Workplace Hazards

EH&S and occupational medicine provide medical services and hazard assessment support to inform engineering control, administrative, and personal protective equipment decisions in the workplace and academic environment.

Anesthetic Gases

Exposure to waste anesthetic gases may occur during animal surgeries and has been associated with reproductive hazards, chronic cardiovascular and respiratory effects, and acute liver and kidney damage.

The following anesthetic gas services are available for UW–Madison students and staff.

  • Anesthetic gas monitoring, hazard assessment and guidance on minimizing exposures.
  • Occupational Medicine schedules medicine consults and respirator fit tests.
  • RARC offers procedural trainings.

Bloodborne Pathogens

The bloodborne pathogens program prevents exposures to human blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) that may contain disease-causing viruses such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV per the OSHA 1910.1030 standard.

The following anesthetic bloodborne pathogens services are available for UW–Madison students and staff.

  • Coordination of the program for non-research environments, and training is delivered in work units based on role, task and facility.
  • Occupational Medicine offers clinical services for non-clinical needle stick and sharps injuries in the research environment.
  • Administers the program for research protocols, and Researchers and students complete Biosafety 102
  • UW–Madison work units implement program requirements.

Formaldehyde

EH&S coordinates compliance for the OHSA 1910.1048 Formaldehyde standard. Employers are required to evaluate employee formaldehyde exposure to determine if they are exposed above the regulatory level. Medical surveillance is available for employees who develop signs and symptoms of overexposure to formaldehyde.

  • Assist with exposure assessment, personal protective equipment and training coordination.
  • Occupational Medicine offers consultation and employee health monitoring.
  • Chemical Safety supports Hazard Communication, laboratory safety chemical hygiene plan, and spill response.

Records available in VCRGE lookup utility

Heat

Indoor and outdoor exposure to heat and humidity at work may lead to employee illness.   EH&S supports work units in reducing heat-related hazards per the OSHA National Emphasis Program.  Supervisor and employee resources are available at https://www.osha.gov/heat and and in the Canvas Training: Preventing Heat Illness at Work .

Rabies

Occupational Medicine offers pre- and post-exposure services for faculty, staff and student employees who are at risk or have been exposed to rabies.

Services for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, wildlife biologists, those who handle bats, diagnostic staff and others who interact with rabies relevant animals include:

  • Pre-exposure vaccine series and follow-up titers per CDC risk category recommendations
  • Post-exposure treatments based on pre-exposure vaccination history (vaccine, immune globulin or both)

Students seeking rabies vaccination or exposure follow up should contact University Health Services (UHS).

Cleanse wounds, administer first aid as needed and seek medical care in the event of a potential rabies exposure.

Reproductive Hazards

Reproductive hazards may affect the health of men and women and the ability of couples to have healthy children. Some known reproductive hazards are anesthetic agents, antineoplastic drugs, toluene, lead, ethylene oxide, and radiation.

If you are concerned about workplace hazards impacting your reproductive health, contact the following.

  • For consultations contact Occupational Medicine at 608-265-5610
  •  For hazard assessment, personal protective equipment, and guidance on other control options call 608-890-1992 or email eoh@fpm.wisc.edu
  • Review Animal Research Safety species and agent specifics-expertise

Respirable Crystalline Silica

EOH coordinates compliance for OSHA 1926.1153 and 1910.1053 for Respirable Crystalline Silica in construction and general industry, respectively. Occupational Medicine provides medical surveillance for UW–Madison.

  • UHS and EOH provides hazard assessment, air monitoring, training coordination, and personal protection equipment.
  • Occupational Medicine offers medical surveillance program for employees. They contact eligible employees with information about medical surveillance appointments.

Learn more about Respiratory Protection

Records available in VCRGE lookup utility

Tuberculosis

Occupational Medicine offers workplace required or recommended tuberculosis screening for UW–Madison faculty, staff, student employees and affiliates including:

  • Skin testing with first and second visit must occur 48–72 hours later to read results
  • Comprehensive screening with chest X-rays, symptom screens, and Interferon-Gamma Release Assays

Tuberculosis testing requirements for access to facilities housing non-human primates RARC-ACAPAC Policy 2013-053