Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
flow workstations (“clean benches” or “industrial assembly
cabinets”) are not appropriate to use for activities involving
the use of infectious, toxic, or sensitizing materials under
any circumstances.
are also desirable. The need for monitoring and enforcing
institutional standard operating procedures to ensure
worker compliance cannot be overemphasized. These
procedures must be periodically reviewed and updated.
Emergency procedures should also be covered in institu-
tional standard operating procedures. In particular for those
institutions housing macaques, a standard operating
procedure for human exposure to herpes B by monkey bites
and/or scratches is essential.
Miscellaneous
Numerous equipment items in an animal facility are often
necessarily transported from one animal room to another.
These include such items as laboratory carts, animal scales,
feed containers, feed scoops, restraint gloves and nets,
water hoses, and nozzles. To prevent the transmission of
animal pathogens from these items, it is essential that they
be properly sanitized or sterilized upon removal from the
animal room. This is extremely important with regard to
quarantine rooms or rooms containing animals experi-
mentally infected with highly contagious pathogens.
Personal Hygiene/Protective Clothing
High standards of personal cleanliness by animal care staff
are essential in preventing the transmission of pathogenic
agents from nonhuman primates to their caretakers. The
institution should provide washing, showering, and locker
facilities as well as protective clothing and other supplies
for workers to maintain adequate levels of personal
hygiene.
Personnel should change clothing as often as necessary
to maintain personal hygiene. Outer garments worn in
animal rooms should not be worn outside the animal
facility, especially to eating areas and other general public
areas.
Individuals should not be permitted to eat, drink,
smoke, apply cosmetics and lip balm, or to manipulate their
contact lenses in rooms housing nonhuman primates.
Separate areas or rooms should be provided for these
purposes.
The simple practice of hand washing is considered by
some experts to be the single most important personal
hygiene practice. This cannot be done in animal rooms
housing nonhuman primates since wearing one or two pairs
of gloves is the standard practice. Hands should be washed
immediately after leaving animal holding areas. Showering
after the completion of contact work with nonhuman
primates or at the end of the workday is recommended in
most situations.
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
It is the responsibility of the institution to ensure that
people caring for or using nonhuman primates are qualified
to do so. Even qualified people often have a propensity to
function with too much flexibility regarding standard
operating procedures, institutional policies, and regula-
tions. Thus, personnel management is one of the most
difficult categories in which to achieve satisfaction and
compliance regarding biosafety and nonhuman primates.
Occupational health programs are mandatory for personnel
who work with nonhuman primates and for others who
have substantial contact with them. A model program is
presented in the main section towards the end of this
chapter: “Model occupational health program for persons
working with nonhuman primates.”
Professional Oversight
Institutions having nonhuman primates must provide
professional oversight for these programs. Optimally,
collaborative efforts of biosafety officials and veterinarians
or others knowledgeable of nonhuman primate zoonoses
and experimental pathogens will be utilized to formulate
individualized standard operating procedures and occupa-
tional health/safety programs that satisfactorily meet the
needs of the institution.
Training
Nonhuman primates, in general, pose a greater risk to
people in terms of natural pathogens and physical dangers
than most other groups of research animals. Experimental
pathogens further multiply the dangers. Therefore, in
working with nonhuman primates, it is absolutely essential
that tasks be performed correctly and safely. To achieve this
end, education of the employee is of utmost importance and
training is the ultimate responsibility of the institution.
Many entry-level employees at a nonhuman primate
facility have limited or no knowledge of or experience with
nonhuman primates. Thus, an orientation program for new
employees is essential. This should include formal
instruction, written materials, and on the job training and
Standard Operating Procedures
Written standard procedures are essential for the operation
of a nonhuman primate facility and program. They should
be developed by a staff member who is quite familiar with
each task as well as with the individuals who actually
supervise and perform the procedures. Review and
concurrence of a peer or higher-level institutional official
