Expectations on the Occupational Health and Safety Programme (OHSP) Bryan Howard, MRCVS, BVMS, M.Sc., M.Ed. Officer, Council on Accreditation AAALAC International
Exercise: Talk with those near you and identify worrying Health and Safety issues that you have faced during the previous year. 5 Minutes Only
In Europe : The protection of staff remains the responsibility of animal house management. This includes ensuring that personnel are trained properly, facilities are maintained and that personal protection equipment (PPE) is available and used. Matters relating to Heath and Safety are usually the responsibility of specialist departments or sub-departments.
AAALAC Requires: That an occupational health and safety programme MUST be part of the overall animal care and use programme. The programme MUST be consistent with European, national and regional regulations and should focus on maintaining a safe and healthy workplace. There MUST be a coherent and consistent process for the application of the OHS programme to all individuals determined to be at risk.
Components of an Effective OHS Programme: Strong administrative support Adequate resources available Well-planned implementation strategy Employees informed and educated Employees encouraged to participate and communicate concerns Covers all at-risk employees All components coordinated effectively Appropriate detail for level of risks
Hazard Identification is Critical to the OHS Programme: The exact nature of the OHS programme depends on: Type of facility Type of research activities Hazards and risks Animal species involved The greatest biohazards are presented by work involving infectious agents and also nonhuman primates. In Europe, the use of the latter is relatively low and may fall further if the new Directive is adopted largely unaltered.
Hazard Identification: Keys to effectively identifying hazards Staff conducting hazard identification are qualified to assess the dangers; Review animal protocols with potential safety issues; Regularly schedule walk-through reviews of animal facilities and investigator laboratories by environmental health and safety professionals; Review institutional job safety data; Periodically review accident and sickness records
OHS in the Care and Use of Research Animals A walk-through review of animal facility is an effective way to identify hazards Involve an Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) professional trained in hazard identification and control Enhanced by involvement of animal care and research personnel Conduct review when work/research in progress Discuss with workers, get their opinions
Include Job-Related Risks for: Animal caretakers Cage-wash and support staff Veterinarians FELASA Category B or equivalent persons Laboratory technicians Occasional visitors Maintenance personnel
Medical Evaluation as Part of a Medical Surveillance Programme AAALAC considers it as good practice, when local legislation allows it Pre-placement Periodic Episodic Exit
Special Considerations for Allergies: Prevalence of allergic symptoms in animal care workers may be up to 50% Up to 73% of people with pre-existing allergies eventually develop allergies to laboratory animals Asthma may develop in up to 10% of animal care workers with allergies
Evaluating Your OHS Programme: AAALAC site visitors expect that: Management has made the workplace as safe as possible; SOPs on health and safety are followed Personnel understand the hazards of their job, are proficient in implementing safeguards (procedures, PPE, etc.), and understand and implement safe practices at all times; There are effective ways of responding to problems; There is an over-arching monitoring programme; There is a well thought-out plan for handling potential exposures to infectious agents and toxins, dealing with fire and other emergencies