See responses below..
We are a Primarily Undergraduate Institution.
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU]
On Behalf Of Kohler, Christopher E
Sent: Monday, May 04, 2015 3:01 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Lab Coats In Teaching Labs and Research Labs at Academic Institutions
Greetings all,
We are trying to get a handle on the current norm for providing lab coats (or aprons) in 1) teaching labs, and 2) in research labs at academic institutions.
Has anyone done any benchmarking or know of any recent articles?
Some of the questions we have include:
Do you require “lab coats” in academic chemistry teaching labs?
We require AT LEAST ANZI Z87 goggles and a knee length lab coat with at least 35% cotton content (we don’t do anything to enforce the cotton content) in all of our chemistry labs.
Do you require “aprons” in academic teaching labs?
No, only in labs using large quantity corrosives (such as base baths) and those students doing preps and making large carboys of solutions.
Do you require “lab coats” in research labs?
The rules apply to ALL of our chemistry and biochemistry labs
Do you require “fire resistant (FR) lab coats” in organic research labs?
No, not in the organic teaching labs. In the lab working with pyrophorics, they are required to have the blue Bulwark FR lab coats.
Do you rent them?
No, my department does not have a large enough budget to rent or launder them. We have instrumentation that still uses 5.25” floppy disks!
Do you purchase them?
The students purchase their own goggles and lab coats, even the ones doing research. The department will loan lab coats out to student workers, if needed.
Do you have the vendor launder them?
The students wash their own lab coats and are advised to wash separate from other laundry and to double rinse, UNLESS they spill a chemical on them. In the case of a lab coat with a spill of a hazardous chemical,
we exchange the lab coat and send the lab coat with the spill out as hazardous waste.
Do you launder them yourselves?
No
Who pays for them?
The user
Many thanks,
Chris
Christopher E. Kohler, MS, LPG, CCHO
Laboratory Safety Manager, EHS
Environmental Health and Safety
1514 E Third Street
Bloomington, IN 47405
(812) 855-5454
cekohler**At_Symbol_Here**iu.edu
