Animal allergens are protein particles that come from animals’ saliva, skin/fur/dander or waste. Personnel who work with animals can be regularly exposed to these allergens, which can become airborne and inhaled, or can stick to hair and clothing and be carried home.
A primary concern is that you can develop an allergic reaction to animal allergens that can affect your health (immediately and/or over time). Allergies can take weeks, months, or years to develop. More serious cases can lead to asthma or an extreme allergic response to even a tiny exposure.
Personnel working with animals must take preventive measures to reduce the risk of developing allergies. Review the Laboratory Animal Allergies Focus Sheet and follow the guidance to prevent exposure to animal allergens.
Respirators
A respirator (such as an N95) can help animal workers avoid breathing in airborne animal allergens.
- If you are required to wear a respirator: You will receive training and be fitted with a respirator.
- If you aren’t required to wear a respirator: You can choose to wear a respirator voluntarily. The Advisory Information for Employees who Voluntarily Use Respirators must be provided to all voluntary users of respirators.
Note: Surgical masks and dust masks do not provide the same level of protection as an N95 respirator.
Chemical allergies
Other potential allergens in lab animal care and use environments can include chemicals (known as sensitizers) including certain disinfectants and chemicals used in experiments. Refer to chemicals’ safety data sheets (SDSs) for additional information.
Personnel should avoid exposure to sensitizing chemicals. People who have known or suspected allergies to certain products may need to take additional precautions.
University of Washington personnel who work in an animal care and use environment are required to complete an initial Animal Use Medical Screening (AUMS) to address potential health risks related to animal research.
You must complete the AUMS form prior to working in any University animal care and use environment.
Refer to the Animal Use Medical Screening webpage or contact the Employee Health Center for more information.
Animal care professionals, including animal care staff, veterinary staff, and researchers, are at high risk for compassion fatigue. Animal care and loss can be tiring and stressful to personnel, causing mental and physical effects that can negatively impact a person’s health.
The University of Washington Office of Animal Welfare has a peer support and care network to provide support and information to animal care professionals. The Dare 2 Care website has information about compassion fatigue as well as helpful resources, support options, and events.
Additional support services are available, including:
- Employee Assistance Program Counseling – UW personnel may access confidential short-term counseling services.
- Employee Health Center – UW personnel can talk with a healthcare provider to discuss concerns and connect to other services.
- UW Counseling Center – Currently enrolled UW students can receive assistance through the Counseling Center including one-on-one support, group therapy, and mental health resources.
Ergonomic hazards exist when working in a physically demanding job, such as animal care and research. Back strain is a major cause of lost workdays and chronic injury. Injuries can happen when lifting or moving animals, bags, or equipment, when pushing and pulling cage racks, or while doing repetitive-motion tasks.
Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) provides an online Back Safety and Injury Prevention training that is recommended for University personnel who lift twenty pounds or more, lift objects of any weight higher than three feet, regularly push or pull objects, or perform other repetitive motions that may lead to back injury.
Additional measures you can take to reduce ergonomic injuries include:
- Use equipment to help lift objects, or do lifts with two people.
- Use both hands when lifting.
- Split up heavy loads.
- Avoid twisting or sudden movements.
- Store heavy objects at waist level.
- Change tasks to avoid repetitive strain.
- Wear supportive footwear.
- Use anti-fatigue standing mats when tasks involve standing for long durations.
The American Veterinary Medical Association has published guidelines for identifying ergonomic hazards common to veterinary settings.
The University of California Ergonomics Project Team published Ergonomics Study of Animal Care Positions at the University of California, which includes a number of best practice recommendations for designing facilities and performing certain tasks.
Review EH&S’s Ergonomics webpage for additional resources.
Some helpful video references include:
- Safe Lifting: Low Lift & Transfer (University of California – Risk & Safety Training)
- Lifting Objects at Work (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety)
Principal investigators must ensure an appropriate health and safety plan is in place for their field research. Please refer to the UW Field Operations Safety webpage for specific requirements, guidance to address activities in the field, and hazards specific to the area/conditions you are working in (e.g. wildlife encounters, heat exposure, hazardous terrain, vehicle safety).
