Responses below.

 

Best,

 

Debbie M. Decker, CCHO, ACS Fellow

Chair, Division of Chemical Health and Safety

University of California, Davis

(530)754-7964

(530)304-6728

dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**ucdavis.edu

 

Birkett's hypothesis: "Any chemical reaction

that proceeds smoothly under normal conditions,

can proceed violently in the presence of an idiot."

 

 

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?

 

Yes – White cotton for students.  Light blue for TAs.  The light blue ones happen to be FR cotton, for a variety of reasons we can discuss off line.

 

Do you require “aprons” in academic teaching labs?

 

Recommended under some circumstances.

 

Do you require “lab coats” in research labs?

 

Yes.

 

Do you require “fire resistant (FR) lab coats” in organic research labs?

 

Depending on circumstances – use of pyrophoric/water reactive materials, quantities of flammable solvents, use of open flame.

 

Do you rent them?

 

No

 

Do you purchase them?

 

Undergrads purchase through the bookstore.  Researchers purchase (with PI recharge) through on-campus veterinary medicine central stores.  They have a fit-set of coats, an inventory of coats for sale, and have the ability to barcode the coats for laundry and update the PI profile.  TA coats are provided by the department.

 

Do you have the vendor launder them?

 

Yes, for researcher coats.

 

Do you launder them yourselves?

 

Undergrads do.

 

Who pays for them?

 

Varies.

 

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