Medical Clearance and Safety Training for Animal Researchers

All students, faculty and staff who conduct Princeton University-sponsored animal research are required to complete Animal Worker Health and Safety Training and visit Occupational Health to enroll in the medical surveillance program for animal users. Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval for your research is contingent upon completion of training and receipt of medical clearance. 

Jump to: Annual Medical Surveillance

Health and Safety Training

Access the Animal Worker Health and Safety Training under the Biological Safety section of the Environmental Health and Safety e-learning page at putrain.learn.com.

Medical Clearance

After you have completed the training, start the medical clearance process. You will need assistance from your laboratory manager to enroll. 

If you are new to the University or to animal research, please follow the below instructions.

Important Note: Beginning on 9/20/23, the portions of the Medical Clearance Process transitioned to the new Enterprise Health Employee Portal. Changes to this process are reflected below.

Initiating the Medical Clearance Process for Animal Users

Note: Steps 1-2c are completed by the lab manager. Steps 3a-b are completed by the animal user. Step 4 can be viewed by both.


Step 1

Log in to SHIELD (shield.princeton.edu) and verify that the new animal researcher appears as a member of your laboratory.  As you begin typing the name of the individual, the system will provide a list of names for you to select from. Select  the member’s role in your laboratory and click the "Lookup/Add" button to add new member to the lab.
 

Step 2

Next, you will need to designate the newly added member as an “animal user.”  Select “edit.”
Editing a lab member.

 


Step 2a

You will see a variety  of job activities that can be assigned to the new lab member. Select all that apply.  
Selecting job activities.

 


Step 2b

Select the “Medical Surveillance” tab.
Medical Surveillance Tab


Step 2c

Select “Works with Animals on an IACUC Protocol” and “Save.”
Selecting job activity and selecting save.

 


Step 3

Submit medical/health history information. The lab member who has been designated as an animal user will receive an email from Enterprise Health that contains a link to the Enterprise Health Employee Portal. Click on the link to access the portal. You may also access the portal using this link in your web browser: https://princeton.enterprise.health

Select the Princeton Shibboleth Sign In in option and log in with your Princeton University Net ID and Password.

Anyone who is a supervisor, will need to select “Princeton University” for their own portal or “Princeton University (Supervisor Access)” for the supervisor portal. You can always toggle between to two portals.

 

eHealth login by selecting Princeton Shibboleth option.


Step 3a

Once in the Portal, click on the Red Bell to view your Messages.

 

Selecting the red bell

 


Step 3b

Under the Questionnaires heading, select "Begin" next to "Questionnaire - Occupational and Environmental Risk Factors Animal Contact" .

beginning the questionnaire

Step 3c

Complete the questionnaire and select "Submit" when you are finished. This will send the form to Occupational Health for their review. 

submitting the questionnaire

Step 3d

After Occupation Health reviews your questionnaire, they message you through the Enterprise Health portal, asking your to schedule an appointment. 

Step 4: Approved

Occupational Health issues medical clearance approval after the animal user has completed the in-person evaluation. The animal user will appear as “completed” in the SHIELD system.

 

Annual Medical Surveillance

Your animal user medical clearance must be renewed annually. Researchers who have enrolled and are cleared will receive email reminders pushed by Enterprise Health approximately 6 weeks prior to medical clearance expiration. The email will provide a link to the Enterprise Health portal when you will be able to access the questionnaire and messages. In addition to updating your health history, the annual clearance may require a visit to Occupational Health, depending upon the type of research you conduct and your current health status.  
 
If you have questions about medical surveillance, please email [email protected]. 

Staff

Meagan Fitzpatrick
Biosafety Officer
609-258-6258

Halina Staniszewska-Goraczniak
Sr. Laboratory Safety Specialist
609-258-9527