Occupational Safety
Occupational Health & Safety
Occupational health and safety principles require that personnel caring for and/or using animals know the hazards associated with their work, understand how these hazards are controlled, have safe practices, and use protective supplies and equipment. Before beginning animal research, personnel must be familiar with the health risks involved, including those associated with the species involved. Relevant to all personnel caring for and/or using animals are the following:
To evaluate additional risk factors associated with the use of a species, click below:
| Mice | Rabbits | Reptiles/Amphibians |
| Rats | Swine | Marine Species |
| Hamsters | Cats | Nonhuman Primates |
| Guinea Pigs | Dogs | Wild Rodents |
| Avian/Birds | Ruminants | Wild Mammals |
Research & Animal Care Personnel
New research/animal care personnel complete and provide the IACUC with the following form:
Health and Risk Assessment for Employee Safety in the Care and Use of Animals (PDF)
If an occupational health care professional should be made aware of any previously undeclared, existing, or possible future conditions which could affect your ability to perform your research duties without risk of substantial harm, complete the following form:
Health History Assessment (MS Word)
Whenever appropriate, at-risk individuals are provided services for documentation/verification
of immunization against rabies, rubella, rubeola, varicella, hepatitis B, and diphtheria/tetanus:
and documentation of a negative PPD skin test for tuberculosis, or if the PPD skin
test is positive, and a negative chest radiograph.
Students Attending Laboratories or Classes:
Prior to teaching/training laboratories using animals, IACUC-certified staff document that attending students are aware of the risks and hazards associated with their involvement in the laboratory using animals, and that students will be continually, directly supervised by IACUC-certified staff, by completing and providing the IACUC with the following form:
Student Safety in Teaching Laboratories Involving Animals (PDF)
Other Personnel
Personnel with duties that require entry into animal facilities (e.g., physical plant, building services, IACUC personnel, etc.) that do not use or care for animals in research or teaching complete and provide the IACUC with the following form:
Personnel Entering Animal Facilities Health & Risk Assessment (PDF)