Animal Research Exposure

The PI/supervisor of the lab worker is responsible for completing page 5 of the enrollment packet.

Principal Investigators, Supervisors or Designated Contact Person must:

• Identify eligible participants and ensure their enrollment in the AEP
• Complete and sign the Centra Care Authorization Form
• Inform the AEP Program Coordinator of new individuals who may be exposed to animals and provide notification for those who are about to terminate his or her association with the PI or supervisor, or ceases animal contact Ensure personnel shall not begin work with animals or be occupationally exposed to animals until they have been cleared through the AEP and completed any required annual training.

EHS highly recommends everyone to read the Animal Exposure Program Manual so that they understand their responsibilities.

The PI must:

• Write the personnel name on the top of the form
• Select “Medical Surveillance AEP (24501094)”
• Select “Animal Worker Medical Directorship questionnaire review” under EXAMS
• Sign on the bottom where is says “Supervisor” and date

Centra Care will not accept the medical questionnaire without a completed Centra Care Authorization Form.

The PI serves as the authorizer to pay for the services on behalf of the university.

The NIH Policy statement states the following: Recipients are responsible for meeting applicable Federal, State, and local health and safety standards and for establishing and implementing necessary measures to minimize their employees’ risk of injury or illness in activities related to NIH grants. In addition to applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations, the following regulations must be followed when developing and implementing health and safety operating procedures and practices for both personnel and facilities:

• 29 CFR 1910.1030, Bloodborne pathogens; 29 CFR 1910.1450, Occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals in laboratories; and other applicable occupational health and safety standards issued by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and included in 29 CFR 1910. These regulations are available at http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owastand.display_standard_group?p_toc_level=1&p_part_number=1910.

NIH requires compliance with OSHA and OSHA requires a medical surveillance program for employees working in hazardous environments.

Questions or concerns about AEP or the broader Medical Surveillance Program at UCF can be addressed directly with the AEP Program Coordinator, Don Sibley at (407) 823-1526.

Any personal information provided as part of enrollment in the program is kept strictly confidential between enrollees and physicians at Centra Care in accordance with applicable laws and regulations (e.g., HIPAA).

It is estimated that as many as one-in-three individuals working with animals in a laboratory setting will develop an allergy to animal proteins. An allergy can present as a “stuffy” or “runny” nose, irritated eyes, coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath. Most workers who develop allergic reactions to animals will do so within the first year of working with them. Infrequently, reactions may occur only after working with animals for years.

There are three (3) options to enroll in the AEP:

1. Via a secured fax number sent directly to the Occupational Health Physician
2. Via email through encryption of the required documents
3. By bringing the completed forms to one of the Centra Care locations mentioned in the AEP Enrollment Checklist. If additional services other than submittal of the AEP
   documents are marked in the Centra Care Authorization Form, it is highly recommended to call and make an appointment.

No.

No, tetanus vaccination is recommended but not required to be administered to all animal users at ten-year intervals.

There are three (3) forms that must be completed to enroll in the program:

1. Animal Exposure Program Enrollment Checklist
2. Centra Care Authorization Form
3. Animal Exposure Program Medical Questionnaire (AEPMQ)

Note: A copy of identification (ID) is required along with the submission of the forms above.

To inform personnel of relevant health and safety information related to contact and expose to animals.

If visits to a laboratory or animal facility are 5 days or less within a 30-day period, you must read the Animal Exposure Program Manual, and complete the Animal Exposure in a Research Setting online training (every 3 years), but a medical questionnaire is not required.

Individuals are required to enroll before contact or exposure with animals occurs. Moreover, enrollees are required to re-enroll in the AEP when there is a change in personal health status
or job duties or animal species in research, such as whenever a participant works with a different species in the future (or taxonomic group for wildlife studies).

To enroll in AEP, please refer to the Animal Exposure Enrollment Packet by clicking here.

All UCF faculty, staff, students, volunteers, visiting researchers, maintenance personnel, or any other person conducting animal work or having casual exposures in UCF facilities, including all UCF, leased spaces and UCF affiliated field research must enroll in the Animal Exposure Program (AEP). Personnel shall also enroll initially when listed on an IACUC protocol.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) requires that institutions receiving federal support for research involving vertebrate animals have a Medical Monitoring Program for personnel with animal contact or exposure.