General ChemistrY @UK

Lab Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Some of the most important issues in laboratories revolve around the use of personal protective equipment or PPE. Personal Protective Equipment refers to clothing, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer’s body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by PPE include physical, electrical, heat, chemicals, biohazards, and airborne particulate matter. For this course, we are most concerned with chemical hazards. The PPE requirements for this course are set based upon the level of risk associated with working with the chemicals in the various experiments.

Lab Attire

Lab safety is of the upmost importance when working in the lab.

Dress code

Goggles 

  • With the purchase of Achieve access, you will be given a pair of full coverage goggles. Your TA will hand them out the day of Experiment 2.
  • Other styles of goggles must be approved by the lab supervisor.
  • Safety glasses or normal eyeglasses are not acceptable substitutes for safety goggles.
  • You are expected to take care of your goggles and use them during CHE 113 and your other chemistry lab courses. You will NOT be provided another pair unless you purchase them.
    • If you do not need your goggles after this course, please leave them in a Lost and Found box after your Final Exam.
  • If you forget your goggles, you may do one of the following in order to participate in lab. Students without appropriate goggles will not be allowed to participate in lab.  There are no ‘loaner’ pairs of goggles.
    • Purchase a new pair from the General Chemistry Prep Room ($6, PLUS account only, no cash or credit cards, information at http://www.uky.edu/PlusAccount/ ).
    • Purchase a new pair from the General Chemistry Prep Room ($6, PLUS account only, no cash or credit cards, information at http://www.uky.edu/PlusAccount/ ).

Gloves

  • Nitrile gloves are to be worn any time you are working in the lab. They are provided for you in the lab, mounted on the wall.
  • Nitrile gloves were selected because of the wide variety of chemicals they reduce exposure to and the dexterity they provide.
  • Gloves must be changed out every 40 minutes in the lab, as they will degrade over time, increasing the potential for exposure to what you are working with.
  • Be aware of what you are touching with your gloves on. Even if you just put on your gloves, do not scratch, touch your cell phone, or open a door without first taking your glove off. Doing so can potentially contaminate surfaces or cause bodily harm.
blue nitrile gloves

Shoes

  • All students must wear close-toed shoes that completely cover your foot with shoe material.
  • It is recommended that students wear shoes that are made of a non-permeable material, such as leather.
  • Socks are required. Socks under your shoes provide an extra barrier of protection and are required. Your skin must be covered at all times, whether by your socks or pants, bare ankles are not acceptable. Socks are not a substitute for not wearing shoes that completely cover your feet with shoe material.

Clothing

Grey scrub short sleeve shirt

Students must wear loose fitting, long pants, which completely cover legs and ankles. Socks are required. No skin can be exposed at the ankle.

  • Scrub pants will be provided at the beginning of the semester and are expected to be worn by students each lab period.
  • Students must wear loose fitting, long pants, which completely cover legs and ankles. Socks are required. No skin can be exposed at the ankle.
  • Shirts should cover the torso and extend to the top of pants/skirt. Shirts should have sleeves and cover your front and back
    • Scrub shirts will be provided at the beginning of the semester and are expected to be worn by students each lab period.
  • If you forget your scrub pants or scrub shirt, you may done one of the following in order to participate in lab. Students without lab personal protective equipment (PPE) will not be permitted in the lab.
    • Purchase a new pair from the stockroom (PLUS account only, no cash or credit cards).
    • Go home and get your scrubs. Please note that if you arrive back in lab more than ten minutes after the start of the lab session, you will be considered late (see the attendance policy above).
Grey scrub pants
  • If you are working in a sitting position, you are required to wear a lab apron. Lab aprons or lab coats are recommended and aprons can be provided upon request to others.
    • Anyone that uses a seated position or requires other accommodations in the teaching lab, must meet with the laboratory instructor and possibly the college safety coordinator to determine additional specific safety procedures to be applied during wet lab work
  • You are expected to take care of your scrub shirts and pants and use them during CHE 113 and your other chemistry lab courses. You will NOT be provided another pair unless you purchase them.

The Lab Supervisor makes all final decisions on whether or not a student’s lab attire is appropriate.

Appropriate attire is expected even on days when no experiment is conducted, i.e. during peer reviews. If you are in the lab, you should be appropriately dressed and have your goggles on.