Title: Explain safety measures and their importance in animal care.
Course: Veterinary Science I (18105-I) > Section: Understanding Safety, Sanitation, and Facility Maintenance

Explanation should include

- adhering to OSHA and Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (VDOLI) standards

- identifying personal protective equipment (PPE) and describing appropriate selection and use (e.g., to prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases)
- describing the importance of and methods for disinfecting all areas of the facility (based on product contact times and manufacturer instructions)
- describing the importance of and methods for hand hygiene, including soap‑and‑water vs. alcohol‑based sanitizers
- describing the importance of using approved sharps containers for disposal of used sharps and following proper sharps-handling protocols
- identifying the importance of safety data sheets (SDS) and knowing how to locate and interpret them.

Teacher Resources:

- "Youth@Work-Talking Safety Curriculum for Virginia," NIOSH, CDC
- Veterinary Worker Safety and Health, NIOSH, CDC
- Healthy Pets, Healthy People, CDC
- Compendium of Veterinary Standard Precautions for Zoonotic Disease Prevention in Veterinary Personnel, 2015, VICC, NASPHV

Process/Skill Questions:

- How can routine daily practices help a veterinary facility meet OSHA and VDOLI regulations?
- Why is hand hygiene important when working with animals?
- Why is it critical to use approved sharps containers when disposing of needles and syringes?
- Why should an SDS for each material on the inventory sheet be readily available?