A Wildlife Field Safety Plan must be in place before work starts. A Wildlife Field Research Safety Plan template is available for use.

The IACUC protocol must outline potential zoonotic diseases, physical hazards, allergens and precautions necessary for staff to minimize the risks.

• Describe the relevant safety and containment procedures that will be used to mitigate project risks and protect personnel. Consider the effect of non-target animals, the necessary safety equipment, work practices, and PPE that will be required for various tasks (e.g. capturing animals, animal inoculation).

• Discuss the specific hazards/risks that you may encounter in the field associated with this experiment (e.g. potential exposure risks such as needlesticks, animal/insect bites, parasites, exotic/poisonous plants, or venomous animals).

Resources

• The Center for Food Security & Public Health: Animal Diseases

• National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV) Compendia

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: About Zoonotic Diseases

• Minnesota Department of Health: Zoonotic Diseases