Chs 1-3 - Occupational Health and Safety in the Care and Use of Research Animals Flashcards
Organization for which NRC operates?
National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences
- List 4 major NRC reports pertaining to guidance in environmental health & safety of lab workers.
Prudent Practices (PP) for Handling Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories (1981); PP for Disposal of Chemicals from Laboratories (1983); Biosafety in the Laboratory: PP for the Handling and Disposal of Infectious Materials (1989); PP in the Laboratory: Handling and Disposing of Chemicals (1995).
- What does IRAC stand for?
Interagency Research Animal Committee – which asked NRC to write Occ Health & Safety book
- What does PRIM&R stand for?
Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research
- What does ARENA stand for?
Applied Research Ethics National Association
- What are the basic concepts that determine the effectiveness of an occupational health & safety program?
Knowing the hazard; avoiding & controlling exposures; training and education; rules & guidelines; consistency; recording keeping & monitoring; commitment & coordination.
- What are the 5 institutional functions needed for an OHS program?
Animal care & use; research; environmental health & safety; occupational health; administration & management
- What % of people with pre-existing allergies might develop animal allergies?
30%
- List key elements of OHS program.
Administrative procedures; facility design & operation; exposure control; education & training; occupational health; equipment performance; information management; emergency procedures; program evaluation.
- List factors to be considered in performing a risk assessment of employees with animal contact.
Animal contact; exposure intensity; exposure frequency; physical & biol hazards from animal; hazardous properties of agents used in protocol; employee susceptibility; occupational health hx of an employee doing similar work.
- Who is ultimately responsible for an institution’s OHS program?
Senior official of an institution
- Objective of an OHS program?
To minimize risks of occupational injury & illness by controlling or eliminating hazards in the workplace.
- Why doesn’t NRC doesn’t recommend serum collection/storage as standard components of an OHS program.
It’s valuable only for employees with substantial likelihood that they could acquire an agent that can be monitored serologically. (also a potential HIPPA issue)
- What does NRC does recommend as the principal surveillance tool for periodic health evaluations.
a careful hx based on knowledge of workplace risks. A PE is done when symptoms of work-related illness becomes evident during episodic health evaluation.
- What is the goal of an OHS program? What should the program focus be?
Goal – to prevent occupational injury & illness; Focus – control of hazards & reduction of risks as opposed to merely satisfying regulations
- List the 7 basic concepts of an effective OHS program.
Knowing the hazards; avoiding/controlling exposures; training & education; rules & guidelines; consistency; record keeping & monitoring; commitment & coordination.
- Who is responsible/accountable for design of OHS program? Who has ultimate responsibility?
*Institution (represented by senior official or an authorized body), program managers, program implementers, employees
- What are the responsibilities of the institution?
Understand the issues; provide guidance; establish/support institutional policies; authority to provide resources; bring together program managers/implementers.
- Program managers can include whom?
Health professionals; safety professionals; veterinarians; animal-facility managers or supervisors; research directors & scientists; lab supervisors; human resource & finance personnel; legal advisers; environmental experts; facility engineers.
- What is a safety program implementer’s key responsibility? Other responsibilities?
Train is key responsibility. Other – providing appropriate PPE; providing appropriate facilities; ensuring compliance of subordinate staff with established procedures & practices.
- What are main activities an institution that uses animals is responsible for?
Animal care & use; research; environmental health & safety; occupational health; administration & management.
- How can institutions establish a priority list of issues to address?
Consider most costly hazards, either direct or indirect
Consider acute problems first
Consider addressing the most common or most severe risks first
- List 3 types of control/prevention strategies for controlling OHS risks (occupational illness/injury).
Primary prevention – control/eliminate hazards; Secondary prevention – premorbid case detection; Tertiary prevention – case finding & disease management.
- What does MSDS stand for?
Material Safety Data Sheets
- What does NIOSH stand for?
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
- What is the Supplementary Data System (SDS)?
Fed Bureau of Labor Statistics receives data from 35 states categorizing & reporting injuries/illnesses that qualify for worker comp. This database is the SDS.
- What is the OSHA 200 log and who requires this?
Most institutions are required by law to maintain a log of work-related illness/injury; U.S. Dept of Labor.
- When is an injury recordable?
If it results in: death, loss of consciousness, lost work time, placement on restricted duty, treatment other than first aid.
- What is required to be prepared & kept by employers for each OSHA 200 log entry?
Supplementary Record of Occupational Injury or Illness (OSHA Form 101).
- List some gov’t agencies that could be used as sources of info for developing a safety program and ID potential hazards.
NIOSH, OSHA, CDC, NIH, NADC (National Animal Disease Center), ARS (Agricultural Research Service), APHIS.
List 3 most common species involved with bites among general population.
Dogs, cats, rodents
Give some examples of diseases transmitted through animal bites.
