Georgia Institute of Technology



Georgia Institute of Technology

Occupational Health Guide and Program for Personnel

with Laboratory Animal Contact

July 2005

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

Office of Research Compliance



Table of Contents

I. To Whom Does This Guide Apply?

II. Risk Assessment, Training, and Medical Monitoring

III. Immunizations

A. Tetanus

IV. Personal Hygiene

V. Hazards Associated with Care and Use of Animals

A. Use Universal Precautions

B. Clothing and Uniforms

C. Four Categories of Hazards

1. Allergens

2. Bites and Scratches

3. Zoonoses

4. Protocol Related Hazards

VI. Diseases Communicable from Animals to Humans

A. Special Concerns for Pregnant Persons Working with Animals

B. Species Specific Concerns

1. Dogs and Cats

2. Pigs

3. Rabbits

4. Rats and Mice

VII. Environmental Health and Safety Procedures

• Environmental Health and Safety General Lab Safety Manual

• Fume Hoods

• Material Safety Data Sheets Resources Online

VIII. Hazardous Agents

A. Gas AnestheticS

B. Radioactivity and Animals

C. Chemical Hazards and Animals

D. Bloodborne Pathogens and Sharps

E. Biohazardous Animals and Agents

F. Biohazardous Animal Disease – Importing Animals or Specimens

IX. Required Review by Other Campus Boards, Committees

X. Reporting Injury or Illness

XI. Training and Educational Resources

XII. Certification of Receipt of Occupational Health Guide and Program

for Personnel with Laboratory Animal Contact

I. TO WHOM DOES THIS GUIDE APPLY?

This Guide applies to all Georgia Institute of Technology personnel who have contact with animals that are used in teaching or research. This includes but is not limited to principal investigators, research animal attendants, animal laboratory personnel, professional research assistants, research technicians, graduate students, post doctoral students, and part-time students. Pregnant women and those who may become pregnant should discuss with their personal physician the ramifications of working with biohazardous agents and any other environmental exposure during pregnancy.

II. RISK ASSESSMENT, TRAINING, AND MEDICAL MONITORING

In some cases, Environmental Health and Safety, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, the Institutional Biosafety and Biohazards Board, and/or the Principal Investigator will determine that specialized training and medical monitoring are appropriate for personnel working with some species or organisms. Protocols that may subject personnel to these risks are referred to Environmental Health and Safety and the Institutional Biosafety and Biohazards Board for assessment and instruction.

III. IMMUNIZATIONS

In some cases, Environmental Health and Safety, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, the Institutional Biosafety and Biohazards Board, or a project sponsor may determine that immunizations are recommended for a specific individual to safely conduct research on a specific funded project for which Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC) is signatory. In those cases, GTRC will provide funds to pay for the immunizations.

III.A. Tetanus

The Public Health Service Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends immunization against tetanus every ten years. An immunization is also recommended if a particularly tetanus-prone injury occurs with an employee who has not had a tetanus immunization within five years. It is recommended that employees who work with animals have an up-to-date tetanus immunization. Tetanus is not currently a concern for those who work with animals at Georgia Tech. Clostridium tetanii and its spores are associated with soil. All Georgia Tech animals are raised indoors. Tetanus is not a concern following animal bites unless the wound is later contaminated with freshly tilled soil.

IV. PERSONAL HYGIENE

Several personal hygiene issues apply to all workers who are exposed to laboratory animals, their body fluids, or wastes:

• There shall be no eating, drinking, smoking, or applying of cosmetics in areas where animals are housed or used.

• No animals should be kept overnight anywhere except in designated animal rooms or other facilities approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

• Gloves should be worn at all times while handling animals. All contaminated or infected substances should be handled in a manner to minimize aerosoling.

• Laboratory coats, gowns, or other protective garments should be worn over or in lieu of street clothing when working with animals. This will decrease the likelihood of contaminating the street clothing or the animals.

