Animal House: Reducing Injuries in the Vivarium
- Room: Champagne 1
- Session Number: IS7
Wednesday, November 03, 2021: 4:00 PM - 4:50 PM
Speaker(s)
Description
Animal research is an integral process in the discovery of effective cancer treatment. The individuals who perform the vital work in the vivarium often suffer the greatest number of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This presentation will address the most frequently occurring MSDs arising from vivarium specific tasks. In a large urban academic medical center, almost half of MSD injuries arise from the animal research environment. These injures account for the highest percentage of lost workdays. MSDs arise from environmental factors leading to poor biomechanics. Engineering controls are the most effective interventions for reducing the risk of MSDs; they are also the costliest and time consuming. Implementing cost efficient solutions along with annual review of biomechanics, employee self-care practices, and high-level administrative support significantly reduced MSDs at MSK by 50% in the last two years.
Track(s)
Learning Objectives
1. Classify key tasks in animal research that pose high risk for Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) injures
2. Summarize cost efficient interventions to reduce MSDs vivarium specific related tasks
3. Identify barriers to implementing changes in an established animal research program