All personnel involved with the care and use of animals in research or teaching settings must enroll in the Occupational Health and Safety Program (OHSP) and be cleared by the OHS Physician before working with animals. To enroll, use the following link to access the Occupational Health and Safety Job Exposure and Medical Information Form.
Print the completed form and seal it in an envelope. The IACUC Office cannot accept electronic copies of this form. On the front of the envelope, write your name, your PI name(s), and the number(s) of the protocol(s) you will be working on. Because the OHS form contains personal medical history, sign your name across the seal to show the OHS Physician that the contents have not been tampered with.
If you are a new animal user and you have also completed the necessary training on the Researcher Training Checklist, contact the IACUC Coordinator at iacuc@lifesci.ucsb.edu to set up an appointment to drop off your forms. If you are a current animal user, you may drop the completed form off at the IACUC Office in the Life Sciences Building Room 2109 or mail the form to the IACUC Office at Mail Code 5062.
If you received a clearance notice that includes follow-up items, such as a vaccination recommendation or a physical exam, these items must be resolved before receiving final clearance for working with animals. There are four possible review outcomes that may be conferred by the OHS Physician:
- Cleared for Participation
- Cleared for Participation with Recommendations
- Not Cleared, or
- Required Physical Examination
One of the most common OHS recommendations for animal users is to get a tetanus vaccination (e.g., Tdap). While not required for participation in the Animal Care and Use Program, receiving this vaccination is highly recommended. After receiving the recommendation from the OHS Physician, complete a Tetanus Verification/Waiver Form and submit it to the IACUC Office.
Another common recommendation is for animal users to be fitted for a respirator, usually a N-95 filtering facepiece respirator. This is usually recommended for animal users with a history of animal allergies or asthma who will be working with rodents in a laboratory or vivarium. If this has been recommended by the OHS Physician, the IACUC Office will put you in contact with the Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) personnel who administer the Respirator Protection Program.