Protocols often develop under time pressures from grant deadlines. As a result, the researcher may view an occupational health and safety program as a useful institutional support service, but possibly as a necessary nuisance, or even as a hindrance to their work and a drain on limited resources. Veterinarians administer the animal care facility, and their knowledge of zoonoses exceeds that of many human health practitioners. In the absence of occupational health care practitioners, they may be called upon to provide health care services to employees. A vigorous occupational health and safety program may be seen as an incursion of their turf.
Administrators prefer to direct institutional resources to high return, high profile programs.
Occupational health and sfety is only high profile when the news is bad. At best, it is understood to be part of the cost of doing business, at worst it is considered overhead to be slashed. It is necessary for occupational health and safety work groups to continually consider the value of their services, and to inform the administrators of that value. The information base that guides workplace hazard assessment and risk management is constantly changing. The work group needs to agree on a plan to review and update its program.