From: Patrick A Ceas <ceas**At_Symbol_Here**STOLAF.EDU>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Attire in Academic Laboratories
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2018 12:56:04 -0600
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: CAGzA3XPz9xA9u-SNYM5KB248KTz5+kSyPuBFwSmfL0BuN2d+HQ**At_Symbol_Here**mail.gmail.com
In-Reply-To


Hi Barbara,

As of September 2017 we no longer allow leggings/jeggings in any lab where hazardous substances are stored/handled. It took a number of years of discussion and continually raising awareness before the faculty finally accepted that it was the right thing to do (it also helped to point to good policies at other institutions, such as the Univ MN). Of course, we're a small school so once the policy was put into place (and the faculty agreed to enforce it) then it's been really quite smooth to implement; there was no big stick or "Thou Shall Not" but rather the faculty simply explained to the students that such clothing basically offers no protection to their legs and that looser fitting pants are far superior for their own safety, and the students said "ok." We still get a few that forget, but they are sent home to change (making up lost lab time is on them).

Our website contains a short video, a poster, a short summary of acceptable laboratory attire. We specifically state: "Do not wear leggings/yoga pants since they offer no barrier between you and the chemical with which you are working, and chemicals can easily wick through and contact the skin."

Pat


On Tue, Jan 23, 2018 at 10:50 AM, Barbara Foster <bfoster**At_Symbol_Here**wvu.edu> wrote:

Safety Colleagues,

Do you permit your students to wear leggings/jeggings in your academic chemistry labs?

If not, have you included a section on this in your safety rules?

Would you be willing to share the wording in your safety rules with me?

I chair the departmental safety committee and I plan to include this topic as an agenda item for the February meeting.

As always, thank you for your assistance.

Barbara

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--
Patrick Ceas, Ph.D.
Chemical Hygiene Officer | Environmental Health & Safety
St. Olaf College
Office: 507-786-3560 | Mobile: 507-321-0379
312 Regents Hall of Natural Sciences
1520 St. Olaf Avenue Northfield, MN 55057
--- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional secretary at secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas

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