OSHA and MSDS

Precautions for needles

Keep needles capped, one handed technique for recapping, dispose in sharps container, don't overfill sharps container

Other Safety Precautions

Keep work area clean, wear appropriate clothing, store equipment and supplies properly, food storage and ingestion, know safe usage of equipment, safe use of electricity

Other Animal related injuries

Kicks, Scratches and Squeeze injuries

Risks in vet technology

Lab accidents, back injuries, hazardous chemicals, animal related injuries, chronic exposure to noise, zoonotic diseases, X-ray radiation, anesthetic gas waste

Ergonomic Injuries

Less common, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, change posture frequently

General Protection

Maintain rabies and tetanus boosters, maintain personal health insurance, use common sense, follow safety rules and regulations use protective equipment, know what your doing

MSDS Sheets

Material Safety Data Sheet

Sources of Radiation

Medical equipment, X-ray, Fluoroscopy

Formalin and Formaldehyde

Methanol and water, tissue preservation, carcinogen, need lots ventilation, pre-filled biopsy containers

Lab Cultures

Microbiological cultures from human pathogens are medical waste, but safe to put all in medical waste

Cytotoxic Drugs

Most hazardous, follow protocols, wear all PPE, chemotherapy, birth defects and miscarriages

Precautions of anesthesia

Must use scavenger system, adequate room ventilation, test machine before use, use isoflurane, avoid spills, no pregnant women, wear gloves when changing materials

Signs of Rabies

Neurologic problems, Aggressiveness, agitation, foaming mouth, paralysis

Disinfectants

Non-toxic, cover containers, skin irritation, cold sterilization of instruments, wear gloves and goggles

Blood tubes, Viles, Iv's, and Catheders

Not considered medical waste unless from a human or animal receiving chemo

What is OSHA?

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Bandages and Sponges

Only human pathogens that have saturated or ones that have zoonotic diseases or chemo samples are medical waste

Personal Violence

Overnight practices, keep doors locked from outside, be aware of environment when outside

Nonzoonotic Infectious Diseases

Parvovirus, Panleukopenia and upper respiratory infections in cats

Needles

Physical trauma and bacterial infections

Precautions for Rabies

Pre-exposure prophylaxis, vaccination in pets, caution with handling unvaccinated animals, wear gloves, animals that require quarentine

Toxoplasmosis

Protozoal infection, cats are definitive host, all other species are intermediate hosts

Employer Responsibilities

Provide safe work environment, have educational training programs, provide safety equipment, establish safety protocols and procedures, Compile MSDS sheets

Environment of Radiation

Radon gas, cosmic radiation, consumer products

Signs of Bite Wounds

Redness, fever, pain, swelling, depression, chills, muscle pain, lymph node enlargement

Diagnosis of Ringworm

Culture, Wood's lamp, Direct microscope examination

Symptoms with short-term exposure to anesthesia

Drowsiness, headache, fatigue, nausea, pruritis, depression, and irritability

Rabies

Viral disease, spread through saliva or CNS tissue, bite wounds come in contact with infection

Treatment of Bite wounds

Wash for 5 minutes with chlorhexadine, wash with saline, seek medical attention especially for joint involvement, notify physician

Noise Precautions

Wear Hearing protection, can get hearing loss due to long term exposure

Precautions of Nonzoonotic infectious diseases

Wear protective clothing, proper hygiene and change clothes when you get home from work

Purpose of MSDS sheets

Inventory of all hazardous chemicals, explains what clothing should be worn and how chemicals should be stored

Precautions for physical trauma

Alert, proper restraint, muzzles, vet-approved sedation

Outlook for Rabies

Almost always fatal

Handling of Chemical Hazards

Always add chemical first then diluent, don't mix unknown chemicals, be aware of protocols for cleaning and spilling chemicals

Anesthesia

Anesthetic gases used during surgery, can leak into surrounding rooms, highest concentration is near patient's mouth

What is the most common injury?