Rabies, CHV-1 infections, hantavirus infections, cat-scratch fever, tularemia, rat-bite fever, brucellosis, orf
What does NFPA stand for?
National Fire Protection Association
List fire classifications.
Class A (cloth, wood, paper) Class B (flammable gases & liquids) Class C (electric equipment) Class D (combustible metals)
How are Class B liquids further classified?
According to flash point (FP) = lowest temp at which liquid will produce vapor sufficient to propagate a flame.
Flammable liquids = FP < FP <200°F
List classification of UV radiation by wavelength.
UV-A = 320-400 nm (black-light region) UV-B = 280-320 nm (erythemal region) UV-C = 100-280 nm (germicidal region)
What is a potential hazard of UV radiation in the presence of chlorinated solvents?
UV radiation reacts with vapors of chlorinated solvents to produce phosgene, a potent lung irritant.
What does ANSI stand for?
American National Standards Institute
List classification of lasers. What is this classification based on?
Class I: doesn’t emit hazardous level of radiation when operating normally.
Class II: Low-power, not enough power to injure accidentally but can cause injury if beam viewed for extended periods.
Class IIIa: High power, can cause injury if beam concentrated with viewing device.
Class IIIb: Produce injury if viewed directly; beam also dangerous if reflected off a mirror-like surface.
Class IV: Class III + a fire hazard
Classification based on power level & hazard potential.
What is the major hazard associated with lasers?
Major hazard is related to beam (burns, eye damage, lacerations, fires). Also aerosols, fumes, toxic gases, electric shock.
What does NSC stand for?
National Safety Council
What is the criteria for classifying radiation as ionizing?
Radiation must have enough energy to remove electrons from atoms to create ions.
Define and list types of particulate radiation.
Composed of particles that are of atomic origin. Alpha (a) beta (b).
Define and list types of nonparticulate radiation.
Electromagnetic radiation with very short wavelength; composed of photons of energy and can penetrate matter.
Through what routes can radiation be hazardous? What are the 2 types of hazards?
Routes = inhalation, ingestion, skin contact, proximity. Hazards = external, internal
What agency controls the use of radioisotopes?
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Name some common types of hazards presented by machinery.
In-running nip points, crush points, pinch points.
How is chronic noise-induced hearing loss characterized?
Declining sensitivity to frequencies above 2,000 Hz.
What are OSHA limits on “noise” exposure for employees?
Limits noise exposure to 90 decibels measured on the A scale of a standard sound-level meter at slow response (dBA) averaged over an 8 h workshift.
Ultrasonography is covered by what part of OSHA regulations?
If the frequency is <20 kHz, it is covered by the OSHA noise standard.
Employee knowledge of chem hazards & protective measures has been increased due to what 2 OSHA health & safety standards?
Hazard Communiciation Standard, Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemical in Laboratories (the laboratory standard)
Name some hazardous properties of chemicals.
Flammability, corrosiveness, reactivity, explosivity, toxicity.
What are the most common chem injuries assoc’d with animal care & use?
Burns and irritation of the skin, allergic response in sensitized people.
What are the recommended sequence of stages that should be considered in planning a safe experiment?
Evaluating hazards & assessing risks; management of chem; working with chem; working with equipment; disposal of chem; lab facilities; gov’t regulations of labs.
What does SALS stand for?
Subcommittee on Arbovirus Laboratory Safety.
What factors go into the selection of an appropriate biosafety level? Specifically, what characteristics of the infectious agent?
Severity of disease; mode of transmission; availability of protective immunization or effective therapy; relative risk of exposure created by manipulation in handling the agent & caring for infected animals.
List & describe animal biosafety levels.
Table 3-3, p. 49.
ABSL1: Basic level of protection for well-characterized agents not known to cause disease in healthy humans.
ABSL2: Handles broad spectrum of moderate risk agents that cause human dz by ingestion, percutaneous, or mucous membrane exposure.
ABSL3: Agents the present risks of resp transmission; can cause serious & potentially lethal infection.
ABSL4: Exotic agents posing high indiv risk of life-threatening dz by aerosol route & for which no tx is available.
Exposure limits to CO2 for employees
10,000 ppm TWA
30,000 ppm short exposure (15 min)
5,000 ppm transitional TWA
Characterize the inheritance profile of atopy.
autosomal dominant trait with variable expression linked to chromosome 5
What major rat allergens have been identified, and where are they found in highest concentrations?
Rat n 1A (pre-albumen), Rat n 1B (alpha2-euglobin)
Found in urine
Mouse m 1 urinary protein is most similar to which rat allergen?
Rat n 1B
The major allergen of which species has been identified in the fur?
a. rat
b. mouse
c. guinea pig
d. rabbit
d. rabbit
What is the major cat allergen, and where is it produced?
Fel d 1, produced in saliva and sebaceous glands.
What is unusual about bird allergic and hypersensitivity reactions associated with birds?
Not mediated by IgE antibodies, but perhaps by IgG.
