Sara - my techs wear their coats at all times within the laboratory.  
This applies to grossing, cutting, staining or anything else you can 
think of.  This is not generally for reasons of a hazardous (with the 
obvious exception of grossing) nature, but simply for cleanliness 
(esp. cutting).  When staining, there is the obvious problem of 
spilling stains - I had one tech spill half a bottle of Schiff's down her 
front - not a drop touched her clothes thanks to the double layered 
lab coat.  When out and about in the hospital, we all have a 'clean' 
coat, with hospital logo and our ID tag attached.

This is pretty much the standard practice at all labs I've seen in New Zealand.

Aidan

> Please, please I need the your help regarding my argument to a CAP
> inspector (lab general).
> 
 
> She gave me a huge "Ding" regarding the fact that our techs were not
> wearing lab coats(in the cutting and staining area), they do wear gloves. 
> She also justified her point by indicating because the techs were wearing
> jeans it was "unprofessional".  Of course, I could hardly contain myself
> and had try very hard to control myself from stating what I really wanted
> to say...
> 
> 
> I did tell her,  specimens were never triage in the main lab, so full PPE
> was irrelevant.  Our techs do wear nitrile gloves for protection from the
> reagents and chemicals. 
> 
> 
> She said full PPE was essential because the blocks and slides were
> considered infectious. So of course I said "At what point does the slide
> and/or block ever become non-infectious-when it reaches the pathologist?" 
> She said "They should continue to be considered infectious and that the
> pathologist should be wearing lab coats when they read out slides."  I said
> "Should the pathologist wear gloves as well, they have to touch the
> slide".  Our exchange went on and on until she said "I have to give you the
> deficiency".
> 
> 
> My pathologist went ballistic, as I did.  He and I would like to know what
> do other labs do?
> We are determined to argue for principle sake only.  My pathologist feels
> that PPE is essential when you consider every situation with logic but he
> doesn't care if the techs cut naked (metaphorically). in the lab because
> they do such good work and work safe.
> 
> 
> So my question is,  Do you require techs to wear a lab coat in the main
> part of the lab?  What is your lab policy?  Our policy (approved by the
> Infectious Disease department)  specifically states that no PPE is required
> in the main lab area, but full PPE is required in the gross room ,morgue or
> when cutting frozen sections.
> 
> 
> Of the hospitals that I've seen (a least a dozen) none of them require
> their techs to wear coats.
> I'd love the hear from other labs.  Sorry about the long story but I'm
> still steaming....
> 
> 
> Thanks
> Sara
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 


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shin: device for finding furniture in the dark...
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a i d a n   c   s c h u r r 
     mlso,  histology department
      hutt valley health
       lower hutt, new zealand

     ph.  ++64 4 5709173
     fax  ++64 4 5709214
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