Development of an Occupational Risk Assessment Tool for Laboratory Animal Facilities

Introduction: Laboratory animal facilities aim to provide excellence in animal care and welfare and support scientific research. Critical to these goals is to ensure a safe work environment for personnel comprising veterinary and animal care, laboratory research, and maintenance staff. Objective: Thus, performing occupational risk assessments allows for evaluation of risks from identified hazards associated with a variety of tasks ongoing in laboratory animal facilities. Methods: Herein, we present the development of an occupational risk assessment tool purposed to capture the dynamics of work performed in laboratory animal facilities, calculate and prioritize identified risks associated with procedures and processes, and inform and evaluate risk mitigations. Results: We also discuss a risk assessment for refining sharps use in nonhuman primate husbandry and care to demonstrate the utility of this tool to improve occupational safety in our animal facility. Conclusion: This tool and framework evolve into a holistic occupational risk management system that identifies, evaluates, and mitigates occupational risks; determines risk acceptability; consistently ensures communication and consultation with frontline personnel, stakeholders, senior leadership, and subject matter experts in biosafety, science, and animal care and welfare; and continuously strives to improve and enhance the operations of laboratory animal facilities.

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STUDY OF OCCUPATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY

Ukrainian Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture ◽

10.30838/j.bpsacea.2312.261021.68.803 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 68-75

Author(s):

V.I. MORGACHOVA

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Occupational Safety ◽

Occupational Risk ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Acceptable Level ◽

Production Operation ◽

Rapid Reduction ◽

Protective Measures ◽

Occupational Risks ◽

Future Work

In the course of work it was demonstrated that occupational risk is considered to be the probability of harm to health as a result of exposure to harmful and / or dangerous production factors during the labor process. A prerequisite for occupational safety in production activities is knowledge and assessment of the activities of sources of danger, risk assessment tools, the degree of impact of hazards on people and taking the necessary measures. Risk management is carried out in the performance of each production operation performed by employees of the enterprise, and is aimed at eliminating or reducing unacceptable risks through the implementation of appropriate protective measures. Without the analysis and management of occupational risks, it is impossible to create safe conditions, as well as reduce injuries and reduce occupational diseases. One of the main methods of occupational risk analysis that gives the best results is the method of analysis of causation using a dynamic model. In order to identify hazards, assess risks and implement protective measures that can ensure the acceptable level of risks of future work, it is necessary to consider the production task and visit the work site. Work is allowed if there are no additional hazards and protective measures of the Risk Assessment Map are actually implemented. It is forbidden to perform the work when identifying additional hazards that require reducing the risks of additional resources and the decision of management. It is strictly forbidden to perform the work until the rapid reduction of the level of risk to an acceptable level begins − with the identification of additional hazards that require the development and implementation of protective measures at the expense of personal resources.

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