• Additional precautions are necessary when handling certain hazardous agents. If infectious materials are being used in a laboratory, specific guidelines should be followed for the handling of these biologically sensitive materials. For guidance, contact Environmental Health and Safety at 404 / 894-6119 and/or the Institutional Biosafety and Biohazards Board at 404 / 894-6949. Also see guidance posted on the Georgia Tech compliance website at .

• All work surfaces that have been exposed to laboratory animals, body fluids, or wastes should be decontaminated daily and after any spill of animal related material.

• Careful hand washing should be done after handling animals and related materials and prior to leaving the laboratory, even if gloves have been used.

V. HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH CARE AND USE OF ANIMALS

A. Use Universal Precautions. The term universal precautions is an approach to infection control to treat all vertebrate animals as if they were known to be infectious for HIV, HBV and other bloodborne pathogens. Those at Georgia Institute of Technology who should follow the universal precautions include all who may come into contact with animals, their housing/bedding, or body fluids.

B. Clothing, Uniforms. When entering the Georgia Tech animal facility, appropriate clothing must be worn. At a minimum, all visitors must wear disposable shoe covers. Use of other protective clothing, lab coats, goggles, gowns, masks, head covers, and other items will be required as appropriate. Appropriate clothing reduces the likelihood of transfer of pathogens from one group of animals to another and may reduce the introduction of infections from outside the facility.

Note that the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals states that lab coats worn in lab animal rooms may not be worn outside the animal facility.

C. There are four broad categories of hazards for humans associated with the care and use of animals:

1. Allergens – Work-associated allergies constitute the most common health concern for those working with rodents and rabbits or in an environment where animals are housed. All personnel should minimize exposure by wearing protective clothing such as lab coats and gloves, avoiding unnecessary animal exposure, working with animals in well-ventilated areas, and use of respiratory protection if appropriate. A physician should be consulted promptly if skin, eye, or respiratory irritation is experienced.

2. Bites and scratches – Everyone who has contact with live animals should be trained on proper handling of live animals and proper use of safety equipment such as gloves and restraint devices. Bite wounds should be immediately washed with copious running water and antiseptic soap. Most bites should be treated with topical antibiotics and bandaged. If healing is delayed, the area becomes inflamed, or fever develops, medical attention should be sought. Animal bites can develop serious infections that are more hazardous than the bite itself. An animal’s normal oral flora can cause infection when it gets into open wounds. Some consider rodent bites to be inconsequential because they inflict little tissue damage, however these animals can spread a host of diseases, and the bites can have serious wound contamination. Those working with animals should maintain current tetanus immunizations, seek prompt medical advice if bitten or scratched, and have the animal evaluated by veterinary staff, if appropriate.

3. Zoonoses – Zoonotic diseases are those that are transferred from animals to humans. While humans are not usually susceptible to infectious diseases suffered by animals, some important exceptions exist. In many cases, animals show little, if any, signs of illness. A bacterium normally found in a healthy animal may cause a serious disorder in a person exposed to it. While the animals have developed resistance to these microorganisms, humans with no previous exposure to the agent lack this protective immunity. Therefore, one should always be aware of possible consequences when working with each type of animal and then take precautions to minimize the risk of infection. In the event you do become ill with a fever or some other sign of infection, it is important to let your physician know of your work with animals.

Some of the specific diseases and animals associated with those disorders are described elsewhere in this guide. Some common sense steps can be taken to lessen the risk of infection. These include cleanliness in routine tasks around animals and hand washing after completion of animal work. Investigators and technicians should protect themselves against skin contamination by wearing gloves, using manually operated pipettes, taking enough time to give injections properly, and by using a two-person team to inoculate animals. Do not re-cap the needles or manually separate the needle and syringe; discard them directly into a container designed for sharps disposal. For procedures such as necropsy, bedding changes, and tissue and fluid sampling in infectious disease research or with animals suspected of carrying zoonotic diseases, use of biological safety cabinets, physical containment devices, full-face respirators or other personal safety gear or barrier precautions is strongly advised.

