Animal Care Occupational Health and Safety Program
Personnel who work with animals are exposed to a variety of occupational hazards, including zoonotic diseases, animal bites and scratches, allergic reactions, musculoskeletal injuries, and chemical exposures. To comply with the Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, the University has established an Animal Care Occupational Health Program (ACOHP), a subsidiary of the University’s more comprehensive Occupational Health Program (OHP) designed to promote the health and safety of all personnel (staff, faculty, students, and volunteers) who work with animals in both Research and Academic settings.
The ACOHP is overseen by the UTRGV Health/Student and Employee health in conjunction with the Environmental Health, Safety & Risk Management Department (EHSRM), with support from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC).
The program is a comprehensive program consisting of the following elements:
- Occupational Health Team
- Hazard Identification and Enrollment
- Hazard Control
- Preplacement screening of workers
- Preventive Vaccines and Training
- Medical Surveillance
- Injury management/Illness Management and,
- Management of work restrictions, job modifications and return to work.
Because of the diversity of the hazards encountered by animal workers, providing effective occupational health services to such workers is accomplished through a team approach consisting of UTRGV’s Health Care Providers, a Veterinarian and EHSRM Safety Personnel.
Medical support in the form of serum banking, vaccinations, testing, injuries, and infectious disease response is provided through UTRGV Health services located at the following addresses. Each location provides Occupational Health services to those personnel practicing in that general area but are accessible to personnel in all locations. At each location, Professional Licensed Health Professionals including RNs, LVNs, PAs, and APRNs employees work closely with the UTRGV designated physician to provide the services necessary to support all aspects of the program.
Edinburg location:
UT Health RGV - Student/Employee Health
613 N. Sugar Road
Edinburg, TX 78539
Phone: (956) 665-2511
Fax: (956) 665-2512
Brownsville location:
UT Health RGV - Student / Employee Health
Cortez Hall, Suite 237
Brownsville, TX 78520
Phone: (956) 882-3896
Fax: (956) 882-3891
UTRGV Health RGV – Student/Employee Health
2102 Treasure Hills Blvd,
Harlingen, Texas 78550
Phone: (296)-1500
The UTRGV designated physician is:
Dr. Chelsea Chang
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Primary and Community Care ISU
EREBL 2.106
Edinburg, Texas 78539
(956) 686-3220
Attending Veterinarian
UTRGV’s Attending Veterinarian is an important source of knowledge about relevant animal diseases and the necessary procedures for animal handling. He has regular contact with LAR personnel and is one of the chief sources of medical information about occupational health and safety hazards in the workplace pertaining to different animals housed at UTRGV. The attending veterinarian for UTRGVs is:
Dr. Sander Hacker, DVM
Director, Laboratory Animal Resources
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas 78229
Safety Professionals – UTRGV EHSRM
The UTRGV EHSRM have safety professionals who are trained in the identification and engineering control of a wide range of workplace hazards, including chemical, physical, and biological agents. UTRGV works closely with the LAR, IACUC and IBC personnel to design safe strategies for the handling of biological agents, hazardous chemicals such as cleaning agents and anesthetic gases, control of noise, and methods to reduce dust exposures that can cause allergy and infection.
Enrollment into the ACOHP program includes all personnel that work with animals in for research and teaching. Specifically
- Laboratory Animal Research (LAR) full time and part time personnel.
- Research personnel (faculty, staff, and students)
- Academic personnel (faculty, staff, and students)
- Volunteers or visiting faculty or staff involved in animal care or research.
- Veterinarians
All personnel who work with animals are mandated to be evaluated by Laboratory Animal Resources (LAR) and all personnel who have contact with animals are identified and automatically enrolled into the program. The Hazard Identification process is performed by both the Environmental Health Safety and Risk Management (EHSRM), Laboratory Animal Resources (LAR), members of the Institutional Animal and Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and members of the Institutional Biosafety Committee. (IBC).
Each person is evaluated based on relative contact with animals and the degree in which they are in contact with the animals determines their relative participation in the program. For example, personnel with frequent or substantial contact have a higher potential of adverse health effects and must participate in all components of the program (other personnel with less contact may have modified requirements, depending on the risk for adverse health effects).
