Hazel,
Yes, our hospital supplies our lab coats. Once a week a laundry service
comes and picks up any that need to be cleaned. The employee cannot take the
lab coat when they quit. So far we have had no lab coats lost by the
employee only by the laundry service. Also our lab coats have our names and
departments sewn onto them.
Betsy Molinari, HT(ASCP)
Texas Heart Institute
Houston,TX 77030
832-355-6524

-----Original Message-----
From: Horn, Hazel V [mailto:HornHV@archildrens.org] 
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2003 3:05 PM
To: 'histonet'
Subject: lab coats

Do your hospital/lab furnish lab coats to employees?  Do they go to a
laundry for cleaning? or Do employees take them home and wash them?
Do employees return the coats when they quit?   Are the employees made to
pay for lost coats?   Or do you use disposable coats?

At our hospital, we furnish 3 lab coats to employees.   They are sent to the
laundry for cleaning.    We have a difficult time with coats being lost or
taken and our lab ends up paying for these coats.  I have 100 employees to
manage for lab coats and it is often a nightmare.   The employee will insist
the coat was by the cleaners, the cleaners says the coats were taken home.
I am sure that both situations do happen.  Some get lost by the cleaners and
some are taken home.

Just curious what other labs do.
Thanks for your insight.
Hazel