)
2. What to do with the forms:

   If you have not yet attended Orientation to Animal Research at UCSD training:

   • Bring the completed forms with you to the training class and give them to the Vivarium Safety Officer.

   If you have attended Orientation to Animal Research at UCSD training:

   • Mail the completed forms to the Vivarium Safety Officer at Mail Code 0089. To protect your privacy, put forms B and C in a separate sealed envelope.

Based on questionnaire results, some individuals will be required to participate in medical surveillance. Others may be strongly encouraged to consult an occupational health professional.

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Training

Required training

All employees working with research animals must take Orientation to Animal Research at UCSD presented by Animal Care Program Technical Training Services.

Additional training

Additional training may be required or recommended for specific risk factors or conditions specific to your job tasks. Other training resources include:

• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
• UCSD Occupational & Environmental Medicine
• Biosafety Training
• Hazardous Waste Training
• Hearing Conservation Training
• General Lab Safety and Chemical Safety Training
• Radiation Safety Training

Principal investigators (PIs) are responsible for assessing health and safety risks associated with their research projects and implementing appropriate practices, equipment, and training to minimize risks.

• Consult with Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) (858) 534-6059, regarding:
  • Facilities design and maintenance
  • Research design and procedures
  • Hazardous materials involved

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Medical surveillance

Requirement

Medical monitoring is required for employees who:

• Perform animal husbandry as an essential function of their job
• Work with non-human primates, pregnant non-rodent mammals, wild birds, or wild mammals
• Work in the vicinity of animals but not directly with them

PIs are responsible for ensuring that faculty, staff, and students working in their research space participate in medical surveillance as required.

• Costs associated with medical surveillance exams are the PI's responsibility. University-provided medical insurance programs do not cover work-related medical surveillance.
• Costs for these exams are generally under $200. However, lab work, serum storage, blood titers, and vaccines are an additional expense.
• A triennial schedule applies for most people participating in medical exams. In other cases, annual medical evaluations are required.

UCSD Center for Occupational & Environmental Medicine, (619) 471-9210, is the only acceptable provider of medical exams.

• Consultations and exams are specific to the species each person contacts.
• COEM maintains all medical records associated with medical surveillance.

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Related resources

• Occupational Health & Safety Program for Individuals with Research Animal Exposure (PDF)
• Zoonoses: Occupational Health and Safety (PDF) (Word file)

Questions? Contact Deborah Durand, Vivarium Safety Officer, (858) 534-6715.