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Occupational Health Assurance

REspirator fitting at the EHS Occupational Health Clinic

Occupational Health Assurance Program Overview

The Occupational Health Assurance Program (OHAP) is designed to provide medical services for employees who are exposed to potentially harmful conditions in their employment. Services are also provided for persons who are working in an "employee-like" capacity. "Employee-like" means the person is being compensated or is working as a volunteer, and where the work is being performed on behalf of the university, the person is being directly supervised by a university employee, and where the person can be dismissed for cause.

The Environmental Health & Safety Occupational Health Clinic is located at 2020 Kraft Drive, Blacksburg, VA in Suite 2100. From campus, heading south on Southgate Drive, turn onto Research Center Drive, and then right onto Kraft Drive.


Occupational Health Assurance Online Program

The Occupational Health Assurance Program (OHAP) is designed to provide medical surveillance services for all employees who are exposed to certain potentially harmful conditions in their employment.

Purpose

The Occupational Health Assurance Program (OHAP) provides medical monitoring for Virginia Tech employees whose job duties present specific, potential health risks. The monitoring performed helps the university assure that the controls that are being used to reduce employee exposure to these health risks are actually working as intended. This is accomplished by verifying that employees are not showing medical signs or symptoms of exposure. The program also provides necessary vaccinations and titers for individuals who have substantial animal contact or work with infectious agents including bloodborne pathogens. Finally, OHAP supports university compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, Centers for Disease Control standards, and other authorities requiring medical surveillance.

Application

Employees whose job duties present specific, potential health risks are provided medical examinations, medical tests, and immunizations and titers as required by regulation or standards. These services are provided at no cost to the employee. Employees are allowed to participate during normal work hours, whenever possible.

Scope

Employees that meet one or more of the program's Entrance Criteria, as outlined in this document, are provided services under this program.

Environmental Health & Safety:

  • Coordinates the Occupational Health Assurance Program at Virginia Tech;
  • Provides or coordinates all medical monitoring and medical services for covered employees;
  • Maintains records according to OSHA requirements; and,
  • Provides exposure monitoring and evaluations to determine if employees are being exposed above legal limits that would make it necessary for them to participate in this program.

Departments are expected to:

  • Assure supervisors know to communicate personnel changes such as new hires, terminations, and role changes to Environmental Health & Safety by calling 540-231-3998 or by sending an email to ehsmedserv@vt.edu. If the new hire will need medical services, please have him or her complete the medical survey form;
  • Implement recommendations of Environmental Health & Safety monitoring and corrective action reports;
  • Support supervisors with providing employees time away from work to attend scheduled appointments for medical tests and physician evaluations;
  • Reimburse Environmental Health & Safety for missed physician appointments; and,
  • Request exposure monitoring services, as needed.

Supervisors/principal investigators are expected to:

  • Notify Environmental Health & Safety before  an employee that participated in medical surveillance leaves the position either through retirement, transfer, or role change;
  • Promptly notify Environmental Health & Safety when a new employee is hired into a position that historically participated in medical surveillance, and assures medical services are provided before the employee is exposed to the hazardous condition;
  • Implement recommendations of Environmental Health & Safety monitoring and corrective action reports.
  • Assure employees keep scheduled appointments for medical tests and physician evaluations;
  • Assure new employees are provided proper training on work practices and procedures necessary to reduce exposure to hazards requiring medical surveillance; and,
  • Request exposure monitoring services, when a suspect overexposure condition exists, by calling 540-231-5985.
  • Assure persons who work with animals have also reviewed the Occupational Safety and Health Program for Animal Handlers.  Students who are not in an 'employee-like' role will not be provided medical services, but will be fit tested by EHS if respiratory protection is required for their work.  Please contact the EHS Occupational Health Clinic at ehsmedserv@vt.edu for assistance. Students need to also review the information found on the Research and Innovation website.