4. Protocol Related Hazards - These are hazards specifically associated with operational or experiment-specific activities, such as the risk of burns from Bunsen burners or exposure to a specific viral vector. Gas anesthetics can be very hazardous to animals and to humans. Use of an anesthetic agent must be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. All gas usage should be in a manner that minimizes exposure, such as in a fume hood or with gas scavenging devices. Be aware that if you can smell the anesthesia, safe exposure limits have probably been exceeded.

VI. DISEASES COMMUNICABLE FROM ANIMALS TO HUMANS

A. Special Concerns for Pregnant Persons Working with Animals -- Pregnant caretakers without immunity to toxoplasmosis should not be exposed to possible toxoplasmosis infection from infected species or have contact with cats not known to be free of toxoplasmosis or during the first month after they are received. The risk of congenital toxoplasma infection exists, and precautions should always be taken. Cat feces should be avoided. Gloves should be worn when working in areas potentially contaminated with cat feces. Thorough hand washing is necessary after handling any potential sources of infection. During the first trimester of pregnancy, working with hazardous materials, particularly exposure to the possible inhalation of toxic chemicals, is discouraged. Pregnant women and those who may become pregnant should discuss with their personal physician the ramifications of working with biohazardous agents and any other environmental exposure during pregnancy

B. Species Specific Concerns

1. Dogs and Cats -- Canine Brucellosis is most frequently reported in the beagle dog, but other canine breeds can be affected. Laboratory workers are most often infected by handling aborted canine fetuses. The incubation period is approximately three weeks, and the principal symptoms include low grade fever, lymphadenopthy, malaise, night sweats, and chronic fatigue. Treatment with antibiotics has yielded favorable results, and no fatalities have been reported. Workers most susceptible to infection are those handling bitches immediately postpartum and examining aborted or stillborn pups. Since the route of entry of the disease is not known, personnel should handle aborted canine fetuses with care to avoid direct contact. The most effective means of control is periodic screening of the colony by blood cultures and measuring titers of serum agglutinins for Brucella canis. Monthly testing of breeding sires is recommended. In addition, all dogs should be screened monthly in areas where the disease has been a problem. Dogs with positive blood cultures or agglutinin titers of 1:800 or higher should be culled.

Rabies is a relatively rare and devastating viral disease which will result in severe neurological problems and death. Most cases of rabies occur in wild animals, although any mammal can contract this disease. The disease is virtually unheard of in common laboratory animals, except with dogs and cats. At Georgia Tech, cats and dogs used in research or teaching should be vaccinated against rabies. If evidence of vaccination is unavailable, these animals should be vaccinated against rabies on the first day they enter the facility and be quarantined for seven to ten days. It is slightly possible that these animals, if infected by rabies, could be infectious for several days before the virus takes effect. All bites should be reported immediately to one’s supervisor and to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Further, Georgia Tech personnel who come into contact with dogs or cats, particularly animals obtained from pounds*, are strongly encouraged to have the pre-exposure rabies prophylaxis and a serology test or booster every two years.

*It is Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee policy that pound animals will not be utilized in research projects at Georgia Tech.

Parasites such as canine roundworms that cause visceral larval migrans in humans, canine hookworms that cause cutaneous larval migrans in humans, some tapeworms, and sarcoptic mange are a low but potential risk to those handling infected animals. Those working with cats should be conscious of possible allergic reactions. Ringworm is also a common infection in cats that is frequently transferred to humans.

Cat scratch disease is a zoonotic infection characterized by regional lymphadenitis that follows a skin papule at the site of the cat scratch or bite. The cardinal sign of the disease is regional lymphadenopathy, which appears one to ten weeks after inoculation. While the prognosis usually is excellent and the disease in most cases is self-limiting, an examination by a physician is recommended. Fatalities are extremely rare, and complete recovery is the general rule. There is no way to detect which cats may transmit the disease, nor is there a vaccine available for humans. Women of child-bearing age are encouraged to have a blood sample taken and serum stored prior to beginning work with cats.

