Environmental Health & Safety

Occupational Health Surveillance System

The Occupational Health Surveillance System (OHSS) offers an automated platform for performing risk assessments and coordinating medical evaluations for employees and researchers who are exposed to animal biohazards and other workplace or laboratory hazards. Effective November 1, 2024, OHSS will replace the previous Medical History Questionnaire (MHQ) process.
 

• Occupational Health Surveillance System (SOP)

  To assist you in navigating the Occupational Health Surveillance System (OHSS), please refer to the following standard operating procedure (SOP) for guidance.

  Occupational Health Surveillance System SOP

  If you encounter any issues while using OHSS, reach out to the Service Desk for support at service@riskandsafetysolutions.com.

• Accessing OHSS

  A valid UCR NetID is required to access OHSS, available at https://ehs.ucop.edu/ohss. 

  • Faculty and Staff: The UCR NetID is generated upon hiring, based on information entered into UCPath Payroll. Contact BearHelp at 951-827-4848 or visit BearHelp for assistance.
  • Students: After submitting the Statement of Intent to Register (SIR), students receive their UCR NetID in the acceptance letter. For support, contact the helpdesk at helpdesk@student.ucr.edu  or call 951-827-6495.
  • Non-employees (e.g., visiting students, volunteers): Sponsoring departments can assist in obtaining a UCR NetID. For help, contact BearHelp at 951-827-4848 or visit BearHelp.
• Risk Assessment

  Risk Assessment Form

  The participant’s supervisor completes the Risk Assessment form, which the participant then reviews and verifies. This form includes questions that help Medical Professionals assess potential risks in the participant’s work environment, such as:

  • Animal Contact
  • Biological Agents
  • Chemical Agents
  • Physical Agents
  • Blood Borne Pathogens
  • Exposure Control
  • Animal Exposures
  • General Safety Training

  Submitting the Risk Assessment 

  Once the supervisor submits the Risk Assessment, the participant will receive a notification to review and confirm or address any discrepancies. An email notification will be sent once the supervisor enters the Risk Assessment. If you do not see the email, please check your junk folder and add the application’s website to your safe senders list. You can also log in to the system at any time to check the status of your forms—an email is not required to access the system.
  If you encounter any issues using OHSS, please contact the Service Desk at service@riskandsafetysolutions.com for support.

• Health Surveillance Questionnaire

  Submitting a Health Questionnaire Form

  After completing a Risk Assessment, you will be directed to fill out the Health Questionnaire, which will be routed to a Medical Professional for review. You will receive a notification once the Medical Professional approves or requires changes to your Health Questionnaire.

  • Confidentiality: Only you and the Medical Professional will have access to the Health Questionnaire. Your supervisor will not see this form.
  • One-Time Completion: You only need to complete the Health Questionnaire once, and it can be reused for multiple Risk Assessments.
  • Time Limit: The form has a 30-minute completion window, so be sure to have all relevant medical information, especially vaccination history, on hand.

  Important Note: When completing the Health Questionnaire, ensure you have your vaccination records available. The Health Questionnaire does not auto-fill previous vaccinations or tests conducted by Occupational Health. If your vaccine history is incomplete on the form, the Medical Professional may recommend additional services before granting clearance.

  You can obtain a Digital Vaccine Record (DVR) from the California Immunization Registry (CAIR). If you cannot find this record, it may lead to an unnecessary appointment or delay in your clearance.
   

  What the Health Questionnaire Covers

  The Health Questionnaire provides the Medical Professional with a summary of your medical history, including:

  • Vaccination records
  • General health history
  • Exposure risks
  • Biological hazards
  • Allergies
  • Prescription medications
  • Recent health status changes

  Completing the Health Questionnaire

  1. Accessing the Questionnaire: After agreeing to the Risk Assessment, you will be automatically directed to the Health Questionnaire. If you prefer to complete it later, you can access it at any time from the "Pending Actions" section on your home page.
  2. Reviewing or Updating: If a Health Questionnaire is already on file, you can review it and confirm if no updates are needed. If there have been changes in your health, click "Modify" at the bottom of the page to make updates.
  3. Finalizing: Once you have completed the Health Questionnaire, click "Save Health Questionnaire" to submit it.

  Important: Please fill out the Health Questionnaire thoroughly and accurately to help prevent delays.
  Once submitted, a Medical Reviewer will review both your Risk Assessment and Health Questionnaire and conduct a Medical Assessment if needed.

• Reviewing Medical Assessment

  Reviewing Medical Assessment

  After your risk assessment and health questionnaire have been reviewed, a medical assessment will be completed to determine if any medical services or consultations are needed before you can proceed with protocol work. You must acknowledge the medical assessment in the system, whether or not services are recommended, to advance to the next step.

  If Medical Services or Consultations Are Recommended:

  1. Please contact the EH&S team for further guidance, and reach out to Occupational Health at ehsocchealth@ucr.edu  for additional steps.
  2. You may be referred to a local Occupational Health Clinic for specific services, requiring approval from the EH&S Occupational Health team.
  3. Ideally, all necessary medical services for this program will be covered by EH&S, provided they are obtained through UCR-approved vendors. Services obtained through primary care providers will not be reimbursed.

  Acknowledging the Medical Assessment

  1. Go to "Review Medical Assessments" under the "Pending Actions" heading.
  2. This will open the "My Assessments" page, where a red flag will mark any assessment that requires your attention.
  3. Click the assessment date to review the details.
  4. Once reviewed, click "I Have Reviewed my Medical Assessment" to confirm.

