CWRU Dress Code for Personal Safety in Laboratories

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

a. The minimum PPE requirement for a laboratory is goggles/face shield, a buttoned laboratory coat, and appropriate chemically resistant gloves. Laboratory coats, gloves, and other PPE shall not be worn outside the laboratory area.

b. Clothing shall be appropriate to the laboratory – long pants and regular shoes, for example. Sandals or open-toed shoes, shorts, ties, or other dangling clothing can pose a safety threat in the laboratory.

c. Contact lenses are a risk when working with hazardous chemicals. (Please consider bringing a pair of glasses with you.) Particulate matter, vapors, and liquids can lodge behind the contact lens, causing considerable eye damage before they can be washed with water from an eyewash station. In addition, solvent vapors can weld contact lenses to the eyes, requiring surgery to remove them.

d. Select appropriate gloves when working with toxic or corrosive materials. Call the glove manufacturer or consult Appendix C of this LSM for a discussion of glove compatibilities. Glove compatibilities can also be found under “Laboratory Safety” –

“Glove Page” on the D.O.E.S. website (http://does.case.edu) under “Chemical Safety.”

e. Proper PPE must be worn at all times in the laboratory. Avoid direct contact with all chemicals. Keeping chemicals away from hands, face and clothing (including shoes) is especially important.

Many substances are readily absorbed into the body through the skin, or may enter through the mouth because of contamination of the hands. In case of any accidental contact with chemicals, immediately wash the site of contact with soap and copious

amounts of water, but take care not to abrade the skin.

f. A change of clothing should be available in the laboratory in case of an accident.