2. Pigs -- Erysipelas in pigs can be transmitted as focal skin infection to humans, and pigs showing diagnostic lesions should be handled with care.

Similar appearing, though less severe, skin lesions are also seen on the hands after contact with sheep and goats infected with contagious ecthyma, “orf,” and vesicular stomatitis.

3. Rabbits -- Those working with rabbits should be conscious of possible allergic reactions.

4. Rats and Mice -- Attention should also be paid to the possibility of allergic reactions. Contact with rodents additionally requires precautions against such zoonoses as toxoplasmosis, tapeworm infection, lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM), and salmonellosis/shigellosis, as well as ringworm and other dermatomycoses. Leptospirosis is a contagious disease of animals and humans that is generally transmitted through contact with infected urine, urine contaminated water or mud, or the ingestion of urine-contaminated food or water, or through a skin break. Rats, mice and dogs are the most common sources of natural infection in laboratory workers. Listeriosis most commonly occurs in the guinea pig and rabbit. Several animal species, including man, may be healthy intestinal carriers. The organism can be transmitted transplacentally, and the affected infants may be stillborne or develop massive septicemia or meningitis in the neonatal period.

LCM is a rare rodent virus which is excreted in urine and causes a flu-like illness in humans. Care should be taken when handling rodents as well as potentially infected materials, such as bedding and feces. The Georgia Institute of Technology Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee specifies that laboratory animals be purchased only from approved vendors.

VII. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PROCEDURES

The Environmental Health and Safety has posted to its website several procedures and other guidance for the campus community involved with laboratory animals. The following important links can be found at :

• Environmental Health and Safety General Laboratory Safety Manual:

safety.gatech.edu/ehslsm.pdf

• Fume Hoods:

usg.edu/ehs/guidelines/fume_design.phtml

• Material Safety Data Sheets Resources Online:

usg.edu/ehs/msds/index.phtml

VIII. HAZARDOUS AGENTS

Potentially hazardous chemicals in the animal laboratory and care room may be found in disinfectants, cleaning agents, pesticides, and as feed and bedding contaminants. There are methods for monitoring exposure to these potentially hazardous biological, chemical, and physical agents. Protective devices should be used when possible, and other safety practices consistent with current safety guidelines should be adopted.

Hands should be washed after handling chemicals, infectious materials, animals, and before leaving the laboratory. A biological safety cabinet should be used when handling infectious materials, and toxic materials should be handled in a fume hood. All work surfaces should be decontaminated daily.

All contaminated materials should be decontaminated by autoclaving or chemical disinfection before washing, reuse, or disposal.

Those who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant are advised to confer with their physicians prior to exposure to the possible inhalation of toxic chemicals.

A. Gas Anesthetics

Gas anesthetics can be extremely hazardous to animal and to human health. Use of any anesthetic agent must be approved by the IACUC. Ether is highly flammable, explosive, and is not to be used in the animal facility. If proper precautions are taken, ether may be approved for use in laboratories. Use of other gas anesthetics must minimize human exposure and be performed either under a fume hood or with gas scavenging devices.

B. Radioactivity and Animals

Use of radioactivity in animals, whether for diagnostic radiography, irradiation, or radioisotopes, requires IACUC and Radiation Safety Committee review and approval. The IACUC application asks that these proposed activities be disclosed to the IACUC. While the application for animal use may undergo review by the IACUC in parallel with Radiation Safety Committee review, the IACUC will withhold approval until the RSC has approved the protocol for compliance with radiation use, storage, and disposal.

C. Chemical Hazards and Animals

All work with animals that involves the use of hazardous chemicals must be in compliance with the NIH Guidelines for Laboratory Use of Chemical Carcinogens, Materials Safety Data Sheets, and other requirements, as appropriate. Contact the Environmental Health and Safety for guidance.

