Requerimiento de Diseño Convencional según el RNE E-030(2016)

LAA Division Policy

This po licy outlines th e actions undertaken a n d th e g u id a n c e p rovide d by th e Division to discharge its responsibilities for th e Health a n d Safety o f personnel w orking w ith Laboratory animals, including th e requirem ents o f th e C ontrol o f Substances Hazardous to h ealth Regulations 1989 (C.O.S.H.H).

1. General Policy

1.1 Recruitment

Persons with a previous history o f allergic disease to anim als or current history o f asthm a are e xclu d e d from jobs involving exposure to anim als or their tissues. It does not seem reasonable a t present, to discrim inant against p e o p le because th e y are a to p ic * . H ow ever th e y ore advised th a t th e y are a t some increased risk o f d e ve lo p in g th e m ore severe m anifestations o f LAA as c o m p a re d w ith n o n -a to p ic p e o p le .

1.2 Relocation

Persons w h o d e v e lo p symptoms o f labo ra to ry anim al allergy a t work, w hich m aterially disturb their g o o d health or ability to w ork efficiently, will b e transferred to o th e r jobs w hen p ra c tic a b le . O ther persons, w h o m ay b e asym ptom atic, m ay n e e d to b e transferred if they show deterioration in lung function tests token a t work th a t c a n be reasonably ascribed to anim al exposure.

Whilst a sym pathetic re lo catio n policy is th e preferred m e th o d o f handling this problem , it is difficult to require o f th e p a tie n t whose c a re e r is in anim al work, (e.g. a specialist biologist, particularly if his ca re e r is w ell a d v a n c e d ). It is there fo re a c c e p ta b le to hove a trial o f th e use o f e ffe c tiv e personal p ro te ctio n c o m b in e d w ith jo b m odification os outlined in th e next section. If g o o d p ro te ctio n is o b ta in e d on trial, relo catio n m ay b e defe rre d

indefinitely.

1.3 Personal Protection (PPE) and Job Modification

The present state o f k n o w le d g e o f science in this field does not perm it full re lia n ce to be p la c e d upon gene ra l or lo ca l ventilation for the

suppression o f LAA a lth o u g h such ventilation is, in theory, inherently

superior to personal p ro te c tiv e e q u ip m e n t (PPE). Therefore re liance must be p la c e d on personal p ro te ctio n to a considerable extent. For sensitised personnel, w h o express a wish to h o ve a trial o f PPE, p ro te ctio n using a

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v e n tila te d h e lm et m ay b e a tte m p te d . This measure m ay b e c o m b in e d w ith jo b m odificatio n to re d u c e exposure. The level o f p ro te ctio n must be ca refu lly assessed a n d re lo catio n e n fo rc e d if p ro te ctio n is no t substantially c o m p le te . For all o th e r anim al exposed personnel (including fitters a n d others w ith interm ittent anim al c o n ta c t) a mask or h e lm et must b e w orn in areas w h e re anim al exposure is likely to occur. Gloves a n d suitable

o ve rclo th in g must b e worn.

Dispensation from these requirem ents m ay b e given by d e p a rtm e n ta l m anagers in consultation w ith th e O.H. d e p a rtm e n t for p a rticu la r tasks considered to carry low risk. H ow ever such dispensation will not b e given lightly.

1.4 Information and Education

The results o f surveys will b e m o d e a v a ila b le to staff gen e ra lly a n d specifically to staff representatives in Health a n d Safety C om m ittees. 2. Medical Policy

2.1 Surveillance

A surveillance p ro g ra m m e has b e e n d e v e lo p e d a n d m aintained. The purpose o f this co n tin u e d m onitoring is to identify n e w coses o f LAA a n d to ensure th a t th e anim al exposed w o rkforce show no significant long term or p e rm a n e n t d e cre a se in lung function w h e n c o m p a re d w ith non­ exposed personnel. The te c h n ic a l aspects o f this surveillance, particularly in re ga rd o f significant sub-groups o f th e exposed p o p u la tio n is fairly c o m p le x a n d will not b e discussed further here.

3. Systems Control of Laboratory Animal Allerav

3.1 Nature of Antigens

The primary allergens are proteins derived from th e rot, mouse, ra b b it a n d gu inea pig. These are present in urine, serum a n d saliva or m ay b e

dep o site d on pelts a n d anim al house dust.

Cross-reactivities a n d th e re le van t im p o rta n c e o f diffe re n t antigens ha ve y e t to b e researched in a n y detail.

