Animal Worker Safety Training and Medical Clearance

When planning to work with live animals, whether in research or teaching, consideration and assurance of proper and humane care of the animals is required. However, attention must also be given to how the worker’s potential exposure to the animal can be done safely.  

To that end, the Skidmore College Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) requires all faculty, staff and students, who plan, or conduct, Skidmore College approved animal research or teaching are required to complete animal use and care training and enroll in the medical surveillance program. IACUC approval for research and teaching is contingent upon completion of both training and receipt of medical clearance.

ANIMAL WORKER HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING

All students, faculty and staff working with animals must complete animal care and use courses offered by CITI which are designed to meet U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) requirements for basic training in the humane care and use of animals. 

Basic step-by-step instructions for registering with CITI and completing initial certification can be found here: Instructions for Accessing CITI Training Modules

During the registration process, you will be able to select the appropriate courses based on your role and the specific species involved in the research or teaching you conduct.

Once you have completed all the modules in your course, you will have access to a completion certificate, and your education will be valid for three years, at which time you must complete the CITI "Refresher Course" for your user group, also valid for three years. The expiration date of your certification is based on the day the last required module was completed.

ANIMAL WORKER MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE

After you have successfully completed training, you may start the medical surveillance process. The required forms must be competed regardless of medical surveillance location.

Faculty and staff may contact Occupational Medicine of Saratoga Hospital, 2388 US-9, Malta, NY 12020 (518-866-5412) to arrange an appointment for an Animal Exposure Evaluation. Faculty and staff need to also notify Environmental Health and Safety of your appointment for billing and verification purposes. If faculty/staff choose this method of medical surveillance, the College will cover the cost of the medical visit. If faculty/staff choose to use their private PCP, the cost of the visit will be borne by the faculty/staff.

Please open, print and complete the necessary medical surveillance forms (Form 1, Form 2, Form 3). Bring the completed forms with you to your appointment and return the Clearance Form (form 2), once signed by the examining medical personnel, to EHS, 437 Palamountain Hall or EHS@sipinglq.com. Animal exposure surveillance is required annually. 

Students, please follow these instructions to submit your electronic Animal Exposure form to Health Services for review:

1)         Login to your Health Services Portal

2)         Go to “My Forms”

3)         Complete “Animal Exposure Health and Safety Evaluation” electronic form

Your form will be received and reviewed by a Health Services provider. The provider will contact you if they need any additional information. Once your form is approved, Health Services will send you a secure message through your health portal and will notify the Office of Environmental Health and Safety that you are cleared to participate (no medical information will be shared). If you don’t see this form in your portal or if you have any other questions, please contact Health Services at 518-580-5550 or health@sipinglq.com.

Animal exposure surveillance is required annually.