Frequently Asked Questions by Topics

To request the animal user questionnaire,  send your request to OHS via Employee Health Portal in the Message Center page.

Upon receiving the request, OHS will enroll you in the OHS Animal Clearance Panel and you will receive a notification about how to complete the questionnaire. Upon review, a notice of determination will be available in your Employee Health Portal in the Message Center. 

If additional information is required, OHS clinicians will contact you.  Until clearance has been determined, you are not permitted to work with animals. 

Please note that OHS does not accept Animal User Questionnaires submitted outside of the Employee Health Portal. For assistance, contact OHS at 617-627-6500 or message OHS through the Employee Health Portal.

Refer to Employee Health Portal page for more information and Login process 

There are two reasons that students use the Employee Health Portal. If you receive a pay check from Tufts University, you are considered an employee and must use the Employee Health Portal.  Additionally, there are some functions that Occupational Health Services performs on behalf of Tufts University for employees and students, including Animal Exposure Clearance and Respirator Medical Clearance. 

The electronic medical record where information shared through the Employee Health Portal is stored is protected, confidential, secured, and handled in compliance with FERPA regulations. It is a different electronic medical record than your Human Resources file and your student health electronic medical record.

Please note that OHS does not accept documentation submitted outside of the Employee Health Portal. For assistance, contact OHS at 617-627-6500 or message OHS through the Employee Health Portal.

External clients are organizations or professional individuals who are not Tufts University employees or students that require clearances to work in Tufts University spaces. External clients should begin the process by emailing occupationalhealthservices@tufts.edu to request a registration form.

Annual fees are based on size of organization/number of individuals to be covered by the agreement. Services are coordinated with an outside occupational health provider who shares information with Tufts University Occupational Health Services to determine clearance status. 

External clients may not begin work until Tufts University Occupational Health Services has approved the clearance status. 

For assistance, contact OHS at occupationalhealthservices@tufts.edu or 617-627-6500.

To comply with OSHA requirements, if your position has the potential of exposure to human bloodborne pathogens, including human cell lines, you must either submit your Hepatitis B vaccination record and titer report or complete a Hepatitis B Declination Form. 

You may upload vaccination records and titer reports through the Employee Health Portal under the “Documentation Upload” tab. 

If you are declining Hepatitis B vaccination or have confirmation of immunity, please request a Hepatitis B Declination Form through the “Send a Message” function in the Message Center. When you complete the form, you can submit it through the “Documentation Upload” tab.

Please note that OHS does not accept Hepatitis B Declination forms submitted outside of the Employee Health Portal. For assistance, contact OHS at 617-627-6500 or message OHS through the Employee Health Portal.

Occupational Health Services (OHS) offers free, high-quality medical services to Tufts University faculty and staff in the event of a work-related illness or injury. We provide work-related vaccinations, health screenings, medical clearances for respirator use, medical clearances for those working with research animals, and work-injury management.

OHS also offers same-day services such as evaluation of illness while at work and diagnostic testing such as rapid strep and flu tests. The services are provided by licensed physicians, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses. See the complete list of services here.

See the full list of services offered here.

• It will save you time and is very convenient when seeking work-related medical attention and same-day visit
• We are here to make your job safer and you healthier
• There is no cost to you for the services

• On the Medford campus, we are iin Tisch Sport and Fitness Center 161 College ave, Medford 02155
• On the Boston campus, we are located at  136 Harrison Ave Suite 142, Boston, MA 02111
• On the Grafton campus, OHS is in the Administration Building, Room 103.
• On the SMFA campus, we do not have an OHS office. Please utilize the Boston office.

Boston and Medford Office Hours: Monday-Friday (7.30 am - 3.30 pm) Grafton (7.30pm - 7pm)

We are closed on weekends and University Holidays

​​​​​​No, this is a free service for all Tufts University faculty, staff and employees.

• To make an appointment at any campus location, please call 617-627-6500 or email us at occupationalhealth@tufts.edu.
• If you have a work injury, you may walk into an OHS location to report an incident or call OHS at 617-627-6500
• If you cannot walk and need transportation to come to the occupational health appointment, please contact the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) or call us at 617-627-6500

• If you have an injury, call TUPD at 617-627-6911 and/or go to the nearest hospital emergency department immediately.
• If it is a minor injury and immediate treatment is unnecessary, call OHS at 617-627-6500 the next business day and ask to speak to a nurse.
• If you are in a research lab and have been exposed to toxic substances, please call the Exposure Response Call Center (ERCC) at 1-866-360-8100.

• If you have a serious injury such as an eye injury, chest pain, loss of consciousness, or other serious injuries, call TUPD immediately at 617-627-6911 and go to the nearest hospital emergency department.
• If your injury is not an emergency, please notify your supervisors. They will assist you in completing an Accident/Incident Report, which will be forwarded to Risk Management.
• You may go to an OHS clinic or call 617-627-6500 for evaluation.
• The clinician will evaluate your injury, provide first aid, make necessary referrals,
• The clinician will either provide treatment or help you get the proper treatment so that you can get back to work as quickly and safely as possible.

• You are not obligated to go to OHS following a workplace injury. However, OHS has convenient locations on the Medford/Somerville, Boston Health Sciences, and Grafton campuses. Your supervisors will assist you in completing an Accident/Incident Report, which will be forwarded to Risk Management.
• If your physician sees you, please call OHS after your appointment to ensure that you have all the information you need and have approval for any further treatment.

• If you are sick, please stay home and call your supervisor. If you believe this is work-related, please call OHS to get evaluated. If it is non-work-related, contact your doctor.
• If you have COVID-19 symptoms, please follow the COVID-19 testing protocol.  Link here: If You Are Sick | Coronavirus (COVID-19) (tufts.edu)

• Yes, your personal medical information is kept private in OHS and not shared with your supervisor, human resources, or anyone else.  Only OHS staff have access to any information you provide.
• If you have a work-related injury or illness, the only information that is shared with anyone is strictly related to the injury itself: the nature of the injury, what could be improved in the workplace so it doesn’t happen again, and when you will be able to return to work.
• If your restrictions limit your ability to do your job following an injury, OHS will work with your manager to determine if they can accommodate them when you return to work.  The goal is to get you to return to work safely.

Begin by confirming with your managers whether a respirator is required to complete your job functions. Your manager will help you determine, the appropriate type of respirator needed and ensure that a hazard assessment has been completed for your department. For questions about the hazard assessment process, managers may contact the Industrial Hygiene department at IndustrialHygiene@tufts.edu.

If a respirator is required and the hazard assessment is complete, ask your manager to  email occupationalhealth@tufts.edu to request enrollment in the OHS Respirator Clearance Program.

Once enrolled, you will receive a Tufts email with instructions to complete the Respirator medical questionnaire in the Employee Health Portal. Additional information may be requested. 

Upon determination of your approval to wear a respirator, you will receive notification in your Employee Health Portal. Take this notification to your fit testing appointment. You may not wear a respirator or to be fitted for a respirator until you have received notification of medical clearance. 

Please note that OHS does not accept Respirator Medical Questionnaires submitted outside of the Employee Health Portal. For assistance, contact OHS at 617-627-6500 or message OHS through the Employee Health Portal.