Re: clothing in lab

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From:mward@wfubmc.edu (Martha Ward)
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Martha Ward writes:  I work in a teaching hospital where clinical work is
being done on the same hallway as research work.  I work for the hospital
where we have strict standards of dress, ie, no jeans, even though we have no
patient contact.  The theory is that we should dress "professionally" and
project that same image. While I agree that the research techs are just as
professional in their approach to their work, it is hard to say that they
project that same image while wearing shorts, t-shirts, cut-off jeans and
baseball caps.  Unfortunately, the research techs have no formal dress code
from their employers and that has created some controversy among the clinical
staff and others on our hallway.

As for PPE, we wear it when we gross, cut frozens or are working with
chemicals, etc.  but we certainly do not use them at the microtome.  That
would be going a bit too far, I think.
 My $0.02 worth!

Tamara Howard wrote:

> I'm at a very "dress casual" research facility so we don't really have
> this "what is appropriate" problem. *BUT* if I had tissue samples that
> were going through diagnostic histology/EM I'd be more concerned that the
> work was done in a professional manner than that everyone was dressed
> in what some of you seem to consider "professional" clothes. Yes, lab
> coats should be worn, but what is the problem with jeans? No shorts, but
> skirts are OK? The techs in clinical labs with which I've worked have all
> worn scrubs and lab coats - you don't get stains on your good
> (professional?) clothes and you aren't expected to dress like Joan Collins
> on a tech salary!
>
> As for the person who said something along the lines of "techs should be
> dressed professionally, not like manual laborers"....Ouch. Is the
> implication that manual laborers are not professional? Or did the crew
> that built your house/hospital/car/etc. wear three-piece suits?
>
> Sorry about the venting - bad morning and this one really rubbed me the
> wrong way. Maybe those of us in plain old research fear that this clothing
> mindset will reach us.....hence the defensiveness.
>
> My $0.02 (US $, that is)
>
> Tamara Howard
> CSHL




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