D. Bloodborne Pathogens and Sharps

Use Universal Precautions. The term universal precautions is an approach to infection control to treat all vertebrate animals as if they were known to be infectious for HIV, HBV and other bloodborne pathogens. Those at Georgia Institute of Technology who should follow the universal precautions include all who may come into contact with animals, their housing/bedding, or body fluids.

Environmental Health & Safety provides videotapes for use in training on the proper handling of animal tissues or specimens. Specific procedures in safe handling and disposal of sharps can be found in the modules on Bloodborne Pathogens.

E. Biohazardous Animals and Agents

The applicant must seek review and approval from the Institutional Biosafety and Biohazards Board (IB3) and, as appropriate, the Environmental Health and Safety and others. The criteria set forth by the DHHS/CDC publication, “Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories,” will govern any proposed vertebrate animal work involving infectious or biohazardous materials. This applies to any proposed work with animals infected with agents that may produce infections in humans. IACUC applications must fully disclose any planned work with biohazardous materials or organisms. To facilitate review, a copy of the IB3 application may be appended to the IACUC application.

While the application for animal use will undergo review by the IACUC in parallel with IB3 review, the IACUC and IB3 will coordinate and jointly issue approval for protocols with compliance issues regarding biohazardous agents, safety equipment, facilities, and practices.

F. Biohazardous Animal Disease—Importing Animals or Specimens

USDA and DHHS licensure and approvals are required prior to the importation of animals or biological specimens infected with diseases with devastating potential. In addition to seeking IACUC approval for such extraordinary research, faculty are required to contact the Office of Sponsored Programs/ReACTT prior to initiating any such shipment for guidance regarding a Material Transfer Agreement. ReACTT can be reached at 404 / 894-6944.

IX. REQUIRED REVIEW BY OTHER CAMPUS BOARDS, COMMITTEES

As indicated throughout this Guide, other campus boards or committees may need to review and approve protocols. Contact information is provided here:

• Institutional Biosafety and Biohazards Board:

research.gatech.edu/biosafety.htm

• Office of Radiological Safety

ors.gatech.edu/

• Environmental Health and Safety



• Institutional Review Board

osp.gatech.edu/compliance/humans/humans.htm

X. REPORTING INJURY OR ILLNESS

Every person working with animals should be aware of the potential danger from animal scratches or bites. Although an animal scratch or bite might not seem serious, its occurrence should be reported to one’s supervisor so that proper measures may be taken. Personnel should notify their supervisors of all work-related injuries, illnesses, and suspected health hazards. Further, personnel should seek immediate evaluation and treatment of work-related injuries. Supervisors, in turn, have the responsibility for reporting injuries to the State of Georgia Department of Administrative Services (DOAS), as well as for reporting significant animal-related injuries to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The IACUC is responsible for notifying the Institutional Official and others as appropriate.

The Institutional Official is the Associate Vice Provost for Research.

If emergency medical assistance is required, immediately notify the Georgia Tech Police at (404) 894-2500. The Police Department will render emergency assistance and arrange for emergency medical transportation, if necessary. If minor medical assistance is required, the injured employee may be transported by non-emergency personnel (or may even transport himself or herself) to a health care provider approved by the State of Georgia Department of Administrative Services (DOAS). Lists of approved health care providers are posted in each building and may be obtained by calling the Employee Benefits Office at (404) 894-3925. Use of a health care provider other than one approved by DOAS may result in a refusal by DOAS to pay for the health care services.

Workers' Compensation benefits are restricted to employees. Individuals performing work for Georgia Tech as consultants, contractors, subcontractors, temporary agency personnel, etc., are not recognized as Georgia Tech employees and are not covered under these provisions.

TeleClaim Reporting Instructions

Supervisors should call TeleClaim (toll free 1-877-656-7475, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) to report injuries within 24 hours of an accident. Reporting should be delayed only long enough for the supervisor to take the employee to the doctor. Claims may only be reported by a supervisor. Employees may not call in their own claims.

