ChE Faculty, Staff and Graduate Students,

Lab coat cleaning was identified during our 2010 safety audits and inspections.  Purdue’s policy is that lab coats should not be washed at home or at a commercial laundromat. 

This topic was discussed extensively with REM and the COE Safety Committee.  The conclusion was that the lab coat cleaning need in Engineering is not sufficient to justify installation of a washing machine and dryer or to establish a contract with a third-party laundry service.

The recommendation is that dirty lab coats that could be contaminated with hazardous chemicals be disposed as hazardous waste with REM and that new lab coats be purchased.  A lower cost option is to evaluate the use of disposable lab coats.  In this case, please ensure that disposable lab coats provide sufficient protection from the identified hazards in your area.  One source for disposable coats is through the School of Pharmacy stores.

Please contact me if you have questions or concerns.

Thank you.

Linda      

Linda S. Davis

Industrial Education Director

Chair, ChE Safety Committee (https://engineering.purdue.edu/ChE/AboutUs/Safety.html)

School of Chemical Engineering

Purdue University

480 Stadium Mall Dr.

West Lafayette, IN 47907-2100

Phone: (765)496-1710

lsdavis@purdue.edu