Center for Laboratory Animal Care
Guideline
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Center for Laboratory Animal Care |
Introduction
Policy Statement
Program Overview
Responsibilities
Hazard Categories
Species Specific Hazards
Quick Guide
CLAC's Occupational Health and Safety Program is intended to provide guidelines for establishing a high level of safety for all individuals who are involved in the care and use of research animals. This Program incorporates the requirements of:
8 CCR 3203 (Illness and Injury Prevention Program);
UConn Policy on Environmental Health and Safety
Occupational Health and Safety in the Care and Use of Research Animals (National Academy Press, 1997)
This document by reference.
The University of Connecticut Health Center is committed to maintaining a safe environment for its students, academic appointees, staff, visitors, and members of the general public. Further, it is dedicated to minimizing the impact of its operations on the environment surrounding its campuses and laboratory sites. The University has a commitment to promote effective loss reduction and loss prevention measures for the University's property and casualty exposures. It is the policy of the University to conduct its operations in conformance with applicable laws, regulations, and relevant published standards and practices for health, safety and environmental protection.
This Program provides guidance in all areas of occupational health and safety and environmental protection. It is organized by types of hazards and risks, followed by the educational and preventive programs that address those hazards and risks, and concluding with mechanisms to maintain and improve the Program.
The UConn Chancellor and Laboratory Directors are responsible for ensuring the implementation of the Policy on Health, Safety and Environmental Protection at all facilities under their control
UConn Vice Chancellors, and Deputy and Associate Laboratory Directors are responsible for implementing the Policy in all facilities within their respective jurisdictions
UConn Deans, Directors, Department Heads, Principal Investigators, and all other managers and supervisors are responsible for compliance with this Policy as it relates to operations under their control in carrying out their day-to-day responsibilities
All UConn employees, students, and other campus members are responsible for adherence to this Policy in carrying out their day-to-day responsibilities.
The general hazards associated with the care and use of animals can be divided into five broad categories:
The potential for receiving a bite or scratch is an ever-present hazard that faces all employees working directly with laboratory animals and related equipment. Employees should be properly trained in handling and general restraint techniques of the species they are assigned to. Additionally, all staff should be familiar with first aid procedures specific to each species.
One of the most common health concerns in the laboratory animal setting is a work-associated allergy. The risk of developing an allergy depends on parameters such as species, facility, ventilation and the employee's .base-line. health status.
The Committee on Occupational Safety and Health in Research Animal Facilities lists four overlapping Risk Groups:
Normal: No evidence of allergic disease
Atopic: Pre-existing allergic disease
Asymptomatic: Antibodies to animal allergens
Symptomatic: Clinical symptoms on exposure to allergenic animal proteins.
Symptoms of allergic reaction vary depending on the severity of the reaction and include:
Contact urticaria with symptoms such as: redness, itchiness of skin, welts and hives
Allergic conjunctivitis with symptoms such as: sneezing, itchiness, clear nasal drainage, nasal congestion
Allergic rhinitis with symptoms such as: sneezing, itchiness, clear nasal drainage, nasal congestion
Asthma with symptoms such as: cough, wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath
Anaphylaxis with symptoms such as: generalized itching, hives, throat tightness, eye or lip swelling, difficulty in swallowing, hoarseness, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea.
Protocol-related hazards are defined as those specifically associated with either routine operational or experiment-specific protocols. Some general hazards also associated with protocols, such as the risk of fire in the use of bunsen burners or torches, or electrical hazards in the use of experiment-specific equipment are not included in the category of protocol-related hazards. Protocol-related hazards are protocol-specific, for example: hazards associated with the use of a specific viral vector carrying a transgene for toxin production or with a piece of prototype equipment to perform an experimental task.
Experimental studies can involve any number of hazards such as the use of radioactive materials, infectious agents, toxins or toxic chemicals, flammable substances, etc.
General Safety Precautions
Successful abatement of protocol-related hazards requires recognition and description of the hazards prior to the start of the experiments. This is primarily the responsibility of the Biological Safety Committee, Chemical Safety Committee and Radiation Safety Committee.
The Radioactive and Biological Use Authorization programs identify relevant hazards associated with submitted protocols and work with the PI to abate these hazards by ensuring proper facilities, equipment, training and awareness to the staff involved in the study.
| Note: If your work involves potential exposure to any biological agents, chemicals, radioactive materials or ionizing radiation, you must attend a training program prior to your exposure to any such hazards. |
Investigators using biological, chemical or radioactive materials in animals must post a copy of the Animal Involvement on the door to the room housing their animals. All Special Conditions relevant to safety will be shown on the Abbreviated Safety Protocol. This form must be approved by the Research Safety Oficer (i.e., Biological or Radiation Safety).
