Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Gloves
Disposable gloves protect the hands and fingers from hazardous chemicals, and from contamination with biological and radioactive material. Other types of gloves provide protection from heat and sharp objects.
When purchasing protective gloves, proper size and fit are important. Gloves should not be too tight or too loose, and should also be long enough to protect the wrists.
Glove material is also important. When purchasing gloves to protect against hazardous chemicals, make sure they are compatible with the materials to be used. This is done by checking a compatibility chart from your glove manufacturer. Incompatible gloves may provide little or no protection against the wrong chemicals.
Lab Coats
Lab coats should be worn whenever working with hazardous materials such as chemicals, biological material, and radioactive material. A lab coat's purpose is to keep splashes and spills off of skin and clothing underneath the coat. In order to do this, lab coats must be buttoned or fastened closed in the front.
Lab coats accumulate contamination over time. They should not be worn out of the lab, or taken home or to a personal vehicle. They should have a designated hanging or storage location in the lab. Replace lab coats that are heavily contaminated or damaged.
Certain flammable materials may require the use of a flame-resistant lab coat. These are usually heavier and blue in color. Contact EHS if you are not sure if you need to use a flame-resistant lab coat in your lab.
Protective Eyewear
Protective eyewear is worn to protect the eyes from chemical or biological liquid splashes, and may also be worn to protect the eyes from dust, debris, or solid objects.
Protective eyewear should be worn in any lab working with materials that may splash, spill, or boil up. Eyewear should offer complete coverage to the eye with minimal gaps. Some labs may require goggles that fit securely to the face in order to protect against vapors or aerosols.
Eyewear worn to protect against debris and impacts should be shatter-resistant. It must be worn whenver doing any cutting, grinding or other work that could produce flying debris.