All personnel enrolled in the program are required to complete a Health Screening Questionnaire. The Health Questionnaire is used to assess the health status of individuals who work with animals. The questionnaire includes questions about the individual’s medical history, including any allergies, chronic conditions, or medications they are taking. The questionnaire is designed to help identify any potential health risks associated with working with animals and to ensure that individuals are healthy enough to perform their job duties safely. The questionnaire is confidentially reviewed by the Designated Physician who resides at UTRGV Health, and any correspondence directed back to the participant is communicated directly through the medical reviewer. The Health Screening Questionnaire must be updated if a person's health status changes. The questionnaire is maintained confidentially and disclosed only with the individual’s prior written consent unless required by law.
A Pre-placement (post offer) is not required, however, is conducted at the time of hire and is conducted for certain positions as described below:
Academic or Research Personnel
A preplacement post-offer job evaluation is not required for academic or research personnel working with animals.
Laboratory Animal Resources
Because of the physical nature of the position, a preplacement physical is conducted on all LAR personnel to determine if a newly hired worker can safely perform the essential physical functions of the job with or without accommodation. The preplacement physical consists of
- first conducting a job analysis conducted by an outside firm that evaluates the abilities necessary to perform the essential functions of the job,
- conducting a physical evaluation of the applicant
- subsequent assessment of the examination and then
- a recommendation as to whether the applicant is qualified with /or without a restriction or accommodation.
The medical provider may need to consult a veterinarian, biosafety professional, or other members of the occupational health team to learn more about specific risks of the job. This pre-placement physical is conducted through the EHSRM Department and is performed in conjunction with the following offsite vendor:
Premier Comprehensive Physical
3115 W. Alberta Rd.
Edinburg, TX 78539
(956) 994-8505
Personnel who work with animals may be required to get vaccinations to protect themselves from diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Several preventive vaccinations may be indicated for animal workers and vary based on the research being conducted and to the degree in which a person is exposed. As with other aspects of the preplacement risk assessment, consultation with the veterinarian or UTRGV Health is advisable.
The following table outlines the UTRGV requirements for vaccinations:
| Type | Applicable Personnel | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
|
TDAP (Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis) |
All | Tetanus Vaccination recommend every 10 years. |
|
Annual Influenza Vaccine |
All | Annually |
|
Hepatitis B |
All LAR Workers |
Primary course*; serologic testing every 10 years booster vaccination if antibody titer is below acceptable level |
| Hepatitis B |
All personnel conducting research with human cell line and blood |
Primary course*; serologic testing every 10 years booster vaccination if antibody titer is below acceptable level |
| Rabies |
Rabies Research Personnel (CDC Risk Group I) |
2 doses, days 0 and 7 |
| Rabies |
People who work with bats. |
2 doses, days 0 and 7 |
| Rabies |
People who interact with, or are at higher risk to interact, with mammals other than bats that could be rabid |
2 doses, days 0 and 7 |
Vaccinations are provided through UTRGV Health services at the locations identified in the Health Care Provider section of this document.
Respiratory Protection
Depending on the nature of the position, the use of a respirator may be warranted, and in conjunction with EHSRM, a determination is made if respiratory protection is required. All personnel who work with animals and require respiratory protection are required to adhere to UTRGV’s Respiratory Protection Program. If workers are required to wear respiratory protection involving N-95 respirators or other types of respirators, all workers are required to be fit tested. The fit testing process is designed to ensure that there is a proper seal between the mask and the persons face and can be either qualitative or quantitative fit testing. All personnel who are fit tested are required to complete the UTRGV respirator questionnaire as part of the respirator medical clearance required under the OSHA Respirator Standard 1910.134. A copy of this questionnaire is included in Attachment A. A physician or other licensed health care professional is required to perform all medical evaluations. The Respiratory Questionnaire is evaluated by the UTRGV Health prior to the fit test being performed. Fit Testing is performed at the following locations:
Qualitative Fit Testing
UTRGV Environmental Health Safety and Risk Management
Training Program
1201 West University Drive
Edinburg, Texas 7839
(956) 665-3690
Quantitative Fit Testing (contact EHSRM to arrange for quantitative fit testing)
Rio Plex Safety Council
110 S. Col Rowe Blvd, 2nd Street
McAllen, Texas 78501
More information regarding UTRGV’s Respiratory Fit Test program is found at the following link:
Training at the time of job entry is required for all animal personnel and is dependent on specific position and to the degree in which personnel are potentially exposed to any infectious or hazardous chemical agents. Aspects of such training include education about zoonotic disease risks, infection control practices, use of personal protective equipment, safe chemical handling techniques, and injury prevention, with emphasis on proper animal handling, restraints, and recognition of behavioral cues in animals Follow-up training in health and safety can take place on a regular basis with animal workers. All training is conducted in compliance with EHSRM, IACUC, and IBC requirements. The following table outlines the specific training requirements.