Employees are expected to:

  • Keep all scheduled appointments for medical testing and physician evaluations;
  • Implement recommendations of monitoring reports;
  • Use personal protective equipment when required;
  • Follow established worksite rules when working with or around hazards covered by this program;
  • Request exposure monitoring services, as needed; and,
  • Report any changes in personal health that might be related to a workplace health hazard:
    • If you are pregnant, seeking to become pregnant, immunocompromised, or have concerns related to your health based on your workplace exposure, discuss your concerns with your primary care physician and/or the occupational physician when an appointment is scheduled;
    • If you develop signs or symptoms that you associate with exposures in your workplace or that are related to respirator use, contact Environmental Health & Safety immediately by calling 540-231-3600 so that a consultation can be arranged with the occupational physician.

Controls

If employees are exposed above allowable limits as established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), EHS will work with the employees' department to determine if engineering, administrative, or work practice controls can be implemented to reduce employee exposures. Medical surveillance will be provided for affected employees while these controls are being implemented, or if they fail or are not feasible.

Entrance methods

Environmental Health & Safety is responsible for reviewing all new hires and all current employee exposure conditions to determine entrance eligibility. Departments have the responsibility of notifying Environmental Health & Safety whenever changes are made to employees' job duties, and whenever employees, such as graduate student workers, are placed in exposure situations. Environmental Health & Safety will determine if employees are or may be exposed above limits by performing workplace and process evaluations and/or by actually monitoring employee exposures.

Volunteers, wage employees, and persons working on stipend will be provided access to medical services if they are performing work in an 'employee-like' capacity. 'Employee-like' means the person is performing work on behalf of the university, is being directly supervised by a university employee, and can be dismissed for cause.

Entrance criteria

Medical surveillance services will be provided if employees are exposed above allowable limits to certain chemicals, dusts, or physical agents. Medical surveillance services, including vaccinations and titers, will also be provided if employees are exposed to bloodborne pathogens, are employed as animal handlers or who have significant animal exposure, or if they work with infectious agents, select agents, or toxins. The entrance criteria and medical services provided are listed in Table 1 and Table 2.

Frequency of medical evaluations

Depending on the Entrance Criterion, the evaluations will be offered by Environmental Health & Safety at any combination of the following times:

  1. Time of Assignment: "Time of Assignment" is the thirty-day period following EITHER the first day of employment in a position OR the first day of assignment to new working conditions where an employee will be exposed to a health hazard covered in Table 1.
  2. Periodic: "Periodic" evaluation frequency is typically annual; however it may be greater or less. The frequency is specified in the applicable regulation for the hazard to which the employee is exposed and is generally outlined in Table 1 of the written program.
  3. Emergency Exposure: "Post Exposure" evaluations are to be given as soon as possible after a known exposure incident has occurred, or after an employee develops signs or symptoms that may be related to a work-related exposure.
  4. Exit Evaluations: "Exit Evaluations" are required by many regulations (see Table 1 of the written program) and are to be provided within a 60-day period before the date that the employee leaves the position/work environment that posed the health risk. The supervisor is responsible for notifying Environmental Health & Safety when an employee is planning to leave a position where an Exit Evaluation must be offered.

