Appropriate Lab Attire | Environmental Health & Safety (2024)

FAQs

Appropriate Lab Attire | Environmental Health & Safety? ›

Standard Practice. Employees working with hazardous chemicals in laboratories must wear closed-toe shoes, long pants or skirts which fully cover the legs, and a lab coat. Employees shall confine long hair and secure loose clothing and jewelry before beginning work.

Always wear clothes that cover and protect your legs down to your ankles. Never wear open toe or open heel shoes such as sandals, flip-flops or clogs. Shoes made of porous materials provide only limited protection in a spill and should be avoided. High heeled shoes should not be worn in the lab.

Chemical aprons can provide additional secondary protection.

A high-necked, calf- or ankle-length, rubberized laboratory apron or a long-sleeved, calf- or ankle-length, chemical- and fire-resistant laboratory coat should be worn any time laboratory manipulation or experimentation is being conducted.

Lab coats and gloves should be worn when working with hazardous materials in a laboratory. Wear closed-toe shoes and long pants or other clothing that covers the legs when in a laboratory where hazardous chemicals are used.

Employees working with hazardous chemicals in laboratories must wear closed-toe shoes, long pants or skirts which fully cover the legs, and a lab coat. Employees shall confine long hair and secure loose clothing and jewelry before beginning work.

Unacceptable attire includes, but is not limited to, open-toe shoes, sandals, flip-flops, shorts, tank tops, muscle shirts, bare midriffs/backs, mesh clothing, and similar attire that may result in skin exposure to hazards.

Staff/Students/Volunteers working in a lab: a lab coat, protective eyewear, long pants and closed toe shoes are the minimum PPE for work in a laboratory where chemical, biological, radiological, or mechanical hazards are present.

Wear only appropriate clothing in the lab. Not allowed are loose flowing sleeves or blouses, bulky jewelry, scarves, shorts, miniskirts, bare feet, sandals and open toe shoes.

Which of the following are mandatory to wear during lab? ›

Closed toed shoes and lab coats must always be worn in the lab. When appropriate, use of safety goggles is also required. Lab coats protect your clothing from splattering stains (these stains are permanent), as well as protect against bacterial contamination and chemical spills.

Laboratory coats act as a first line of defense, shielding individuals from accidental exposure to hazardous substances, chemicals, or biological agents present in the laboratory. They protect both the skin and regular clothing from spills, splashes, and contact with potentially harmful materials.

Commercial garments are available to protect from chemical splashes or spills, heat/cold, moisture, and radiation. Laboratory coats help prevent contact with dirt and the minor chemical splashes or spills encountered in laboratory-scale work.

PPE must be made available to laboratory workers to reduce exposures to hazardous chemicals in the lab. Proper PPE includes items such as gloves, eye protection, lab coats, face shields, aprons, boots, hearing protection, etc. PPE must be readily available and most equipment is provided at no cost to the employee.