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  1. Research Offices
  2. Animal Care and Use Committee
  3. Medical Monitoring

Occupational Health Program

The Occupational Health Program (OHP) is managed through Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) and is a coordinated effort between a contracted medical provider, the ACUC, and LAR.  EHS and the ACUC Coordinator share responsibility for ensuring all required personnel have enrolled in the OHP.   

Individuals with direct animal contact and ACUC members enroll in the OHP by completing the FSU Medical Monitoring Program for Vertebrate Animal Users Enrollment and Risk Assessment Form.  Direct animal contact is defined as contact with live animals, animal carcasses, animal tissues, or animal waste.  Individuals with direct animal contact include LAR employees and faculty, research staff, and students listed as AUP participants.  A contracted physician reviews each enrollment and risk assessment form.  The physician determines need for additional medical services or necessary job restrictions and/or accommodations based on patient health status and work scope.  Individuals offered an opportunity for physician follow-up may sign a waiver declining medical services.  Individuals that waive the benefit to meet with the physician are advised to consult with their personal physician and of their right to request additional OHP services during the course of their work with vertebrate animals.  Individuals with direct animal contact and ACUC members complete the FSU Medical Monitoring Program for Vertebrate Animal Users Enrollment and Risk Assessment Form triennially to provide updates on health status or change in work scope.  Personnel are also offered the benefit of meeting with the physician at any time to discuss changes in health status, including but not limited to personnel pregnancy, illness, or decreased immunocompetence or work scope.  Individuals who fail to complete the triennial health update are administratively removed from AUPs, and facility access is revoked.

Non-animal contact personnel, including Facility staff, Design and Construction Management staff, University Police, University administrators, regulatory inspectors, vendors, and visitors, are included in the OHP program but do not complete the enrollment and risk assessment form.  Non-animal contact personnel are provided an information sheet detailing animal-associated hazards and LAR entrance procedures.