The Field Operations Safety Manual has key information on University, state, and federal policies as well as practical resources to assist in developing your plan, such as travel requirements, emergency/first aid/other checklists, and safety plan templates.
Plan well in advance for travel precautions that may include preventive immunizations or other medical consultation through the Travel Medicine Clinic.
Consult with the Office of Global Affairs for international travel registration, insurance, and emergency assistance.
Research may involve the use of hazardous materials given to animals. In these cases, personnel must be informed of the hazards and trained by their supervisor on the preventive measures to reduce exposure to biological, chemical, or radiological agents. Environmental Health & Safety may perform exposure monitoring for certain hazards based on the controls in place.
Review the pages relevant to the hazards associated with your work:
Biological Safety - including additional preventive health requirements for hazardous biological agents
Chemical Safety - including hazard communication and labeling; exposure monitoring requirements for certain chemicals (e.g. use of halogenated anesthetic gases in a non-exhausted/scavenged setup)
- Anesthetic Gases
- Formaldehyde, Formalin, Paraformaldehyde
- Chemotherapy & Hazardous Drugs
- Compressed Gases
Radiation Safety - including health requirements for radiological agents
Agents in animal drinking water or feed
Preparing agents for oral administration in animal drinking water or feed (e.g., chow) may result in the preparer being exposed to hazardous chemicals via skin, eyes, and possibly the respiratory system.
- Personnel handling and disposing of the water or feed, working solutions, and animal bedding must follow precautions in their standard operating procedure (SOP) to prevent exposure.
- Researchers and animal care personnel must refer to and implement practices in the Agents in Animal Drinking Water or Feed SOP.
Review the Chemical Waste webpage for information on waste characterization and how to determine if your waste is considered a hazardous chemical waste. Contact chmwaste@uw.edu if you have questions regarding hazardous waste characterization.
Environmental Health & Safety conducts noise surveys in animal rooms and support spaces where there is the potential for loud and/or sustained noise.
Prevent hearing loss by wearing hearing protection, such as ear plugs or muffs, where indicated by facility signage and as the situation requires.
Additional information, including how to request a noise assessment, is available on the Hearing Loss Prevention Program webpage.
Sharps hazards
Sharps injuries are among the most commonly reported injuries in UW research and clinical settings. Sharps include needles, scalpels, lancets, and other objects used to cut or puncture the skin, or other sharp tools that can cause injury.
The Sharps Safety webpage contains resources and tools for preventing sharps injuries, including recommendations for eliminating sharps from procedures and substituting for safer sharps devices. You must develop written SOPs that cover the safe handling of sharps, required and recommended training, spill and exposure response, and safe disposal.
Cuts, scrapes, and needlesticks
Cuts from sharp edges (on equipment, cages, doors, shelves, anything in the environment) are a common hazard that requires planning to avoid injury. Visit the Sharps Safety page for recommendations to prevent sharps injuries that include:
- Keep clutter to a minimum and ensure there is sufficient working space before beginning work.
- Consider using a needle-syringe holder.
- Consider safe handling and disposal techniques for blades, and scalpels.
- Consider alternatives to needles, glass pipettes, razor blades and scalpels.
- Consider safer animal restraint devices and syringes.
- Ensure sharps containers are readily available in the work area.
In the event of a needlestick, cut, or scrape in an animal care setting, follow the instructions in the Exposure Response Poster. This poster should be posted by sinks and other emergency washing equipment so it can be quickly referenced following an exposure.
In the Primate Center, follow the exposure response instructions included in the exposure scrub kits.
Electrical hazards
Animal care and use settings often contain lots of equipment requiring electrical power.
- Overloading electrical circuits can result in tripped circuit breakers, damage to appliances, and electrical fires.
- Do not use extension cords for long term use.
- Power strips and surge suppressors are allowed for long term use but must not be daisy chained together.
- High amperage equipment must be plugged directly into a wall outlet.
Review the Extension Cords, Surge Suppressors, and Power Strips guidance and the Electrical Safety webpage for additional information.
Burns
Autoclaves utilize high pressure steam to sterilize items, and therefore present a potential burn hazard when personnel open the autoclave after a cycle and when hot items are removed from the autoclave. Review the General Autoclave Safety Guidelines for guidance on the safe use of autoclaves.
