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General Laboratory Practices: Health and Medical Surveillance

Medical surveillance of personnel in general is essential to identify health factors that may increase one's risk for lab-acquired infections. Under specific circumstances, work with high-risk agents or diagnostic specimens that may contain high-risk agents may require consideration of vaccinations for some personnel or restricted access for others. In the case of exposures to potentially infectious materials, medical surveillance will include health monitoring as prescribed by MSU Occupational Health in order to facilitate recovery (Refer to Appendix F for exposure response procedures).

The Principal Investigator is responsible for assuring that all lab and support personn el and visitors are fully informed of:

• Risks associated with handling the biological materials in use, including routes of transmission and signs and symptoms;
• Restricted access policies for those at elevated risk of infection for any infectious agent in use;
• Conditions that can lead to one becoming immunocompromised or immunosuppressed, and the option to notify one's supervisor or MSU Occupational Health in that instance to assure one's health.

Lab personnel and visitors should observe the following:

• Entry or work in any lab where biological materials are in use (regardless of the biosafety level) may pose an elevated risk of infection for individuals who are immunocompromised.
• Consultation with an occupational health provider before working in a lab is strongly advised if you believe that you may be immunocompromised. Please remember that events such as pregnancy, recent illnesses caused by an infectious agent (i.e., the flu), chemotherapy, etc. can result in an immunocompromised state of health.

Vaccinations
Specific projects may arise using infectious materials and techniques that warrant consideration of vaccines. In these instances, the Principal Investigator should notify the MSU Biosafety Officer and MSU Occupational Health to further assess this need.

In the event that restricted access entry or vaccination requirements are implemented for a study underway, this information will be clearly posted on the lab door to communicate elevated risk.

General Laboratory Practices: Inventory Log

Biosafety Manual Table of Contents