Hospital Lab Coats

A hospital lab coat is a knee-length white overcoat worn by healthcare professionals like doctors, surgeons, nurses, lab technicians, etc. They use it for protection along with other instruments like masks, goggles, gloves and shoe covers, and for professional use that acts as their uniform. The coats are made from light-colored cotton, linen or cotton-polyester blend, making it easier to wash and see if it is clean. Technicians usually wear lab coats over regular clothing to protect themselves from radiation and chemicals in the laboratories.

Physicians and surgeons have been wearing white lab coats during professional use for over 100 years. It stemmed from nineteenth-century medicine to administer the scientific approach to modern science. It helped distinguish scientists and made it an easily recognizable symbol. It was introduced in the medical field in the late 1800s as a symbol of cleanliness and has since been upgraded and personalized into several styles and designs. However, the primary purpose and layout of the coat remains the same, keeping its sanctity intact.

The patent white lab coat also depicts patients’ perceptions of a professional healthcare worker. They trust and approach a professional wearing a coat more often than those not wearing one, making them more recognizable.

The white lab coats protect lab technicians, doctors and surgeons from any harmful materials, toxins and hazards that may be prevalent during the ongoing task. Healthcare professionals must wear their lab coats as part of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) suit to protect against harmful spillage or contact. For more information, check out the 10 benefits of fluid-resistant lab coats and lab jackets.

The lab coat material comprising 65% cotton and 35% polyester, called semi-fireretardants, prevent it from catching fire and makes it liquid resistant. A lab coat made from 100% cotton and treated with flame retardant also makes it flame resistant. In contrast, Nomex IIIA makes it both liquid and flame resistant yet breathable and comfortable. For a comprehensive look at flame-resistant lab coats, materials, benefits, top brands, and care tips, visit this guide.

Therefore, you must correspond with your lab coat manufacturers to ask about the material mix and match it with your specific job environment. If you work in a chemical factory or laboratory surrounded by highly flammable substances, it is better to get a coat that is flame-proof and corrosion-resistant. Similarly, getting a liquid-resistant lab coat will save you from harmful liquid chemicals.

Moreover, lab coats act as barriers against exposure to radiation in the lab or hazardous environments. It also protects you from any chemical accidents that may occur inside the lab or in a hospital.

Furthermore, when you take your lab coat off and leave it at work, you reduce the chances of cross-contamination. It also helps to cover your exposed hands, arms, feet or any exposed skin area to reduce cross-contamination.

The following medical professionals typically wear white hospital lab coats:

• Chemists
• Microbiologists
• Research scientists
• Pharmacists
• Doctors
• Nurses
• Surgeons
• Lab technicians
• Veterinarians
• Electronic technicians
• Dentists
• Other medical practitioners

All these professionals have to wear lab coats because of the environment in which they work. Meanwhile, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals may not wear lab coats because they do not expose themselves to chemicals or hazards during the job.

Scientists were the first professionals to wear lab coats and introduced them in the medical field. Other professionals followed the pursuit, given the advantages of it.

Some healthcare professionals may wear scrubs underneath the lab coat as an added layer of protection. In other cases, lab coats are mandated by their employers or in their work facility or because their profession requires it. It also adds a sense of sophistication and seriousness to their profession. A well-dressed and easily recognizable healthcare worker makes them approachable and shows that they take their work seriously, unlike an ill-dressed professional who may pose a non-serious attitude.

If you work in an environment exposed to hazardous materials, chemical, biological or radioactive compounds without wearing a lab coat, you risk exposing yourself to multiple harmful substances that can deteriorate your health and lead to severe diseases. If you work around highly corrosive chemicals and explosives, they can affect your skin and cause burns and bruises if you are not careful.

It is also the responsibility of lab technicians and other workers to prevent others from entering the lab without wearing proper PPE, including a lab coat. Hospital units with highly infectious diseases also require a lab coat and mask before entering to stop the spread.

Therefore, you may see many doctors fully covered in PPE clothing when working with patients suffering from contagious diseases. A typical example is that of the coronavirus, a highly spreadable and deadly disease. People had to wear masks to protect themselves. Similarly, wearing lab coats is essential for your protection.

Not wearing a lab coat makes the spread of contamination and diseases widespread. It is also considered a negligence on behalf of the medical practitioners who are responsible for curtailing and preventing the spread. For more information about What happens if you do not wear a lab coat?, check out this guide.

It is important to note that lab coats are not substitutes for engineering controls like process enclosure, glove box, fume hood, etc. It also does not replace workplace personal hygiene. Instead, it is important to incorporate lab coats with other PPE materials like facemasks, gloves, goggles, shoe covers and scrubs for extra protection.

Wearing a rubber or vinyl apron underneath a lab coat can also help protect you when handling highly corrosive substances or acids. It is better to wear chemical-resistant coveralls for full body protection.

Another critical limitation of lab coats is that they cannot replace specialized chemical-resistant suits for specific chemical handling, no matter the fabric material of the coat. You would have to wear special suits as required by the safety protocol of your specific profession. A lab coat alone may not protect you from all harmful chemicals.

Moreover, lab coats are not researched products pertaining to specific lab accidents or the use of chemical compounds. A lab coat alone can fail to save you from accidental spillage. Therefore, it is better to be careful and not entirely depend on your lab coat to save you.

Similarly, if a lab coat is flame-resistant, it may not necessarily be acid or chemical resistant. Also, remember that a flame-resistant lab coat may not be backed with proper flame resistance testing or the type of flame resistance it can bear. The term ‘flame resistant’ only means the fabric will not burn in the air. The fabric testing is limited to electric arc flash or flash fire, not chemical ones.

Hospital lab coats are knee-length white coats with open fronts used by healthcare professionals and people working under hazardous conditions to protect them from exposure, spillage, accidents, spread of infection, etc. They play a very important role as part of the PPE equipment to prevent the spread of infections and diseases.

However, it is important to know when to wear the lab coats and, when not to wear them, how to properly dispose of and clean them. At the same time, other healthcare professionals like psychologists and psychiatrists may not wear them at all because they do not operate under hazardous conditions.

For those who do wear them, it also acts as a symbol of recognition of their profession, and specific colors of scrubs and coats may differentiate their position and title in the workplace. For more information about the materials commonly used for professional lab coats, check out this guide.

You must be aware of the different types of fabrics when choosing the right lab coat for your specific profession and learn which brands provide the best quality, services and mix of fabric materials. Your lab coat must also fit you well and cover you well, leaving no margin for skin exposure.

Lastly, be aware of the limitations of lab coats and wear them accordingly. Typically, you must wear them along with other PPE instruments like masks, gloves, goggles, etc. Also, remember not to use lab coats as a substitute for specialized suits and equipment.