Don’t put your lab at risk; check on proper PPE use

In your laboratories, lab coats and other personal protective equipment (PPE) keep staff members safe but too often are used improperly, reducing their value and possibly putting others at risk.

Medical technologists and pathologists frequently leave lab coats hanging open or take dirty coats into a storage area or bathroom, which can create infection control risks, says Elaine Pappamihiel, MT(ASCP), a technical specialist at Medical Laboratory Evaluation in Washington.