University of ColoradoDenver (UC Denver)

Introduction

The University of Colorado Denver (UC Denver) Animal Care and Use Program Occupational Health Program (OHP) is a personnel protection program directed at risk assessment, risk management, risk education, and preventive medicine (health maintenance). This program is designed for personnel who have direct contact with animals, their viable tissues, body fluids, wastes or living quarters.Risk Assessment defines substantial animal exposure and establishes category guidelines.Risk Management entails compliance monitoring.Risk Education is provided through training classes provided by the Office of Laboratory Animal Resources and the Environmental Health and Safety and Radiation Safety Divisions. A Preventive Medicine programis managed by a contract health care provider.

Policy Statement

This overview is intended to provide information on the Duty Site Surveillance of Work Related Injuriesand establishes procedures to be followed for reporting injuries or exposure to a health risk for those working with animals.

A.Procedures

  • Injuries and potential exposures to a health risk while working with animals must be reported immediately and documented
  • Injuries resulting from cuts on cages and from direct animal contact are of particular concern due to potential concomitant infection e.g., tetanus, B-virus, rabies, etc.
  • Many of the agents responsible for viral, bacterial and parasitic infections in laboratory animals are capable of infecting humans. Some of these agents are covered in the surveillance program; many are not. Employees are counseled to report any gastrointestinal, respiratory or dermal illnesses which may resemble the signs or symptoms of infections in the animals for which they are caring.

B.Procedures for Implementation of Procedures to Prevent or Report Q Fever Exposure

  • Bite and Scratch Log:
  • Every animal holding facility will maintain a Bite and Scratch Log to include the following categories:
  • Date of injury
  • Time of Injury
  • Type of injury
  • Date of employee referral to HealthOne or Rocky Mountain Medical or ID Clinic (NHP exposure)
  • Time of employee referral to HealthOne or Rocky Mountain Medical or ID Clinic (NHP exposure)
  • Reporting Work Related Injuries:
  • All suspected work related injuries and illnesses should be reported immediately to the supervisor
  • Potential exposure to a health risk while working with animals must be reported immediately, but no later than four days (of the incident or diagnosis of a positive exposure), to the employee's supervisor. A claim must be filed with University Risk Management (URM) [This is a State of Colorado statutory requirement] at the same time. URM forms online at
  • Reporting to the UC Denver Workers’ Compensation Provider:

Duty hours:

  • Report to HealthOne or Rocky Mountain Medical
  • Primate Workers with exposure injuries or workers with exposure to human blood, bodily fluids, and HIV or hepatitis cultures will report to the ID clinic at UH.

After duty hours:

  • Report to the UH emergency room for medical care. Report to HealthOne or Rocky Mountain Medicalthe next duty day for follow-up and Worker’s Compensation documentation

Immediate life threatening (any time):

  • Report to the UH emergency room for medical care
  • Report to HealthOne or Rocky Mountain Medicalthe next duty day for follow-up and Worker’s Compensation documentation
  • A report of such an event may also need to be made, concurrently with the report to URM, to the Biosafety Office and to the IACUC ; such an incident could indicate a breach of procedures for protection of those employees working with animals, and thus falls under the oversight mandate of the IACUC