As soon as possible after the accident call with the following information:

• Name and Address of Injured Employee

• Name and Address of Employing Agency

• Social Security Number of Injured Employee

• Age and Gender of Injured Employee

• Date & Time of Accident

• Description of Accident (how, where, why)

• Type of Injury (cut, scrape, burn, etc.)

• Exact Part of Body Injured

• Place of Occurrence

• Full Time / Part Time Employee

• Hourly / Weekly / Monthly Wage

• Date of Hire

• Witnesses (Name and Telephone Number)

• Name and Address of Physician / Hospital

• Has Injured Employee Returned to Work?

• Anticipated length of disability

• Basic Job Duties

• Description of Physical Requirements of Job

• Supervisor's Name and Telephone Number

Once a claim has been reported through TeleClaim, any corrections to the above information should be made by calling your dedicated DOAS Workers' Compensation Specialist. A copy of the completed first report of injury will be faxed to both the number designated by your agency and your DOAS Workers' Compensation Specialist within 24 hours of the report. Only injuries requiring medical care or lost time from work should be reported to TeleClaim. Injuries requiring only first aid or requiring no medical care should be recorded within the agency as an incident only ("incident only" forms can be obtained from DOAS):

Department of Administrative Services

P.O. Box 38198

Atlanta, Georgia  30334

(404) 656-6245

Additional details are available from the Georgia Tech Office of Human Resources and from the DOAS website at .

XI. TRAINING AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

All Georgia Institute of Technology has arranged for all personnel and students to have access to online modules from the Laboratory Animal Training Association. Everyone working with laboratory animals must complete the base module, “The Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals,” and the safety module, “Occupational Health and Safety.”

The appropriate species and techniques modules should be completed as appropriate for the protocol. The modules include:

The Base Module

The Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals

The Species Modules

The Humane Care and Use of the Laboratory Rat

The Humane Care and Use of the Laboratory Mouse

The Humane Care and Use of the Laboratory Hamster

The Humane Care and Use of the Laboratory Guinea Pig

The Humane Care and Use of the Laboratory Rabbit

The Humane Care and Use of the Laboratory Dog

The Humane Care and Use of the Laboratory Cat

The Humane Care and Use of Nonhuman Primates

The Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Swine

The Techniques Modules

Aseptic Surgery of Rodents

Anesthesia and Analgesia of Rodents

The Safety Module

The Occupational Health and Safety Module

In addition, the Georgia Institute of Technology has provided links on the Office of Research Compliance website to numerous resources:

• USDA Animal Welfare Act

• Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare

• 1996 Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (National Institutes of Health)

• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Guidebook (Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare)

• Georgia Institute of Technology Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Policies and Procedures

CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

Georgia Institute of Technology

Occupational Health Guide and Program for Personnel

with Laboratory Animal Contact

The Georgia Institute of Technology, in compliance with Public Health Services policy, has developed this occupational health guide and program to promote the health and safety of employees with occupational exposure to animals on the Georgia Tech campus or through their approved work with animals at other facilities.

These guidelines apply to all Georgia Institute of Technology personnel who have contact with animals; with animal tissue, body fluids, or waste; or with animal caging or housing. This includes but is not limited to principal investigators, research animal attendants, animal laboratory personnel, professional research assistants, research technicians, graduate students, post doctoral students, and part-time students

Please sign and return the following statement, certifying that you have received a copy of this guide. Please keep the Guide for future reference. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Research Compliance at 404 / 894-6949.

____________________________________________

I certify that I have received the OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH GUIDE AND PROGRAM FOR PERSONNEL WITH LABORATORY ANIMAL CONTACT. I have read and understand the sections pertinent to my activities.

____________________________________ _____________________

Signature Date

____________________________________

Typed or Printed Name

____________________________________

Department

Please return this page to:

Office of Research Compliance

Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA 30332-0420

Fax to 404 / 385-2081

Or email signed PDF file to iacuc@gatech.edu

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