Kathy Heivilin, BS, CPIA, RBP
IACUC Vice Chair, Senior IACUC Manager
UM Biosafety Officer
406-243-6395
Occupational Health & Safety Program
OH&S Flow Chart
Date Adopted: September 7, 2005
Last Review Date: June 1, 2018
I. Policy
The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals requires that "an occupational health program must be part of the overall animal care and use program." The goal of the occupational health and safety (OH&S) program is to prevent occupational injury and illness by avoiding, controlling or eliminating hazards in the workplace as well as to provide for early diagnosis and treatment when necessary.
To assure compliance with this requirement, it is the policy of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee to provide procedural recommendations to the Institutional Official for a comprehensive, risk-based OH&S program to be offered to all students, employees, and visitors who work with or near laboratory or wild animals in the course of their association with the University of Montana.
II. Procedures
A. Responsibility
1. The institution is responsible for providing an occupational health and safety
program (OH&S) for the animal care and use program.
program (OH&S) for the animal care and use program.
2. The OH&S program is administered by the Office of the Vice-President for
Research.
Research.
3. The Vice-President for Research serves as the Institutional Official for the animal
care and use program.
care and use program.
4. The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) makes
recommendations to the IO concerning the procedures involved in the OH&S
program.
recommendations to the IO concerning the procedures involved in the OH&S
program.
B. Participation
1. All students, employees, and visitors who work with or near laboratory or wild
animals in the course of their association with the University of Montanaare
offered the opportunity to participate.
animals in the course of their association with the University of Montana
2. The extent and level of participation of personnel in the OH&S program is
based on risk assessment by a qualified OH&S physician.
based on risk assessment by a qualified OH&S physician.
3. All new classified Laboratory Animal Resources (LAR) personnel are required to
have pre-employment medical surveillance evaluation.
have pre-employment medical surveillance evaluation.
4. Participant capture and training
a. Visitors
1) Right-to-know hazard information posted in the animal facility
2) LAR main entrances
a) OH&S informational letters
b) Risk assessment forms/postage-paid envelopes
c) Sign-in sheet verifying availability of information
d) Declination to participate in OH&S program
b. Employees and animal users
1) All information available to visitors as listed above and additional
items listed below
items listed below
2) Annual training by IACUC and LAR - includes reminders of updating
risk assessment with changes in medical conditions or animal exposure
intensity
risk assessment with changes in medical conditions or animal exposure
intensity
a) LAR facility users and principal investigators (PI)
b) Wildlife researchers
c) Maintenance personnel
d) Security personnel
3) Identification through experimental hazards assessment
a) Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
b) Radiation Safety Committee (RSC)
c) Animal Use Protocol (AUP) evaluated by IACUC
c. Annual policy reminder to department chairs and PIs with active AUPs
1) IACUC Coordinator distributes OH&S policy and instructions for risk
assessment
assessment
2) Encourages PI identification of visiting scientists, new students,
research personnel
research personnel
C. Risk Assessment
1. AUPs - assess experimental hazards
a. Approval number required, when applicable, from
1) Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
2) Radiation Safety Committee (RSC)
b. Descriptions of safety procedures, personal protective equipment, and
knowledge of zoonotic risks required in AUP
knowledge of zoonotic risks required in AUP
2. Work Environment (non-experimental hazards) - LAR facilities evaluated annually
by on-site visits by
by on-site visits by
a. Occupational Health Physician
b. Environmental Health & Risk Management (EH&RM) Office
3. Personnel - medical history and animal exposure intensity evaluated by OH&S
physician
physician
a. Risk assessment questionnaire initially and when any changes in medical
conditions or animal exposure intensity occur
conditions or animal exposure intensity occur
b. Medical surveillance questionnaire annually for personnel assessed as
high risk by the OH&S physician
high risk by the OH&S physician
4. Risk assessment or medical surveillance required for Griz (proximity) card access
to LAR facilities and before beginning wildlife field work
to LAR facilities and before beginning wildlife field work
D. OH&S Provider
1. Contracted by the University of Montana
2. Primary responsibilities (see flow chart, page 1)
a. Reviews individual medical questionnaires
1) Risk assessment
2) Medical surveillance
b. Provides physical examinations, consultations, and post-exposure
counseling on a case-by-case basis
counseling on a case-by-case basis
c. Conducts an annual hazard assessment of LAR facilities
d. Assesses hazards of novel projects at the request of the IACUC
e. Provides feedback to IACUC of identified trends in occupation-related
diseases of participants and recommends preventive intervention
diseases of participants and recommends preventive intervention
3. Communication (see flow chart)
a. Informs IACUC Coordinator and participant electronically
1) Risk assessment - no medical surveillance necessary
2) Risk assessment - medical surveillance warranted, individual
cleared for animal work without restrictions
cleared for animal work without restrictions
b. Informs IACUC Coordinator and participant by letter
1) Medical surveillance - further evaluation by OH&S physician - cleared
with restrictions
with restrictions
2) Medical surveillance - further evaluation by OH&S physician - serious
health problem or direct threat to himself/herself or others
4. Recordkeeping by OH&S Physician Office
a. Maintains confidential medical information according to the Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
b. Personal medical information is not shared with the University of Montana
E. IACUC Coordinator
1. Communication (see flow chart)
a. Sends annual reminders to current medical surveillance participants
b. Sends annual policy reminders, participation opportunity, and risk
assessment forms to
assessment forms to
1) All PIs with current AUPs
c. Provides information for participants needing respirators
1) Contact information for EH&RM
2) Required paperwork completed for
a) Medical surveillance
b) Respirator questionnaire
c) Verification of OH&S physician clearance for fit-test
2. Recordkeeping -- maintain:
a. List of PIs and animal users from AUPs who require OH&S training and risk
assessment
assessment
b. Records of individuals attending OH&S training sessions
c. Records of IACUC notifications from OH&S physician of cleared personnel
d. Records of reminders distributed and dates sent