DCHAS-L Discussion List Archive
From: "Casadonte, Dominick" <DOMINICK.CASADONTE**At_Symbol_Here**TTU.EDU>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Lab Coats In Teaching Labs and Research Labs at Academic Institutions
Date: Tue, 5 May 2015 02:33:42 +0000
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: D16D92AE.5595%Dominick.Casadonte**At_Symbol_Here**ttu.edu
In-Reply-To
In the Chemistry Department at Texas Tech we require that all of our students (from General Chemistry to Graduate Students) wear lab coats, goggles, and gloves (when needed). Our ACS-SA sells goggles and disposable lab coats to our freshman, and our Chemistry
Graduate Student Organization (CGSO) rents lab coats (and sell goggles) to students above that level. The CGSO is responsible for getting them laundered (we have a vendor in town who does it), and this laundering fee gets tacked onto the rental fee. EH&S is
working with our Safety Committee to explore FR lab coats for our organic students and graduate students.
In the university that I teach at, the Graduate TAs were all given Lab Coats at the beginning of their careers and are expected to wear them. Most of them don't, but we have them. I know I personally wear my lab coat every single time I enter
the teaching lab because we work with very strong acids and staining elements like Iodine that I don't want to get on my clothes. However that being said, the students are not required to wear any protective gear once so ever, excluding goggles of course,
nor is it provided. All I know is, there are Nitrile gloves located in all the teaching labs and I instruct my students to use them. That's about all the protection we have available to our students. It's antiquated because I believe for some of the narly
stuff we use in our biochemistry labs, even though it is a 100 level course, require aprons. Especially when we are working with organics at the beginning of the semester. However, the school feels they are not necessary. I have no say, all I do is teach,
and make sure my students don't blow themselves up. In the past 2 years I have taught I haven't had a single injury despite us working with concentrated Nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and hydrochloric acid. Plus 30% Hydrogen peroxide, and bromine in methylene
chloride. All compounds that require an apron when handling. However, again, I have no say in the matter. I just do as I am told and enforce safety.
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