Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Veterinary Medical Applications I
Vocabulary
Using the wordle, on the next slide, complete the
crossword puzzle. Then, write each term and its
definition on your own notebook paper. This list will
serve as a resource when studying for the upcoming
exam.
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
OSHA
Introduction
• Veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and
other members of the staff work with animals
that may be dangerous, but also many other
hazards are possible
• Being educated on many of the risks involved
in this field can help prevent injury to the
employee, patient, and client
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
• Occupational Safety & Health Administration
• Created by Congress in 1970 from the
Occupational Safety & Health Act
• In order to “assure safe and healthful working
conditions for working men and women”
• Government agency housed in the U.S.
Department of Labor, regulates & monitors
employee safety in the workplace
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
HCS
• To protect employees,
OSHA created a set of
guidelines: Hazard
Communication (HCS)
• Compliance is
mandatory in every
business, in every state,
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
• HCS is based upon the principle that
employees have the “Right to Know” when
they are in a situation that could be a health
hazard
• HCS places responsibility on the companies
that manufacture hazardous materials and on
the employer
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Chemicals
• Manufacturers are
required to label
chemicals if they are
flammable, corrosive, or
poisonous
• A Material Safety Data
Sheet (MSDS) must be
provided for every
chemical
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Employee Training
• Employers must devise a written training
program
• Must educate on hazards of specific
chemicals, use of protective clothing, and how
to use the MSDS.
• All businesses are required to comply with
OSHA safety standards and laws and are
subject to large fines if they fail to comply.
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
MSDS
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
• MSDS must contain the following 8 sections:
– Manufacturer Information
– Hazard Ingredients / Identity Information
– Physical / Chemical Characteristics
– Fire & Explosion Hazard Data
– Reactivity Data
– Health Hazard Data
– Precautions for Safe Handling & Use
– Control Measures
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
4 Hazards Associated with
Veterinary Clinics
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Physical Hazards
• Physical injuries from animals are the most common
type of injury in the vet hospital
• Frightened or nervous animals may bite, kick, or
scratch when being handled
• Farm animal’s size poses an even more dangerous
threat
• Cats present a specific hazard
– Needle-like teeth and sharp claws harbor bacteria that can
cause serious illness in humans
• Back injuries, falls on wet floors, exposure to x-rays
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Methods of Preventing Physical
Hazards
• Proper clothing and footwear should always be worn
when working with animals
• Learning animal behavior and correct
handling/restraint techniques can help prevent injury
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Chemical Hazards
• Drugs, cleaning agents, insecticides, anesthetic gases
– Can cause:
• damage to skin, eyes, and lungs if inhaled.
• abortion and or fetal abnormalities.
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Methods of Preventing Chemical
Hazards
• Proper use & safety measures is the best way to
protect
• Never use chemicals beyond their intended use
• Never mix chemicals
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Biological Hazards
• Living tissue & organisms, blood, urine, live vaccines
• Any medical waste that has come in contact with:
• blood or urine soaked blankets
• bandage materials & sharps
• Spreads disease from one animal to another or from
animals to humans (zoonotic)
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Methods of Preventing Biological
Hazards
• The federal Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988
regulates the disposal of medical wastes and
biohazards
• The EPA determines what regulations must be
followed when disposing biohazards
– All sharps must be disposed of in red, sealed containers
– All sharps containers labeled with biohazard symbol
– Medical wastes must be sterilized, incinerated, or
chemically disinfected before disposal.
– Gloves & protective clothing must be worn.
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Zoonotic Hazards
• Any disease that can be passed from animals
to humans.
• 4 Examples
– Viral Diseases (Rabies)
– Bacterial (Cat Scratch Fever, Brucellosis, Anthrax,
Tuberculosis)
– Parasitic (Sarcoptic mange)
– Fungal (Ringworm)
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Methods of Preventing Zoonotic
Hazards
• Vaccination of animals and humans
• Proper waste disposal
• Isolating & proper handling of infected
animals
• Proper sanitation of hospital
• Hand washing
• Wearing protective clothing
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Safety Signs & Equipment
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
OSHA Requirement
• Businesses must use specific safety signs and
equipment to alert employees and clients of
possible hazards and dangers
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Danger Sign
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Radioactive Sign
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Biohazard Sign
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Wet Floor Sign
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Equipment: Lead Gloves
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Equipment: Lead Apron
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Equipment: Back brace
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Equipment: Dosimeter
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Drug Schedules
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Drug Schedules
• The US Controlled Substances Act (Title 21
United States Code, Subchapter I, Part B
Section 812), regulates the availability of
drugs in the US, whether they can be
prescribed, and to what extent. Drugs are
classified into one of five schedules. The most
restrictive schedule is Schedule I.
