Hello!

‘tis the start of a new semester, which means new student questions.

We usually require lab coat purchase of our organic laboratory students – basic white coats, not flame retardant. So naturally, students are seeking alternative deals to those stocked in the bookstore. (e.g….: VOGRYE Professional Lab Coat for Women Men Long Sleeve, White, Unisex https://a.co/d/ceiRr5M)

I see the NIH guidance (https://ors.od.nih.gov/sr/dohs/Documents/laboratory-coat-selection-guidance.pdf#search=laboratory%20coat%20guidance) that references a range of lab coat standards, but I don’t see that very many lab coats list whether they meet any standards (although some of those mentioned in the NIH doc do).

My initial thought is that means that most “lab coats” are simply another layer of fabric in a particular shape, and that lab coats are like goggles – if they don’t list any standards, they don’t meet any.

Two questions:

What are the flaws or gaps in my reasoning above?

What standards do other educational institutions have for lab coats beyond flame retardant or not? I’m not talking about specialized research issues, but more the mass lower level (gen chem, organic) labs.

Thanks for any input.

With regards,

Sue

_______________________________

Susan D. Wiediger, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Chemistry

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

swiedig**At_Symbol_Here**siue.edu       618-650-3088