Transcript Office of Animal Care and Compliance

The University of New Mexico
&
The Office of Animal Research,
Ethics, Care, and Compliance
present
Field Safety Training:
Underground
A learning module developed by OARECC
Introduction
• This module was developed to prepare you while
at the University of New Mexico, for doing field
research in caves or mines.
General Information on Caves
• Caves provide a unique environment for animals and
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have their own specialized ecosystem
There are unique hazards associated with the area
where the work will be done and the species that will
be encountered.
Caves often require specialized training and
equipment to make them accessible
Follow established trails or tracks to minimize
damage to the cave.
Follow the National Speleological Society motto:
"Take nothing but pictures, kill nothing but time, and
leave nothing but well placed footprints."
The following pertain to Field Research in
Caves
• General Health and physical wellbeing of
the participant
• Specialized Training and Equipment
• Protective gear
• Species that might be encountered
General Health of the Participant
• A cave environment has many physical demands
• Terrain can be treacherous and unforgiving
• Access may require long hikes or climbing with
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gear and supplies
Temperature and Humidity may be factors
Potential health risks include fungi and their
spores (e.g. Histoplasma capsulatum, which
causes histoplasmosis), bacteria and viruses
(e.g. the virus that causes rabies), and
dehydration and hypothermia
Specialized Training
and Equipment
• All persons working in caves must have
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appropriate training.
Training can be obtained from grottos
(chapters or clubs) of the National
Speleological Society. Locally our grotto is the
Sandia Grotto (http://www.sandiagrotto.org/)
All persons working in caves must have
appropriate equipment
Documentation of training must be filed with
the OARECC prior to doing any work in caves
Appropriate Training
• Review the Location and the Nature of the
Work to be done
• Some caves have clear paths and easy
access
• Some caves require hard climbing or even
rappelling on ropes
• Some caves are small and narrow and
require crawling
• Caves can generate a feeling of
claustrophobia in those who are
susceptible
Appropriate Training
Can YOU:
• Rappel on a rope down a rock face or open
hole?
• Pack supplies over a considerable distance?
• Climb up and down rocks?
• Crawl through confined spaces?
Protective Gear
What to Wear?
• Filter masks should be worn in caves when absolutely
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necessary, use HEPA-filter masks where animal
droppings are present
Sturdy, non-marking boots are essential to keep from
damaging caves by leaving black scuff marks
Sturdy clothing appropriate to the temperature of the
cave, which can vary from -2oC to 20oC in NM.
Leather gloves should also be worn because of sharp
rocks and surfaces
Use the rule of threes: Take three sources of lights
(one helmet mounted)
A helmet is needed for falling rocks
Typical Cave Dwellers
• Cave dwellers will be dependent upon the area –
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Tropical caves will have different species from Desert
caves and Many cave species are endemic to just one
cave or the county in which they occur
Research your area to determine what are likely
inhabitants
Commonly, you will see bats, birds, cave crickets, and
other arthropods
Depending upon the location and time of year, you
may also find larger mammals in the cave
Some cave dwellers have the potential to be
dangerous or even venomous
Cave Dwellers
Common:
• Troglobites, trogloxenes and troglophiles
Troglobites
• (Literally "cave dwellers") are
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obligate cave dwellers that live their
entire lives in caves
Include: Flatworms, Isopods,
Amphipods, Eyeless cave shrimp,
cave crayfish, bristletails, collembola,
eyeless fish, cave beetles
Trogloxenes
• (Literally "cave guests") Cannot
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complete their life history in the
cave
Includes: crickets, bats, pack
rats, flies and gnats
Troglophiles
• (Literally "cave lovers") Can pass their
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life history either in cool, dark, moist
areas outside the cave or in caves if
there is sufficient food
Include: segmented worms, snails,
copepods, spiders, phalangids, mites,
pseudoscorpions, millipedes, cave
beetles (carabids)
Cave Environment
• The cave world does not change as rapidly as our sunlit world;
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however, change does occur.
Typically, in the Deep Zone of caves the temperature does
NOT vary and in fact approximates that of the mean annual
temperature for the region unless you're deep enough to start
seeing the effects of geothermal heating.
In a sense, the cave has its own weather system. In some
caves wind is created by temperature differences between the
entrance and interior passageways. This causes a "chimney
effect," resulting in a wind chill factor underground. The
chimney effect can also produce "rain" inside the cave by
altering the dew point. Condensation in caves can be
promoted by other factors than the chimney effect.
The final contributor to cave weather is the barometric
pressure. Barometric pressure causes caves to breathe and
suck, which indirectly affect humidity or dew point.
Remember:
• Be prepared – clothing
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and protective gear
Cave temperatures and
humidity can vary
greatly from the surface
Caves contain a fragile
ecosystem
Many caves require
specialized training and a
strong physical ability to
access
This Concludes Module 12 –
Where’s the Work: Underground
• Please download the exam, complete it, then e-mail it to
•
[email protected]
For more information, or if you have questions, please
contact OACC @ 272-6806
• This training module was reviewed by UNM expert Dr. Diana Northup
• Content approved by IACUC, 03 April 2006