• Began October 27, 1970, and updated and
republished on an annual basis thereafter.
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Schedule I
• The drug or other substance has a high
potential for abuse
• The drug or other substance has no currently
accepted medical use in treatment in the
United States
• There is a lack of accepted safety for use of
the drug or other substance under medical
supervision.
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Examples of Schedule I Drugs
• Hallucinogenic drugs, ecstasy and cannabis,
which have virtually no therapeutic use
• Production, possession and supply of these
drugs is limited in the public interest and
veterinary surgeons have no authority to
possess these drugs
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Schedule II
• The drug or other substance has a high
potential for abuse
• The drug or other substance has a currently
accepted medical use in treatment in the
United States or a currently accepted medical
use with severe restrictions
• Abuse of the drug or other substances may
lead to severe psychological or physical
dependence.
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Examples of Schedule II Drugs
• Morphine, pethidine, fentanyl, alfentanil, methadone,
the amphetamines and secobarbital.
• Drugs are subject to safe custody requirements and
should be stored in a suitable locked cabinet secured to
the fabric of the building at all times.
• Receipt and supply must be recorded in a Controlled
Drugs Register.
• Must not be destroyed, except in the presence of a
person authorized by the Secretary of State.
• Written prescriptions are valid for 28 days.
• Repeat prescriptions are not permitted.
• Prescriptions cannot be faxed or sent electronically.
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Schedule III
• The drug or other substance has a potential
for abuse less than the drugs or other
substances in schedules I and II
• The drug or other substance has a currently
accepted medical use in treatment in the
United States
• Abuse of the drug or other substance may
lead to moderate or low physical dependence
or high psychological dependence.
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Examples of Schedule III Drugs
• Buprenorphine, pentobarbital, phenobarbital,
midazolam and some minor stimulants, including
benzphetamine.
• These drugs are subject to safe custody
requirements but do not have to be recorded in
the Controlled Drugs Register.
• Written prescriptions are valid for 28 days.
• Repeat prescriptions are not permitted.
• Prescriptions cannot be faxed or sent
electronically.
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Schedule IV Drugs
• The drug or other substance has a low
potential for abuse relative to the drugs or
other substances in schedule III
• The drug or other substance has a currently
accepted medical use in treatment in the
United States
• Abuse of the drug or other substance may
lead to limited physical dependence or
psychological dependence relative to the
drugs or other substances in schedule III.
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Examples of Schedule IV Drugs
• Split into two parts: part I includes
benzodiazepines and ketamine; part II contains
anabolic and androgenic steroids
• They are not subject to safe custody
requirements. However, as ketamine is a
substance of abuse, the Royal College of
Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) recommends that it is
stored in the Controlled Drugs cabinet and its use
recorded in an informal Register
• Written prescriptions are valid for 28 days
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Schedule V
• The drug or other substance has a low
potential for abuse relative to the drugs or
other substances in schedule IV
• The drug or other substance has a currently
accepted medical use in treatment in the
United States
• Abuse of the drug or other substance may
lead to limited physical dependence or
psychological dependence relative to the
drugs or other substances in schedule IV
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Examples of Schedule V Drugs
• Preparations of certain Controlled Drugs, such
as codeine and morphine, which are exempt
from full control when present in medicinal
products of low strength
• They are exempt from all Controlled Drug
requirements, other than the requirement to
keep invoices for 5 years
• Prescription valid for 6 months
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Sanitation
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Types of Sanitation
• Cleaning –physically removing all visible signs
of dirt and organic matter such as feces,
blood, hair, etc
• Disinfecting –destroying most microorganisms
on nonliving things by physical or chemical
means
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Types of Sanitation
• Sterilizing – destroying ALL microorganisms
and viruses on an object using chemicals
and/or heat under pressure
• Antiseptics – solutions that destroy
microorganisms or inhibit their growth on
living tissue
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Commonly Used Chemicals
• Alcohols – ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol,
ethanol
• Aldehydes – gluteraldehyde, formaldehyde
• Chlorine – bleach
• Iodine and Iodophors – Betadine, iodine
• Quaternary ammonias – Centrimide,
Quatsyl-D
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Methods of Sanitation
• Physical cleaning – using a chemical with a
mop or sponge
• Cold sterilization – soaking items in a
disinfectant chemical until they are used
• Dry heat – incinerating an object or exposing
it to flame
• Radiation – using ultraviolet or gamma rays
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation
Methods of Sanitation
• Filtration – removing particles from the air
using a physical barrier
• Ultrasound – passing high frequency sound
waves through a solution to create a vibration
that scrubs an object to remove debris
• Autoclave – a sealed chamber in which
objects are exposed to heat and steam under
pressure
Unit I: Safety & Sanitation