Occupational Health and Safety in the Care and Use of Research Animals (1997) / Chapter Skim
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OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH-CARE SERVICES
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH-CARE SERVICES
Pages 123-134
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From page 123... ...
The occupational health-care service works within the occupational health and safety program to ensure that risks associated with the use of research animals are kept to an acceptable minimum. The wide variety of acceptable arrangements for providing occupational health-care services reflects the variation in institutional needs and resources, including the size of the animal care and use program, the nature of the risks, and access to occupational health-care services.
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From page 124... ...
The Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, which was revised in response to the Health Research Extension Act of 1986, requires institutions that receive federal funds to provide occupational health-care services to employees who work in laboratory animal facilities and have substantial animal contact. The National Institutes of Health Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules (NIH 1994)
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From page 125... ...
Substantial contact with research animals or their tissues is an important consideration in assessing health risks, although it is inadequate as the sole criterion for assessing risk. Several aspects of a job merit consideration, including exposure intensity, exposure frequency, the hazards associated with the animal being handled, the hazardous properties of the agents that are used in research, the susceptibility of the individual, and the occupational-health history of previous employees.
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From page 126... ...
Serological surveillance Periodic collection and testing of serum samples for at-risk employees is recommended where there is substantial risk of occupationally acquired infection with the agent under study and methods are available to measure immunologic response to the agent. Testing of the sample should be conducted at each collection and the results communicated to the employee.
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From page 127... ...
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH-CARE SERVICES 127 TABLE 7-2 Assessment of Risk Associated with Animal-Related Research Possible Criterion Classifications Information Sources Exposure intensity High Job profile, environmental health and Medium safety assessment, employee history Low Absent Exposure frequency 8 h/wk or more Job profile, environmental health and Less than 8 h/wk safety assessment, employee history No direct contact Never Hazards posed by animals Severe illness Institutional veterinarian Moderate illness Mild illness Illness unlikely Hazards posed by materials Severe illness Material-safety data sheets; CDC-NIH used in or with animals Moderate illness agent summary statements; Mild illness radiation-, chemical-, and Illness unlikely biological-safety committees; environmental health and safety staff Susceptibility of employee Direct threata Medical evaluation, review of Permanent increase personal medical records Temporary increase Expected incidence or High Published reports, industry experience prevalence Medium Low Absent History of occupational Severe Worker-compensation reports, illness or injury in the Moderate OSHA 200 log position or workplace Mild None Regulatory requirements Required for any Environmental health and safety contact office, consultants, risk managers Professional judgment permitted aReasonable probability of substantial harm. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (PL 101336)
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From page 128... ...
It is essential that veterinarians, investigators, and environmental health and safety professionals participate in the orientation and continuing training of health-care providers about zoonoses, exposures, illnesses, and other health risks associated with the care and
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From page 129... ...
Greater value comes from occupational health-care services that are selectively and judiciously based on work activities that place employees at risk of occupational injury or illness. For example, a preplacement medical evaluation usually consists of a review of functional demands of a position, hazards associated with the animal species involved, potential experimental hazards, and the employee's medical history.
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From page 130... ...
Medical Evaluations The preplacement evaluation serves several functions in the occupational health-care service. Every employee who is identified to participate in various activities of the health-care service and is subject to substantial risk in the animal care and use program should undergo a preplacement medical evaluation.
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From page 131... ...
The time spent with an employee in a medical evaluation might be better spent in taking a careful history based on a knowledge of worksite risks, informing the employees of the nature of hazards and the means of protecting against them, and warning signals of illness. Episodic Health Evaluations Persistent symptoms, symptoms that indicate the onset of a work-related illness, or the occurrence of a work-related injury should prompt appropriate medical evaluation and care.
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From page 132... ...
Immunization Immunization programs are an accepted method of protecting people from some infectious diseases. The decision to immunize an employee should be made because of a clearly defined, recognized risk at the time of preplacement, periodic, or episodic health evaluations (guidance for administration of specific vaccines and toxoids -- such as for hepatitis B, rabies, and tetanus -- is provided by the Public Health Service Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (IPAC 1996)
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From page 133... ...
Its use as such a source is discouraged because it diverts resources from aspects of the program aimed at reducing workplace health risks. Some employers choose to use the occupational health-care service for general health promotion, such as blood-pressure measurement, cholesterol screening, and education about healthy lifestyles.
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From page 134... ...
. • The health-care service requests consultation from the environmental health and safety staff in the case of health alterations or occupational disease or injury.
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