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General Laboratory Practices: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Laboratory Clothing
This category includes laboratory coats, smocks, scrub suits, and gowns. Long-sleeved garments should be used to minimize the contamination of skin or street clothes. In circumstances where it is anticipated that splashes may occur, the garment must be resistant to liquid penetration to protect clothing from contamination. If the garment is not disposable, it must be capable of withstanding sterilization, in the event it becomes contaminated.

A laboratory coat is recommended for all work at BSL-1 and it or other suitable protective clothing is required when handling potentially infectious materials at BSL-2 or higher. Additional criteria for selecting clothing are: comfort, appearance, closure types and location, antistatic properties and durability. Protective clothing must be removed and left in the laboratory before leaving for non-laboratory areas. Disposables should be available for visitors, maintenance and service workers in the event it is required. All protective clothing should be either discarded in the laboratory or laundered (Department facilities or MSU's laundry). Personnel must not take laboratory clothing home.

General Laboratory Practices: PPE: Gloves

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