3.1.1 M easurem ent

It is no w experim entally possible to measure antigens-in-air by using c o n v e n tio n a l dust-capturing techniques a n d ELISA. This will n e e d to b e d e v e lo p e d further b e fo re being a v a ila b le as a robust a n d reliable

m e th o d o lo g y w hich c o n b e used to measure working conditions a n d g u id e im provem ents scientifically. Research continues on this subject. 3.2 Animal Handling Operations

The d iffe re n t anim al handling operations in F.P.D. m ay b e divid e d into th e fo llo w in g groupings:

1. Husbandry

2. Transport a n d storage 3. O bservation

4. Experimental activities

Each o f these operations has different types a n d levels o f exposure to animals. The im p o rta n t factors are tim e o f exposure, vo lu m e o f animals, ty p e o f activity a n d anim al response to th a t activity. The measures set d o w n in Section 1.3 a p p ly to all th e a b o v e activities.

3.2.1 Animal Husbandry

Antigens levels in anim al husbandry are usually low b e cause o f th e low stress im p a c t on anim al populations in these circum stances. H ow ever a n tig e n rich atm ospheres m ay be g e n e ra te d in specific cases such as c a g e -c le a n in g , sw eeping-out e tc. W et m ethods very e ffe ctive ly suppress a n tig e n leveis in such circum stances a n d should b e used w h e n e v e r

possible.

3.2.2 Transport a n d storoae

Small animals must be transported in filtered cages. Transport m ovem ents a n d stocking levels must b e kept os low os reasonably p ra c tic a b le .

Animals or dirty ca g e s must not b e kept in corridors or o th e r te m p o ra ry storage w h e re u n p ro te c te d persons m ay e n c o u n te r them . Whilst aw a itin g observations or o th e r procedures, animals should b e stored in d e sig n a ted areas: w h e re p ra c tic a b le these should b e physically

se p a ra te d from casual hum an c o n ta c t. 3.2.3 O bservation

These activities c a n yield high a n tig e n exposure levels especially if tra u m a tic procedures ore necessary. Animals should b e h a n d le d firmly, g e n tly a n d securely as this helps to re d u c e a n tig e n exposure, rooms used for keeping animals under study should, w h e re p ra c tic a b le , h a ve a

se p a ra te ante -ro o m for th e keeping a n d don n in g o f p ro te c tiv e clothing. 198

3.2.4 Experimental Activities

Shaving, bleed in g , dosing a n d anaesthetisation all le a d to high exposure levels o f antig e n . W here p ra c tic a b le , such procedures should b e carried ou t in a fum e c u p b o a rd or lam inar flo w c a b in e t or in a system otherwise e q u ip p e d w ith lo ca l exhaust ventilation (LEV). W et shaving m ethods must b e used. W here LEV is im p ra c tic a b le , th e w earing o f PPE must b e strictly e n fo rce d .

Experimental w ork under anaesthesia, dissection, post m ortem s a n d tissue prep a ra tio n present lesser risks but c a n still g e n e ra te a n tig e n rich

environm ents. RPE a n d g o o d g e n e ra l ventilation is usually sufficient. 4. Baste Principles In Design off Animal Areas

Animal densities should b e kept to th e minimum as should anim al m ovem ents. Animal work should b e se g re g a te d from o th e r work. This implies th a t persons not having business in anim al areas should not b e p e rm itted to e n te r them . Exposure tim e o f individuals w orking with

animals should be kept to th e minimum. Facilities should be a v a ila b le to don a n d re m o ve PPE in isolation from animals a n d from g e n e ra l working environm ents by th e designation o f onte-room s or o th e r specified areas. LEV must b e supplied w h e re p ra c tic a b le i.e., p ro ce d u re cabinets, fum e cupboards, d o w n d ra u g h t work surfaces. C onsideration should be given to the p ro te ctio n o f fitters a n d o th e r service personnel by th e design o f easily re m o v a b le a n d self c o n ta in e d e q u ip m e n t w h e re c o n ta m in a te d items require handling or servicing (e.g., filters).

There is a c o m m itm e n t to o n g o in g research into various aspects o f LAA prevention a n d m a n a g e m e n t.

5. C.O.S.H.H.

This policy m ay be seen as an expression o f th e o u to m e o f continuous assessment o f activities associated with labo ra to ry anim al exposures. As such it is d e e m e d to fulfil th e requirem ents o f C.O.S.H.H. in relation to assessment. It will b e review ed a t th e e n d o f o n e ye a r a n d th e re a fte r a t less fre q u e n t intervals as seems a p p ro p ria te .

To c o m p ly w ith th e spirit o f C.O.S.H.H. requirements, precautions a n d procedures re la te d to th e risk o f LAA must b e w ritten into d e p a rtm e n ta l o p e ra tin g a n d o th e r p roce d u ra l docum ents. C o m p lia n c e must be

c h e c k e d periodically a n d those checks re c o rd e d a n d records kept in th e d e p a rtm e n t for five years.