- Lab Coat
A lab coat is necessary for many operations which could result in
a large splash of harmful liquid, as well as for operations involving toxic solid
materials that must be prevented from contaminating regular clothes, even in tiny
quantities. Consult the Hazard Assessment Certification requirements for the
relevant operation, task description, or job title.
Lab coats should not be worn in non-laboratory areas, since this can contaminate
lunchrooms, offices, etc. with any chemical contamination on the coat.
Lab coats should also not be hung on a hook in direct contact with street clothes.
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Cover over your regular clothes to prevent them from non-obvious contamination and/or to impede
saturation of regular clothes and skin surfaces with harmful liquids. Lab coat
material should be chosen for safety compared to the types of work hazards and the types
liquids to which they might be exposed.
Special care should be taken in choosing a lab coat if flammable materials or open flames
are used in the workplace. See lab coat guidance at the end of this document.
(See "Limitations" below.)
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Putting it on (donning), well, let's see. The opening generally
goes in front and the arms go into the sleeves. Don't you wish everything was that
difficult? The parts that people sometimes forget are that a lab coat should also be
buttoned completely, every button, unless you don't really need to be wearing it in the
first place, and the sleeves will only protect your wrists if they're covering them.
Doffing (taking off) the lab coat will assume different forms depending on whether
it's a leisurely routine doffing or an in-the-emergency-shower-in-a-hurry doffing.
In the latter case it is acceptable to rip the buttons off, but be as calm as possible at
all times.
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Lab coats can prevent small splashes from contacting your skin
and/or contaminating your street clothes, and this is quite important, but they do not do
much more. Do not continue to wear a lab coat if there is a reasonable chance that
chemical contamination from it will reach your clothes or your skin. Do not use a
coat not made for lab chemical use, nor a homemade lab coat unless you are certain the fabric
is suitable for your work (some synthetic fabrics are extremely vulnerable to particular
chemicals and could actually harm your skin in the event that the wrong chemical was
splashed on them). Many synthetic fabrics will burn and melt somewhat easily and
should not be worn in areas where open flames or other sources of fire might present the
potential of igniting the coat.
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No protective equipment that has been contaminated with hazardous materials should be taken
home. This includes lab coats. If / when they become contaminated with hazardous
materials they should be
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