Occupational Health Services
Obtaining Occupational Health Services at UCI
Occupational Health Services are provided to protect you from potential illnesses that may be related to your job at UCI. To request information please contact the Occupational Health Coordinator at occhlth@uci.edu or call 949-824-6200. Your department will be responsible for fees related to medical services (e.g., evaluations, vaccines, x-rays, and etc.)
Medical Surveillance Programs
Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) Vaccine is recommended for employees whose work activities potentially place them in contact with sewage or feces such as childcare workers, plumbers and those working with non-human primates. A 2-dose series of injections is recommended for pre-exposure prophylaxis to develop adequate antibodies to the HAV infection.
Hepatitis B Viral (HBV) Vaccine vaccination is highly recommended for employees whose work activities potentially expose them to infectious materials such as human or non-human primate blood, blood products, body fluids, cells, established cell lines or tissues. This includes lab staff, health care workers, facilities and custodial workers. Employees have the right to refuse the HBV vaccine. Employees who refuse must complete the Hepatitis B Vaccine Letter of Declination for their employee file.
A 3-dose series of injections (0, 1-2, 4-6 mos.) is recommended for pre-exposure prophylaxis to develop adequate antibodies to the HBV infection. Documentation of serologic testing (a Hep B Titer) to monitor antibody concentrations after completion of the 3-dose series is necessary for all health care workers.
Tetanus Vaccination
Tetanus (lockjaw, painful spasms of all muscles) is a serious disease caused by the bacteria clostridium tetani that enters the body through a cut, open wound or puncture. Employees working in facilities management, health care or animal research environments should be knowledgeable of the date of their tetanus immunization- usually received in 3 doses during childhood. If one is unsure of the date, a booster dose is recommended as well as every 10 years thereafter to maintain protective antibodies against tetanus. Tetanus toxoid injection is often combined with Diphtheria vaccine (Td).
Always seek prompt medical attention for any wounds as a booster may be recommended sooner than 10 years. All work-related injuries should be reported to your supervisor and an Employee Online Incident Report completed.
Occupational Health Surveillance System (OHSS)
The purpose of the Occupational Health Surveillance System (OHSS) is to prevent illness related to animal care, make recommendations for all lab animal handlers' health and safety in the of event an illness or injury related to your work with lab animals is experienced, and meet AAALAC lab animal care accreditation requirements.
UCI policy requires that all faculty, staff, visiting researchers and students who work directly with vertebrate animals or lab animal tissues (unfixed animal tissues or body fluids) and those who work in animal housing areas must enroll in the OHSS. Register online at UCI Office of Research's Occupational Health Surveillance System (OHSS).
What has changed?
- Similar to the Lab Hazard Assessment Tool (LHAT), a lab member is required to be assigned to an OHSS risk assessment from their Principal Investigator or Supervisor.
- Lab member will receive an invite to acknowledge the assessment and complete the health questionnaire.
- Questionnaire is reviewed and cleared by EHS.
For detailed instructions on completing the OHSS requirements, refer to the following:
- Instructions for Principal Investigators/Supervisors Creating a Risk Assessment
- Instructions for Lab member
Information sheet for the care and use of:
Respiratory Protection Program
The Respiratory Protection Program provides a system for complying with the requirements of the applicable regulatory standards. The program defines the procedures for selecting respirators (which includes performance of a respiratory hazard evaluation), medical evaluations, respirator user training, evaluating program effectiveness, and voluntary use of respiratory protection.
UC Irvine staff or student subject to this policy shall have a medical evaluation completed before they are assigned or required to use respiratory protection. Voluntary users of respirators may be subject to the medical evaluation. The cost of the medical evaluation is borne by the staff’s department. Costs of medical evaluations for students are borne by the student. The medical evaluation should be performed every five years pursuant to American National Standard Institute ANSI Z88.2
The UCI staff or student must follow all procedures and complete all applicable forms pursuant to the campus Respiratory Protection Program.
Tuberculosis (TB) screen
Some persons are more likely to be exposed to or infected with TB than the overall population. This includes people from countries where TB is common, residents of correctional facilities, people who are homeless, residents of long-term care facilities and health care workers. For more information, refer to Tuberculosis Questions and Answers.
A yearly Tuberculosis (TB) screen with purified protein derivative (PPD) administered under the skin is required for employees who have face-to-face contact with patients in clinical and non-clinical settings, including human subjects enrolled in a research protocol, childcare workers and Laboratory staff working with tuberculosis. Employees previously immunized with the BCG vaccine must obtain a baseline PPD skin test.
Once the skin test is performed, employees must return to have TB tests read by designated trained personnel within 48 to 72 hours. Tests not read within this period must be repeated.
2-Step Testing
New employees with a current negative skin test who cannot show documentation of a negative PPD skin testing within the prior 12 months may be asked to return in 1 to 3 weeks for a second skin. This 2-Step method of testing will help to prevent future misinterpretation of a subsequent skin test as a newly acquired TB infection. This boost phenomenon” can result because the ability of some people (those who have had a previous TB infection or BCG vaccine) to react to PPD may gradually wane.
| Negative Results | Positive Results |
|---|---|
|
If a skin test is read as negative, there is no disease present. |
A positive skin test and no symptoms of TB can be interpreted to mean a person has been exposed to TB germs sometime during his life (latent TB infection). It does not indicate that a person has active TB or is contagious. If a skin test is read as positive, a chest x-ray must be scheduled to evaluate whether or not TB infection is active. For more information, refer to Tuberculosis Questions and Answers. If the chest x-ray is read as negative (clear), subsequent chest x-rays are not routinely needed unless symptoms develop that could be attributed to TB. Annual documentation of a review of TB symptoms by your health care provider or designated trained personnel to screen for active TB symptoms is required. If a person cannot present documentation of a previous positive skin test, they should receive a PPD skin test. |
Personnel with patient contact should be screened by the Occupational Health Clinic at UCIMC at 714-456-8300. UCI campus employees can contact an Occupational Health Coordinator at 949-824-6200 directly.
If you have further questions about Occupational Health Services please contact a UCI Occupational Health Coordinator at occhlth@uci.edu or call 949-824-6200.