Table 1 - Entrance Criteria for Chemicals, Dusts, and Physical Agents

Exposure of Concern is: Occupations Where Exposures May Occur: Employees are enrolled if:
Acrylonitrile Manufacture of acrylic and modacrylic fibers, acrylic plastics and resins, specialty polymers, nitrile rubbers, and other organic chemicals. Application as a fumigant. They are exposed > the Action Level without regard for the use of respirators
Arsenic (Inorganic) Use/manufacture of pesticides, rodenticides, or wood preservatives. Certain soldering operations. Can be formed by roasting or smelting of sulfide minerals. They are exposed above the Action Level, without regard for the use of respirators, at least 30 days per year. (Other requirements may apply. Please contact EHS for further information.)
Asbestos Remove or repair of asbestos materials including cement, plaster, fireproofing, insulation, floor tile, floor tile glue, pipe, pipe insulation, brake and clutch linings, pipe and boiler insulation materials. They are exposed above Permissible Exposure Limits
Benzene Laboratory operations. Use or application of gasoline or certain lacquer solvents and paint removers. They are exposed > the Action Level for 30 days per year or above the Permissible Exposure Limit for 10 days per year. (Other requirements may apply. Please contact EHS for further information.)
1, 3-Butadiene
Production of styrene-butadiene rubber and polybutadiene rubber, copolymer latexes, resins and polymers, and in the production of such chemicals as fungicides They are exposed > the Action Level for 30 days per year or above the Permissible Exposure Limit for 10 days per year
Cadmium
Ore smelting operations, mist from cadmium-containing electroplating baths, drying of cadmium pigments, machining of cadmium coated or containing materials. They are exposed > the Action Level for 30 days per year
Carcinogens (a)
Any operation using the materials listed in footnote (a), below. They work in a location where covered materials (see footnote a, below) are handled, used or stored
Chromium (VI)
Chromate production, use of chromate pigment and chrome electroplating. Welding of stainless steel. Tanning of hides using Chromium (VI). They are exposed > the Action Level for 30 days per year, or are experiencing signs or symptoms of exposure
1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane
Application as a soil fumigant or use outside of a laboratory fume hood. They are exposed above the Permissible Exposure Limit
Ethylene Oxide
Manufacture of ethylene glycol, surfactants, ethanolamines, glycol ethers, and other organic chemicals outside of a laboratory fume hood. Used as a sterilant and fumigant. They are exposed > the Action Level for 30 days per year
Formaldehyde
Embalming or preserving of biological specimens. Used in certain manufacturing operations. Used in textile manufacturing. They are exposed > the Action Level or Short Term Exposure Limit, or develop signs or symptoms of exposure. (Other requirements may apply. Please contact EHS for further information.)
Hazardous Waste Operations
Non-laboratory scale chemical spill response. Employees involved in chemical bulking operations outside of a chemical fume hood. Hazardous materials emergency response or waste management personnel; covered employees who develop signs of symptoms of exposure or who have a known exposure to a covered hazard (a)
Laboratory Exposure to Chemicals
Operations where chemicals found on this table are used outside of a fume hood or other control. An employee develops signs or symptoms associated with a chemical used in a laboratory, or exposure is above permissible limits for a chemical where surveillance is required
Lasers (Non-Ionizing Radiation)
Research operations using covered laser systems. They routinely use Class 3b, 3r or Class 4 lasers
Lead
Metal smelting, casting, refining. Soldering and welding. Remove or apply lead paint or products. They are exposed > the Action Level for 30 days per year
Methylenedi-aniline (MDA)
Manufacture of 4,4' Methylene-diphenyl diisocyanate; as a precursor in the manufacture of plastic fibers, antioxidants, dyestuff intermediates, corrosion preventatives, special polymers. Purified MDA: manufacturing epoxy resin curing agents, wire coating applications, polyurethane co-reactants, pigments/dyes, and defense applications. They are exposed > the Action Level for 30 days per year or have dermal contact > 15 days per year
Methylene Chloride
Paint stripping, polyurethane foam manufacturing, cleaning/ degreasing They are exposed > the action level for 30 days/year, or at or above the Permissible Exposure Limit or Short Term Exposure Limit for 10 days/year. Above the 8-TWA PEL or STEL for any time period where an employee has been identified by a physician or other licensed health-care professional as being at risk from cardiac disease or from some other serious MC-related health condition and such employee requests inclusion in the medical surveillance program;
Noise
Construction, shops, vehicle work areas, maintenance operations, mechanical shops, or research The exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels
Respiratory Protection
Any situation where employee exposures are not adequately controlled by other means They wear a respirator of any type including N95, N99, and N100 filtering facepiece. Note that single-strap disposable dust masks are not respirators.
Silica
Grinding, cutting, or sanding of concrete, masonry, stone; abrasive blasting. They are exposed above Permissible Limits
Vinyl Chloride
Manufacture of polyvinyl chloride. Exposed > the action level without regard for the use of respirators

(a) Covered carcinogens include 4-Nitrobiphenyl, alpha-Naphthylamine, methyl chloromethyl ether, 3,3'-Dichlorobenzidine (and its salts), bis- Chloromethyl ether, beta-Naphthylamine, Benzidine, 4-Aminodiphenyl, Ethyleneimine, beta-Propiolactone, 2-Acetylaminofluorene, 4-Dimethylaminoazo-benzene, and N-Nitrosodimethylamine. Certain exemptions apply. Please contact EHS for further information.