There are some basic safety precautions that apply to all work environments regardless of the types of hazardous materials used. These include:
Read and understand the protocol related procedures before you start the experiment. If necessary do a dry run
Avoid using sharps whenever possible; substitute manually operated pipettes for needles and syringes, and cannulae for needles
Do not recap needles; dispose of them in appropriate sharp containers
Use safety needles and sharp devices.
Until you have washed your hands, keep them away from your mouth, nose and eyes
Do not eat, drink or store food in research areas
Do not handle contact lenses in the laboratory
Wearing of gloves, lab coat or scrubs is required. Other personal protective equipment such as dust/mist masks or approved respirator masks (e.g., Type N95 by 3M company) are strongly recommended when working with animals
Please read and understand the special safety requirements for each work area or animal species (e.g. non-human primates)
Follow all safety precautions prescribed
Clean all spills immediately
Dispose of all waste materials into the appropriate waste stream
Report all incidents or equipment malfunctions to your supervisor immediately
Additional information regarding various protocol-related hazard abatement programs may be obtained from the office of research safety.
Zoonotic diseases are those that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Although there are a variety of zoonotic agents in addition to the Herpes B-virus that staff working in this environment should be aware of, it is more likely for a person to injure or contaminate themselves from an experiment mishap in the lab than to contract a disease from an animal.
There are some potential hazards inherent in any work environment. These include poor ergonomics, slips and falls, electrical safety hazards, etc. UConn has developed a wide range of environmental health and safety guidelines to address these potential hazards.
All employees and students working with animals should be aware that laboratory animals may bite or scratch. In addition, handling of cages, pens and other equipment could cause cuts or scratches. Cuts, bites and scratches could potentially expose the employees to viral, bacterial, parasitic or allergic agents, which are transmissible from animals to humans.
Although the risk of bites and scratches is species dependent, there are a few simple guidelines, which, if followed will significantly reduce the potential risks of such incidents. These include:
Always wear appropriate personal protective equipment, especially hand and face/eye protection
If moving large contaminated items (e.g. non-human primate cages), wear heavy gloves
When available and appropriate, use mechanical restrainers when performing procedures on unanesthesized animals
All bites and scratches that result in bleeding should be immediately and thoroughly scrubbed and cleansed with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes
Do not discard or disinfect any object which caused the injury; hold for analysis
Notify supervisor and seek medical attention immediately
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Rats |
Gerbils |
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Hamsters |
Chinchilla |
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Chickens |
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Aquatic Animals |
For Medical Emergencies during working hours (Employee Health Dowling South Building, 3rd Floor), during Weekends, Holidays and after hours (Dempsey Hospital Emergency 1st floor, x2588)
For Veterinary Emergencies during working hours call x2731, during weekends, holidays and after hours call x2626 and ask the operator to page the attending veterinarian.
Campus Security call 7777
Biological Safety Officer
| Location | Bite/Scratch Kit | Eye Wash Station |
| B2006 | X | |
| LB010 | X | |
Only work with animals for which you have adequate training in safe handling techniques.
Read and follow all safety signs and instructions in all animal areas.
Use appropriate protective clothing (masks or respirators, gloves, gowns, shoe covers, eyes protection, etc.) when working with animals.
Remove gloves and wash hands before leaving animal area.
Make sure you have read and understood potential health and safety hazards presented by the study.
Limit use of animals to authorized locations only.
Do not leave empty cages, water bottles, bedding, etc., in public hallways.
Use designated carts placed for such items.
Use appropriate transport carts/cages for moving animals.
Contain operations that generate hazardous aerosols in approved biological safety cabinets or other ventilated enclosures. This includes use of gaseous anesthetic agents.
Follow all appropriate biological, chemical, and radiation safety requirements at all times.
Promptly decontaminate work surface after spills of viable materials and when procedures are completed.
Take extreme care when using a needle and syringe for inoculating research animals or when using sharps during necropsy procedures. DO NOT RECAP NEEDLES!
Keep hands away from mouth, nose, and eyes.
Web page compiled by Dr. Peter Autenried
Copyright © 2002 UConn Health Center. All rights reserved.
Revised: 11/15/2005
