Other Cover

Clothes and shoes!
Everyone MUST complete this section.

Covering on various parts of your skin is necessary depending on the stipulations of the chemical hygiene plan, your hazard assessment and standard operating procedures. For general chemical and biological work, skin covering to wrists is generally required, depending on the quantities and hazards of the material(s). For work with ultraviolet light sleeves.jpg (15726 bytes) sources (some lasers, some welding operations, some biological work) it is common for certain skin covering to be stipulated in the hazard assessment or SOP. Fire-resistant material is recommended for clothes worn for work around class 4 lasers or when welding. Arc-Flash rated clothing is required for work on some energized electrical equipment.
The 2014 Chemical Hygiene Plan requires a minimum of covering to the ankles, wrists and throat, and closed toe shoes. In addition, a minimum PPE requirement is safety glasses or goggles, a lab coat, and chemical resistant gloves. These must be worn at all times while in the lab unless you are working at a desk in the lab that is separated from chemical operations. These requirements do not apply to labs that involve solely mechanical, computer, laser or other non-ionizing radiation, or electrical operations.

Except for special equipment that would not constitute part of an individual's normal wear, e.g., boots with reinforced toes, the items referred to here as "other cover" are regarded as personal, and they are to be provided by the employee. The extent of coverage (to wrists, to throat, to ankles) should conform with those stated in the chemical hygiene plan, the hazard assessment and the SOP. Nylon stockings do not qualify as protective covering to ankles, nor do sheer tights. Clothes must not have holes, rips, or snags which might catch on equipment or furniture, or which might catch fire more easily than intact clothing. Certain operations (some welding, large quantities of cryogens) require cuffless trousers; check the hazard assessment.
Note that if your clothing does not meet the requirements of the hazard assessment, the use of additional PPE, such as a lab coat, can be used to meet the requirement.
If the hazard assessment stipulates covering to throat, this means the trousers.jpg (57295 bytes) shirt or blouse should come to the throat (above or at the clavicles = collarbones); if the shirt has buttons they should be buttoned to this point, at least. If the hazard assessment or SOP specifies covering to wrists, the wrists should be covered, and any cuff buttons should be buttoned.   Shoes should cover the feet front, back, and top, and should be quickly removable. If the shoes have laces they should be of such a design that spilled liquids will not penetrate easily or quickly. For some welding operations it is important that the worker's shirt be worn outside of the trousers (i.e. not tucked into the trousers). The hazard assessment or SOP should specify the exact clothing requirements.

Your "street clothes" (your "normal," "daily wear," "other cover") is only appropriate and sufficient if it is what's required by the hazard assessment(s) which apply to the work in which you're engaged. Furthermore, your employer does not replace ruined clothes or shoes that could have been protected by the use of further outer-wear such as lab coat, apron, or in extreme cases, coveralls or a chemically resistant suit.

Nothing that has been contaminated with hazardous materials should be taken home for cleaning. This includes your clothes and shoes. If / when they become contaminated with hazardous materials they should be

- cleaned on site (at the University), or

- sent out for cleaning by professionals who have been informed of the potential hazards, or

- disposed of (as hazardous waste if they qualify, see below)



shoes.jpg (18744 bytes) If your shoes and/or clothes become so grossly contaminated with hazardous material as to qualify as hazardous waste, and you cannot or choose not to clean them, they must be disposed of as hazardous waste. (This is a difficult call to make sometimes; the criteria for identifying a waste as hazardous waste will seem a bit odd to the unfamiliar. See "when is a waste a hazardous waste?" or phone the REM hazMat section at 40121 for assistance.) Items which are contaminated with biologically hazardous materials, and which you cannot or do not wish to clean, should go into the biowaste.

Clothes and shoes! Everyone MUST complete this section. Covering on various parts of your skin is necessary depending on the stipulations of the chemical hygiene plan, your hazard assessment and standard operating procedures. For general chemical and biological work, skin covering to wrists is generally required, depending on the quantities and hazards of the material(s). For work with ultraviolet light sources (some lasers, some welding operations, some biological work) it is common for certain skin covering to be stipulated in the hazard assessment or SOP. Fire-resistant material is recommended for clothes worn for work around class 4 lasers or when welding. Arc-Flash rated clothing is required for work on some energized electrical equipment. The 2014 Chemical Hygiene Plan requires a minimum of covering to the ankles, wrists and throat, and closed toe shoes. In addition, a minimum PPE requirement is safety glasses or goggles, a lab coat, and chemical resistant gloves. These must be worn at all times while in the lab unless you are working at a desk in the lab that is separated from chemical operations. These requirements do not apply to labs that involve solely mechanical, computer, laser or other non-ionizing radiation, or electrical operations. Except for special equipment that would not constitute part of an individual's normal wear, e.g., boots with reinforced toes, the items referred to here as "other cover" are regarded as personal, and they are to be provided by the employee. The extent of coverage (to wrists, to throat, to ankles) should conform with those stated in the chemical hygiene plan, the hazard assessment and the SOP. Nylon stockings do not qualify as protective covering to ankles, nor do sheer tights. Clothes must not have holes, rips, or snags which might catch on equipment or furniture, or which might catch fire more easily than intact clothing. Certain operations (some welding, large quantities of cryogens) require cuffless trousers; check the hazard assessment. Note that if your clothing does not meet the requirements of the hazard assessment, the use of additional PPE, such as a lab coat, can be used to meet the requirement. If the hazard assessment stipulates covering to throat, this means the shirt or blouse should come to the throat (above or at the clavicles = collarbones); if the shirt has buttons they should be buttoned to this point, at least. If the hazard assessment or SOP specifies covering to wrists, the wrists should be covered, and any cuff buttons should be buttoned. Shoes should cover the feet front, back, and top, and should be quickly removable. If the shoes have laces they should be of such a design that spilled liquids will not penetrate easily or quickly. For some welding operations it is important that the worker's shirt be worn outside of the trousers (i.e. not tucked into the trousers). The hazard assessment or SOP should specify the exact clothing requirements. Your "street clothes" (your "normal," "daily wear," "other cover") is only appropriate and sufficient if it is what's required by the hazard assessment(s) which apply to the work in which you're engaged. Furthermore, your employer does not replace ruined clothes or shoes that could have been protected by the use of further outer-wear such as lab coat, apron, or in extreme cases, coveralls or a chemically resistant suit. *Nothing* that has been contaminated with hazardous materials should be taken home for cleaning. This includes your clothes and shoes. If / when they become contaminated with hazardous materials they should be
-	cleaned on site (at the University), or
-	sent out for cleaning by professionals who have been informed of the potential hazards, or
-	disposed of (as hazardous waste if they qualify, see below)

If your shoes and/or clothes become so grossly contaminated with hazardous material as to qualify as hazardous waste, and you cannot or choose not to clean them, they must be disposed of as hazardous waste. (This is a difficult call to make sometimes; the criteria for identifying a waste as hazardous waste will seem a bit odd to the unfamiliar. See "when is a waste a hazardous waste?" or phone the REM hazMat section at 40121 for assistance.) Items which are contaminated with biologically hazardous materials, and which you cannot or do not wish to clean, should go into the biowaste.