Occupational Health Program for Persons with "Substantial Animal Contact"

All personnel with "substantial animal contact" are required to be evaluated in light of their occupational exposure to certain laboratory animals and enrolled in an occupational health program appropriate for their situation.

"Substantial animal contact" describes anyone working with or exposed to non-human primates, pregnant sheep, bats, or wild-caught animals or their tissue or fluids. Such individuals must be evaluated by the University Health Services. Serum banking may be required. Semi-annual tuberculosis testing, baseline CBCs, or clinical chemistry determinations may be performed under certain situations.

The need for a specific program will be evaluated by University Health Service staff. Workers in contact with other laboratory animals (e.g., specific pathogen free rodents and rabbits) in programs that do not involve specific hazardous substances or infectious agents, may only require a pre-employment assessment, health history, and periodic tetanus immunization update.