Animal Related Injuries

Treatment of Toxoplasmosis

Antibiotics

Treatment of Leptospirosis

Antibiotics and Supportive care

Fomite

Anything that is nonliving

Dental Cleanings

Bacteria taken away by ultrasonic scaler

Leptospirosis

Bacterial infection, dogs, cattle, horses, pigs, sheep

Storage of Chemical Hazards

Bottles with tight lids, closed cabinets below eye level, transferred in a secondary conatiner, labeled with OSHA label

Other Zoonotic Diseases

Brucellosis, Hookworms, Cryptosporidiosis, Giardiasis, Chlamidia and Q-Fever

Complications with Bite Wounds

Could get other diseases, lots of bacteria in the mouths of dogs and especially cats

Ionizing Radiation

Causes free radical formation, water most commonly ionized molecule

Pesticides

Chemicals used to control pests

Latex

Contact latex allergies, dermatitis, nasal congestion, swelling

Exemptions from MSDS

Cosmetics, Items imposed for personal use, pills or tablets, small quantities f household products

Objective of OSHA

Decrease or eliminate the risk of injury or illness to employees

Modes of Exposure for Zoonotic Diseases

Direct Contact, Inhalation, Ingestion, Contact with broken skin, contact with mucus membranes or eyes, inoculation with a needle

Transmission of Ringworm

Direct contact with bacteria, contact with contaminated hair/scales, fomites

Top three species to induce physical trauma

Dogs, Cats and horses

Precautions for Toxoplasmosis

Don't ingest undercooked meat, wear gloves when gardening, pregnant women shouldn't clean the litter box, wash all vegetables

Employee Rights

Educational training, Proper safety equipment, Discuss safety concerns with employer, notify regional OSHA office, Radiation reports, employee summary

Radiation

Electromagnetic radiation, photons, cells are most sensitive to radiation, rapidly dividing cells

Employer Rights

Enforce rules and discipline and terminate violating employees, Allow ample time to correct safety related problems, Can be present for OSHA inspection

Ethylene Oxide

Explosive, sterilizes materials, no autoclave, can cause severe burns and chromosomal abnormalities, carcinogen

Transmission of Leptospirosis

Exposure to infected urine or placental transfer, contact with mucus membranes or skin wounds, ingestion of contaminated water or feed

Locations of Bite Wounds

Face, hands, legs and arms

Transmission methods of Zoonotic diseases

Feces, Body fluids, Tissue, Blood, Hair and fomites

Monitoring Devices Radiation

Film badge must wear when take x-Rays, determines amount of exposure to radiation

Employee Responsibilities

Follow safety rules, comply with OSHA regulations, wear recommended PPE, Report job related injuries, inform employer of hazardous work environments

Ringworm

Fungal infection, more common in cats and horses, caused by a bacteria

Protective Clothing

Gloves, Lab coats, goggles, no food, no mouth pipetting, glasses, no contacts, eye washes, expose of bio hazards, sharps containers

Precautions of Leptospirosis

Gloves, proper hygiene, face mask and goggles, proper disinfectants, vaccination of animals, isolation of infected animals

Precautions of Ringworm

Gloves, wear protective clothing, proper hygeine

Precautions for dental cleanings

Goggles, mask, and gloves

Signs of Ringworm

Hair loss, crusting or scales, have a ring-like lesion

Modes of infection for Toxoplasmosis

Ingestion of undercooked meat, ingestion of soil or dirty vegetables, fecal-oral route, congenital

Inspections

Initiated based on complaint, unannounced, employee cannot be present

Bathing and Dipping Precautions

Insecticide shampoos, poses risk to humans and animals, gloves, aprons, goggles, proper ventilation, and know eyewash station

Animal Waste

Regular trash, except when zoonotic disease is present

Signs of Leptospirosis

Renal failure, liver disease, fever, abortions in large animals

Symptoms of long-term exposure to anesthesia

Reproductive disorders, liver and kidney damage, nervous system dysfunction

Heavy Objects

SAVE BACK, most common back injuries

Toxoplasmosis Human Risks

Self-limiting, more common in immunodeficient people, can lead to birth defects, No pregnant women cleaning litter box, premature birth or abortion

Diagnosis of Leptospirosis

Serology (Blood)

Diagnosis of Toxoplasmosis

Serology (Blood)

Reservoirs of Rabies

Skunks, foxes, bats, raccoons, and coyotes

Fire Safety

Store flammable products properly, 3 feet away from ignition sources, be aware of location exits and protocols, know how to use the extinguishers

Compressed Gas

Stored upright, secured to a wall, and away from heat

Signs of Toxoplasmosis

Subclinicaal, gastrointestinal disease, neurologic disease, respiratory disease

Diagnosis of rabies

Testing of brain tissue, cut off head and send away

Animal Blood or Tissues

Tissue from surgery is considered regular waste, Only dead animals or animals infected with zoonotic diseases are medical waste

Allergies to animals

To cats is most common, usually allergens are inhaled, dander, fleas, saliva etc

Treatment for Ringworm

Topical Antifungal and systemic antifungal

Level of Environmental Contamination is determined by what?

Type of anesthesia used, oxygen flow rate, use of mask vs endotracheal tube, scavenging system, length of time under anesthesia, presence of leaks in the system