For detailed information on the medical services provided for each enrollment criteria, please reference the Written Program.

Table 2 - Entrance Criteria for Other Agents

Exposure of Concern is: Occupations Where Exposures May Occur: Employees are enrolled if:
Infectious organisms that can be transmitted between an animal and man (zoonotic disease). Exposure to animal dander or other tissue that are of allergenic importance. Farm personnel; persons who work with unfixed animal tissue; veterinarians and support staff; persons who work with, trap or handle wild or domesticated animals including certain insects, fish, and mammals. They work with animals that may carry zoonotic diseases, that have been intentionally infected with zoonotic organisms, or that represent a serious risk for animal-related allergies.
Bloodborne Pathogens Clinical staff; medical staff; housekeepers; plumbers; police; rescue squad personnel; athletic trainers and support staff. They work with or are potentially exposed to unfixed blood, tissue, or bodily fluids of human origin
Infectious Agents (Including Select Agents and Toxins) Employees who work in BSL2 or BSL3 laboratories; employees who work with certain infectious organisms. Please reference the Infection Prevention Program for more information. They work with organisms or agents that are capable of causing disease in humans. All employees working with BSL2 or BSL3 organisms must enroll in this program. Employees working with Tier 1 Select Agents or Toxins as defined by HHS or USDA will be provided expanded medical services as outlined in the written program to include a fitness for duty evaluation.
Field Research (Including international travel) Employees who perform field research where a zoonotic disease is endemic or who travel internationally to conduct research in a country where vaccinations are recommended by the CDC They perform field research with animals where zoonotic diseases are a concern, in an area where certain zoonotic diseases are endemic or travel to a country where vaccinations are recommended or required by the CDC.

For detailed information on the medical services provided for each enrollment criteria, please reference the Written Program.


Frequently Asked Questions

Appointments can be scheduled by calling 540-231-3998 or by sending an email to ehsmedserv@vt.edu.

If you are a new employee who needs to be enrolled in Occupational Health Assurance Program or you have questions regarding the program, please contact:

Medical Services group, Environmental Health & Safety, at 540-231-3998 (1-3998 via campus phones).

If you are already enrolled in the Occupational Healh Assurance Program, Environmental Health & Safety will contact you or your supervisor when it is time for your appointment. Many supervisors schedule their employees' appointments according to workgroup schedules in order to reduce the impact on personnel and workflow. Your supervisor can let you know whether to contact Environmental Health & Safety directly or work through your reporting chain for the appointment.

Audiogram results are given to the employee on the day of testing. Environmental Health & Safety will get the results of any other tests and the doctor’s comments back to you as soon as possible. The timeframe will vary depending on whether you are scheduled to see the doctor or whether he will be reviewing just your test data.

Medical Services Training provided by Environmental Health & Safety is done at the Corporate Research Center (CRC), 2020 Kraft Drive, Suite 2100. 

For questions, contact Juliet Dadras, 540-231-8733 or mjdadras@vt.edu.

You will be asked to fill out a form describing what your job duties are and the type of PPE you use. The nurse will take blood pressure and pulse. The doctor will examine you and talk to you about your test results and will go over any questions you may have. If you are exposed to certain types of dust or are an asbestos worker you will have a chest radiograph to make sure your lungs are still normal. Employees who are exposed to certain chemicals will have urine analyzed to ensure that the kidneys are functioning properly.

This information can be found on the Safety Data Sheet for the chemical or product. See Hazard Communication for more information.


Contact Information

Zack Adams, Assistant Director, Occupational Safety and Health Programs

Phone: 540-231-3600
Email: adamsz@vt.edu