Page 40 - Occupational Health & Safety, August 2017

PROTECTIVE APPAREL
The Do’s and Don’ts of Lab Coats
Use these tips for selecting the best protection for those in your laboratory.
BY MARK SANER
It doesn’t take much—just a slip of the hand, an accidental spill, or a small equipment malfunc- tion—for an ordinary day in the laboratory to turn into a tragedy. On March 16, 2016, a post-
doctoral researcher at the University of Hawaii at Manoa lost her arm and suffered burn injuries and temporary hearing loss as a result of a hydrogen/oxy- gen explosion. This incident is far from isolated, and no laboratory is immune to an accident occurring.
In addition to creating the potential for severe in- juries or even loss of life, laboratory accidents can be costly. According to the American Burn Association, hospital fees for burn injuries can range from $47,000 up to $1.2 million, depending on the length of stay. The association estimates that one day in the hospital is re- quired for every 1 percent of the body affected by burn injuries. Regardless of the type of injuries involved— burns or otherwise—labs may face general liability costs, increases in insurance premiums, wage indem- nity, lost productivity, potential OSHA fines, loss of research funding, and damage to their public image.
So how can you avoid having something like that happen to your lab? First and foremost, it is important to have a well-established safety culture and follow the proper work practices. However, even when you are diligently following proactive preventive measures, laboratory accidents can, and do, happen. That’s why it is essential to ensure that the appropriate personal
protective equipment (PPE)—including lab coats that meet the specific, unique needs of your laboratory—is available, used consistently, and worn correctly.
In order to determine the right lab coats for your particular laboratory environment, there are five key things to consider.
1. Protection:
The first and most important consideration always should be protection. This means it is imperative to understand the hazards and safety standards that ap- ply to your laboratory.
Specifically, OSHA 1910.132, the general standard on PPE requirements, instructs employers to provide and pay for PPE when “hazards of processes or en- vironment, chemical hazards, radiological hazards, or mechanical irritants are encountered in a manner capable of causing injury or impairment.”
In addition, OSHA 1910.1450, the standard on oc- cupational exposure to hazardous chemicals in labo- ratories, serves to ensure that workers in nonproduc- tion laboratories are informed about the hazards of chemicals in their workplaces and are provided with the appropriate clothing and other PPE. The stan- dard requires that workers conduct their work un- der conditions that minimize risks from both known and unknown hazardous substances. It also requires employers to perform risk assessments for hazard-
34 Occupational Health & Safety | AUGUST 2017
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