ALAT - Chapter 4

Occupational Health and Safety

Dr. Carrie Freed, DACLAM, DVM, MLAS

Freed.36@osu.edu, 292-7319

OSHA

• Every institution with an animal research program

must have an occupational health and safety

program

• Who is OSHA?

– Department of Labor

• Occupational Health and Safety Administration

– main federal agency that enforces rules or standards related

to workplace safety

• Main areas of interest

– zoonotic disease

– allergen exposure

– accident and injury reporting

– ergonomics

• Also state and local standards apply

Other Safety Standards

• Radioactive materials

– NRC = Nuclear Regulatory Commission

• Infectious agents

– CDC = Center for Disease Control

– Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories

(BMBL), published by the CDC

• Other references

– ILAR published

• Occupational Health and Safety in the Care and Use of

Research Animals

• Occupational Health and Safety in the Care and Use of

Nonhuman Primates

Occupational Health Program is usually coordinated by:

Health Screening

• Detailed questionnaire and medical history

– You should disclose allergies or medical

conditions

• 10-44 % of workers develop allergies

• Allergies -> asthma

• Pregnancy - cats/Toxoplasma gondi

• Risk Assessment

– Protecting the animals (NHP)

• Tuberculin skin test

• Ensure titer levels or be vaccinated for measles,

mumps, and influenza

– Protecting you!!

• Vaccination recommendation: Hepatitis B,

Rabies, study specific pathogens

Personal Hygiene

• Eating and drinking only in appropriate areas

• Proper storage of personal items

• Proper hand washing

• Entry and exit showers

Personal Protective Equipment

• Uniforms vs street clothes

• Appropriate footwear

• Bonnets

• Eye & Face protection

– splashes but not aerosols

• Masks & Respirators/PAPR

• Gloves

• Hearing protection (required in areas averaging

over 85 Db in 8 hours)

• Always wear appropriate PPE and follow SOPs

Respiratory protection N-95 NIOSH respirator :

-effectively limits 95% of agents

0.3 um in size

Beyond your

test info, just

FYI

Occupational Health and Safety Program

What are the risks?

•Physical

•Bite wounds, falls, equipment

Occupational Health and Safety Program

What are the risks?

•Physical

•Chemical: cleaning, disinfectants,

solvents, etc

Occupational Health and Safety Program

What are the risks?

http://idiopathicmedicine.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/needlestick1.jpeg

Sharps

Testing agents

• Pressurized gas

• Noise

– Machinery, vocal animals

• Dim lighting

• Electricity

• Radioactive materials

– Time

– Distance

– Shielding

Hazards

Hazard Prevention • Material safety data sheets (MSDS) should be

available for all chemicals used with the animal

facility

• Store and label chemical properly

• Clean up spills immediately

• Clear exits and plans

http://www.msdsonline.com/

Hazard Prevention • Know where emergency

showers and eye wash stations

are located

• How long must a body part or

eye be flushed to be considered

effective ?

– 15 minutes

– High pressure or low pressure?

– Water or Saline?

This is determined by?

– ANSI (American National

Standards Institute)?

Ergonomic Hazards • Most common type of injury: sprains and strains

aka musculo-skeletal

– Always use proper technique for lifting

• Repetitive motion injuries

– Take short frequent breaks to stretch

– Perform different tasks

• Allergens

– Symptoms include nasal discharge, itchy eyes, skin

rashes

– What are the most common allergens?

• Mouse urine, dander, fur

Infectious Hazards • What does

zoonotic mean?

– Can be transmitted

from animals to

humans

• How can zoonotic

diseases be

prevented?

– PPE and properly

following SOPs

Examples of Zoonotic Disease

• Rabies

– Caused by bites from mammals infected with virus

especially bats, raccoons, skunks, dogs, cats, ruminants

– Causes death without medical treatment

• Tuberculosis

– Caused by inhalation of aerosols or contact with broken

skin

– Transmitted by many species

• Toxoplasmosis

– Caused by ingestion or inhalation of infected cat feces or

contaminated meat

– Causes flu-like symptoms, birth defects, miscarriages

Examples of Zoonotic Disease

• Q fever – Cattle, sheep, and goats are primary host of infective

organism. Highest concentration of organism found

in female reproductive tissues and amniotic fluid of

pregnant animals

• B virus – Caused by virus present in any species of macaque

monkey

– Monkeys show no sign of disease

– Potentially fatal to humans!

– Use appropriate precautions and PPE at all times

when near macaques, caging, and wastes

Biohazardous Agents

• Agents that cause disease in humans. Animals

may be experimentally infected with these

microorganisms.

• These types of studies are conducted in

designated areas designed for safe handling and

containment of organisms.

• Require additional safety equipment and

practices when handling animals and also

their wastes and caging

Signs

• Signs are required for identification of each type

of hazardous material.

– Placed on the doors and walls

– Provide additional contact information

• ALATs should recognize the following symbols

• FIG 4.2 …

What to do in case of an accident ?

• First Aid : TOP PRIORITY

– Eye or mouth Splash

• Flush – 15 minute

– Wound from bite or scratch

• Placed under running water for 15 minutes

• Scrub with Soap

• Reporting

• Evaluation of Person

• Investigate Accident

• If you are present in the facility when a major

disaster or accident occurs, what should be

your first priority?

Preserve human life

• What type of injury can be prevented by taking

frequent short breaks to rest and stretch the

body?

• Which animal is most likely to harbor the B

virus?

• What is the minimum sound level that is

considered a noise hazard?

Repetitive motion

Macaque

85dB

THE

END