Veterinary Workplace Risk Management: Occupational Safety and Infection Prevention

CE-VET-OHS-V1.0

Course Description

This course equips veterinary professionals with the knowledge and skills to recognize, assess, and control occupational risks that contribute to infection transmission in clinical and field settings. It integrates occupational health and infection prevention principles to support safer work practices, stronger risk assessment, and more effective exposure response. The course is designed to help veterinary teams build safer workplaces for staff, animals, and clients.

Prerequisites / required prior knowledge

  • None required
  • Intended audience: Veterinarians, registered veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants, practice managers, supervisors, and others responsible for workplace safety, exposure response, or infection prevention in veterinary settings.

  • Recommended: Familiarity with routine veterinary tasks, PPE use, and day-to-day occupational safety concerns in animal-care environments.

Delivery

Online
Self‑Instruction (Asynchronous)

Credit

1.0 continuing education hour (Self‑Instruction)

Cost

$149 CAD 

Availability window

Available on demand  Access for 1 year after enrollment
Meet the instructor

Kamyab Ghatan

MD, AL-CIP™, CIC®, LTC-CIP®, DISIPC, CDIPC
Dr. Kamyab Ghatan is a medical doctor and infection prevention leader who develops practical, standards-based training for diverse environments, including acute and long-term care, ambulatory and dental clinics, veterinary practices, and construction/renovation settings. His work spans infection prevention, surveillance, water management, sterile processing, and implementation science, with a focus on translating standards into workflows teams can actually use. Dr. Ghatan is the founder of the International College of Infection Control Professionals (ICICP).

Learning objectives:

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Identify common biological and chemical hazards encountered in veterinary practice that present infection or exposure risks to personnel.
  • Apply the Point-of-Care Risk Assessment process to determine the appropriate level of infection control precautions and PPE for specific clinical tasks.
  • Analyze occupational exposure incidents using a structured risk assessment matrix to determine appropriate response actions and reporting requirements.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of existing infection prevention and control measures, such as PPE use, immunization programs, and environmental controls, within a veterinary workplace setting.
  • Recommend evidence-based occupational health and infection control practices to mitigate identified risks in veterinary settings.

Completion requirements:

Learners receive credit after viewing all required content, passing the post‑test/final assessment with a minimum score of 80% (up to three attempts), and submitting the course evaluation. If a learner does not achieve 80% within three attempts, they must re-do the course (re-complete required content) within their access period before attempting the assessment again. Upon successful completion, learners may download a certificate of completion.
Provider: International College of Infection Control Professionals (ICICP)
Learner Support: support@icicp.com

Frequently asked questions

Disclosures (conflict of interest / proprietary interest)

The instructor(s) and planners report no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies related to this educational activity.

Commercial support

None. This activity received no commercial support.

Non‑vocational licensing disclosure

This course/program does not require approval under the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005.

Content independence statement

Educational content is non‑promotional and designed to be independent of commercial influence; any trade names used are for identification only, and alternatives may be discussed.