Table 1. Training Requirements for Animal Personnel.
| Applicable Personnel | Training Requirements for Animal Personnel |
|---|---|
| All | Basic Laboratory Safety Training (Includes Hazard Communication Training) |
| All | Animal Personnel Occupational Health and Safety General |
| All | IACUC based training |
| LAR Personnel All personnel who work with infectious agents, human cells, or human blood | CITI Based Biological Safety Training |
| LAR Personnel | EHSRM Bloodborne Pathogen Training |
| LAR Personnel (Edinburg based) | Biosafety Level III Training |
| All personnel | LAR sponsored specific training |
More information is included at the following link:
UTRGV Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management Training Program
Depending on the degree of occupational risk, animal workers receive periodic evaluations to detect evidence of work-related disease, reassess risk factors for occupational illness and injury, and ensure that vaccinations are current. All medical surveillance is conducted through the UTRGV Healthcare providers at the listed locations.
Serum Banking
Serum banking is the collection and frozen storage of serum samples obtained from employees who may be at risk for an occupationally acquired infection. The National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention require serum banking for employees who work with specific biological agents. UTRGV Health offers serum banking, but animal personnel are not required to participate to work with those agents. The determination of which biological agents include required or offered serum banking is made after review of the research protocols by the EHSRM, IBC Committee, and UTRGV Healthcare providers.
Banking of Serum Samples are at the following location. The location is under access control by UT-Police and EHSRM.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
EREBL 2.180
Edinburg, Texas 78539
LAR Personnel
All LAR personnel are evaluated on an annual basis by UTRGV HealthCare Providers. UTRGV Health Care Providers ask about new health problems that have developed since the last examination, including symptoms of allergy or infection that could indicate increased risk of disease or the occurrence of work-related disease or injury. The questions are primarily based on the workers potential exposure to a zoonotic disease related to the animals in the facility, and Occupational Asthma.
All LAR personnel who work at the Edinburg facility are evaluated on an annual basis for the following infectious agents used at the BSL-3 facility.
- mycobacterium tuberculosis
UTRGV utilizes the NIH guidelines, outlined in the following table that outlines the following questions as it pertains to Occupational Asthma.
Pattern of Symptoms of Work-Related Asthma
- Symptoms of asthma develop after a worker starts a new job or after new materials are introduced on a job (a substantial period of time may elapse between initial exposure and development of symptoms).
- Symptoms develop within minutes of specific activities or exposures at work.
- Delayed symptoms occur several hours after exposure, during the evenings of workdays.
- Symptoms occur less frequently or not at all on days away from work and on vacations.
- Symptoms occur more frequently on returning to work.
If animal personnel has an acute exposure, illness, injury, or employee exposure the employee should take the following steps.
- Notify your supervisor.
Students
For those injuries that are not life threatening, proceed to UTRGV Health/Student and Employee Health.
If the injury is life threatening or needs immediate attention, personnel should go directly to the emergency room or a local emergency clinic.
Students should go to UTRGV Health/Employee student health as soon as possible the following day to file a police report and an incident claim.
Employees
For those injuries that are not life threatening, the employee should complete file a WCI claim with the EHSRM by completing a First Report of Injury form in conjunction with their supervisor and seek attention at an approved network provide.
All medical evaluations of personnel are maintained with strict standards specified in the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Results of baseline and periodic questionnaires and physical examinations (including, but not limited to, information about immunocompromised conditions) represent medical information that should be treated with the same confidentiality as information in a hospital and not shared with the employer. Such information should be kept in a secure chart in a medical office and not placed in an employee's personnel file in the workplace.
Program Staff
Matthew Moncus
Interim Director - Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Mgmt.
EEHSB 1.113
(956) 665-8995
Matthew.Moncus@utrgv.edu
Dr. Chelsea Chang
Associate Professor of Medicine
Primary and Community Care ISU
EREBL 2.106
(956) 686-3220
Chelsea.Chang@utrgv.edu
Dr. Glen Gray
Director - Health Services
Student Health Services
ESTHC 1.101
(956) 665-7851
Glenn.Gray@utrgv.edu
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