University of Wisconsin-Madison

Policy Number: 2005-027 [PDF]

Adoption Date: 04/08/2005

Effective Date: 05/09/2005

Expiration Date: ongoing

Review Date: Annually

Occupational Health Policy for Visitors to Animal Areas

Purpose: It is the goal of the University to keep guests safe and healthy during their visit to animal areas on campus. To this end, certain occupational health and safety practices, use of personal protective equipment, medical surveillance tests, or training may need to be followed. The level of occupational health and safety practices required will be determined by the hazards and risks imposed by the location visited, the degree of contact with animal specie, and the length of the visit

Policy: The following occupational health and safety measures shall be practiced by guests during their visit to the campus. The University sponsor of the visit or the principal investigator who approved the visit is responsible to make sure that general safety training, and the following occupational health and safety practices are provided and complied with by the visitor(s):

1. All visitors to animal areas should contact the appropriate facility manager for facility specific visitor policies. An animal area is defined as any room, laboratory, or building that is designated for animal housing or procedures, and corridor that serves as a dedicated thoroughfare for animal transport, or any room or laboratory where animals are present
2. Visitors to areas where the risk of illness or injury is low and where there will not be more than very casual, short-term direct animal contact do not need to follow additional occupational health and safety practices.
3. Visitors shall be trained in the proper use, and wear the same personal protective equipment required of all other University personnel in the same animal area on campus. This includes compliance with all OSHA standards including the respirator use standard (29 CFR 1910.134).
4. Visitors with direct animal contact that will be staying for more than one week shall enroll in the occupational health program by completing the animal contact risk questionnaire.
5. Visitors with direct animal contact who will be staying for more than one month are required to attend the Animal User Orientation Seminar presented by the RARC and Occupational Health Department.
6. Visitors to Biosafety Level 3 or Biosafety Level 2 research facilities shall be oriented to the hazards and risks in those areas by the principle investigator or their designee, and comply with University practices to reduce, control or eliminate those risks.
7. Before entering a non-human primate area (crossing the barrier) where macaques have been or are currently housed, visitors shall be trained in the hazards and risks associated with the herpes B virus and they shall be informed of what to do in case of a possible exposure to herpes B. They shall follow standard testing and practices to protect both humans and nonhuman primates from the transmission of zoonotic diseases such as m. tuberculosis.
8. All training provided to visitors shall be documented. A copy of this documentation will be retained by the principal investigator or their designee.

Contacts:

					Occupational Health Officer
					  Tom Kenney RN, MBA
					  (608) 263-2177
					  tkenney@fpm.wisc.edu
					Occupational Health Specialist
					  Jim Turk
					  (608) 265-5515
					  jturk@fpm.wisc.edu
					

Prepared by: T. Kenney

Reference Minutes: 11/05/2004, 01/07/2005, 04/08/2005