Cage washers utilize high temperature water to clean equipment. Hot steam may escape when the cagewash door is open and contents can be very hot after cycle completion.
- Users must be trained on the proper controls and operation of equipment to prevent burns, including PPE (lab coat, safety glasses, and autoclave/oven gloves).
- Cage washer training must include the safety features and protocols to prevent entrapment.
Slips, trips, and falls
Slips, trips, and falls are among the leading causes of injuries to UW personnel every year.
Some hazards in animal care and use spaces that pose slip, trip, and fall hazards include:
- Wet or contaminated surfaces: Spills of liquids can create slippery surfaces, increasing the likelihood of slips and falls. Cage washing areas and floors that have recently been cleaned are particularly hazardous. Ensure spills are cleaned up promptly. Use wet floor signs when cleaning floors.
- Lighting: Animal rooms are on set lighting schedules. If you must work in a room during the dark cycle, use red lighting or red flashlights. Allow your eyes to adjust and be especially aware of your surroundings. Poor lighting can obscure hazards, making it difficult for personnel to identify potential risks and increasing the chances of accidents.
- Improper housekeeping: Cluttered workspaces, equipment left in walkways, or failure to promptly clean spills can contribute to slips, trips, and falls. Always clean up after yourself and do not allow the work space to become over cluttered.
- Animal handling: Handling animals, especially larger species, can lead to unexpected movements or reactions, resulting in slips or falls. When working with larger species, ensure that tasks can be safely completed. Get another person to assist if needed.
- Equipment operation: Equipment, such as cages, lifts, cagewashes, and autoclaves, among others, can introduce hazards that increase the likelihood of accidents. Ensure equipment is on a preventive maintenance schedule. Report equipment deficiencies to facility personnel as soon as it is identified.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE): Improper use or lack of appropriate PPE, such as non-slip footwear, can reduce traction or impair movement, increasing the risk of falls. Ensure that you have proper footwear or change into facility-provided footwear if available.
- High-stress environment: The demanding nature of animal research environments can lead to distractions or rushed movements, increasing the likelihood of accidents. Take breaks as needed.
- Emergencies: In the event of an emergency, personnel may be more prone to slips, trips, and falls due to the urgency of the situation. Ensure you know what to do in the event of an emergency. Practice your emergency plans and identify and correct any hazards that pose unnecessary risk.
Review the Prevent Workplace Falls webpage for additional information and self-audit tools for walking-working surfaces
Zoonotic diseases are illnesses that can be spread from animals to humans. A person can be infected with a zoonotic illness when a pathogen gets in their eyes, nose, or mouth; by breathing in or swallowing a pathogen; or when a pathogen gets under the skin that may occur after a needlestick, bite, or scratch.
At least 60% of human pathogens are of zoonotic origin. Many laboratory animal species used today are bred to be free of zoonotic disease, but some laboratory animals, such as non-human primates, may be capable of infecting a person with a life-threatening disease. Fieldwork involving wild animals also has potential for exposure to zoonotic diseases.
Review the Zoonotic Disease Focus Sheets below for the species that you are working with. This information is an essential part of hazard awareness while working with animals.
If you or a member of the research team develops symptoms of a zoonosis or has health concerns about working with animals, contact the UW Employee Health Center.
Prevent zoonotic illness
- Follow your facility’s housekeeping and PPE protocols.
- Follow your facility’s procedures for reporting and handling pests. Animals that are not research animals can be vectors for transmitting diseases between animals, and between animals and humans.
- Adhere to your facility’s waste management procedures, and never allow waste to overflow.
- Vivarium supervisors ensure that facility environmental controls are working as intended and request facility modifications when needed. Deviations in humidity, temperature, and ventilation can increase stress in animals and thereby increase the risk of disease development in animals, with transmission to workers.
Zoonotic Disease Focus Sheets
- Amphibians and reptiles
- Bats/rabies
- Birds
- Dogs
- Ferrets
- Fish
- Guinea pigs, hamsters, and gerbils
- Mice and rats
- Non-human primate
- Pigs
- Rabbits
If purchasing animal tissues, additional handling information will be provided by Purchasing. If obtaining material through other means, please contact ohnurse@uw.edu for requirements.