  Medical Assessment Review Outcomes

  1. Complete: If no services are required or if they are only recommendations, you will be cleared in the system.
  2. Incomplete: If services are required, you will receive instructions to contact the Occupational Health Clinic to complete the process.

  If a phone consultation or additional medical services are required, contact the EH&S team or reach out to Occupational Health at ehsocchealth@ucr.edu  for next steps.

  Next Steps for IACUC

  The IACUC system receives daily updates from OHSS and requires all forms to be complete before adding you to an animal care protocol. This review generally takes a few days, and some facilities may require additional medical consultations or services before clearance.

  Medical Assessment Summary

  The Medical Assessment, conducted by a Medical Professional and reviewed by you, includes:

  • Clearance status for work
  • Required follow-ups
  • Additional requirements, such as:
  • Hepatitis B vaccination or Tetanus
  • Immunizations or tests
  • Consultations
  • Other specified needs
     
• How to Complete the Health Surveillance Process
  1. Getting Started: Your supervisor initiates the process by creating a Risk Assessment (RA) for you.
  2. Log In: Access the system by logging in with your UCR NET ID and password. If you don’t have an account, contact your supervisor and ITS services to obtain a temporary UC Riverside account.
  3. Email Notification: Once the Risk Assessment is created, you’ll receive an email notification. Follow the instructions to review the Risk Assessment and proceed to the Health Surveillance Questionnaire.
  4. Complete the Health Surveillance Questionnaire: It is mandatory to fill out this questionnaire accurately.
  5. Receive Evaluation and Recommendations: After submission, you will receive an evaluation and recommendation letter from Occupational Health via email. If recommendations are made, contact Occupational Health at ehsocchealth@ucr.edu  to schedule an appointment for clearance to work in animal care areas.

  Medical Information to Have on Hand

  • Bring a record of your medical history and immunization dates.
  • Fill out the questionnaire as completely as possible. If you’re uncertain of vaccination dates, note that selecting "I don’t know" may result in a recommendation to update vaccinations before clearance.

  Next Steps After Completing the Process

  • Clearance Period: You may receive approval to work for increments of 3 months, 6 months, or one year.
  • Referrals and Recommendations: You might be referred for further consultation or recommended immunizations based on your health and risk history.

  Benefits of the Occupational Health Surveillance System (OHSS)

  • Ensures the secure handling of Personal Identifiable Information
  • Consolidates all essential health information in one system
  • Centralizes OHSS status updates
  • Streamlines integration into animal care protocols
  • Offers preventive medicine and health-related education for those working with live vertebrate animals at UC Riverside
     
• Occupational Health Surveillance System(OHSS) FAQs

  How do I fill out the form?

  • A supervisor begins the process by creating a Risk Assessment (RA) for the participant
  • Login using your UCR NET ID and Password. (Please contact your supervisor and ITS services to obtain a temporary UC Riverside account).
  • You will then receive an automatically generated email notification allowing you to review the Risk Assessment and proceed to the Health Surveillance Questionnaire.
  • You must complete the Health Surveillance Questionnaire. 
  • Once the forms are submitted, participants will receive an evaluation and recommendation letter via email from the reviewing Health Care Provider at Occupational Health.
  • Once you have recommendations you can call and make and appointment at Occupational Health for clearance to work with or enter an animal care area. If you have any questions, please contact Occupational Health at ehsocchealth@ucr.edu.

  What medical information do I need to have when I access the application?

  • A copy of your medical history and immunizations dates is recommended.
  • Please provide as much information as possible. If you do not know when you had your vaccinations and select "I don't know," or you do not update the last date of vaccination on the Health Surveillance Questionnaire, the Occupational Health Physician may recommended getting those vaccinations before providing clearance.

  What are some of the things I can expect once I complete the application process? Either:

  • Approval to work for increments of 3 months, 6 months, or one year.
  • An appointment referral for consultation and further assessment.
  • Immunizations or other services may be recommended based on risk and health history of the participant.

  What are the benefits of the OHSS?

  • Minimizes the risk of improper handling Personal Identifiable Information
    Ensures all mandatory information is captures in one system
    Houses OHSS status information in one central location
    Streamlines the process of being integrated into a protocol
  • This program is an integral part of Occupational Health Services and is designed to provide preventative medicine services and health-related education to those employees who have contact with live vertebrate animals in the course of their employment at UC Riverside.

  How can I access OHSS?

  To access OHSS, all personnel must have a valid UCR NetID, which serves as an online identity for accessing various UC Riverside services.

  Accessing the system:
  The system can be accessed at https://ehs.ucop.edu/ohss 

  Faculty and Staff: The UCR NetID creation process begins upon hiring. Information entered into the UCPath Payroll System will trigger the creation of a UCR NetID. For assistance, please contact BearHelp at 951-827-4848 or visit https://its.ucr.edu/support#gethelp.

  •  Students: Once students submit their Statement of Intent to Register (SIR), a UCR NetID is generated and provided in their acceptance letter. For help with the UCR NetID, students can reach out to helpdesk@student.ucr.edu or call 951-827-6495.
  • Non-employees (e.g., visiting summer students or volunteers): A UCR NetID can be obtained through your sponsoring department. For guidance, contact BearHelp at 951-827-4848 or visit https://its.ucr.edu/support#gethelp. 

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