Use the hierarchy of controls and a procedure's hazards to select eye, hand, body and foot protection.
Awareness level only. This lesson explains the ideas so you recognise them. It does not qualify you to do this work. Before you handle chemicals, biological materials or lab equipment for real, you need the training your employer or institution requires, and you must work under supervision until they sign you off.
Why it matters
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is the barrier between you and a splash, a spray or a broken flask. Choosing the wrong glove can let a solvent soak through in seconds, and the wrong eyewear leaves gaps for splashes. In the US, OSHA requires employers to assess workplace hazards and provide suitable PPE, and to train workers in its use (29 CFR 1910.132). Your lab's hazard assessment and SOPs tell you what to wear; this lesson explains the reasoning so you can follow them and ask good questions.
PPE is the last line of defence
Safety professionals use the hierarchy of controls, from most to least effective:
- Elimination: remove the hazard (skip a step that needs a toxic reagent).
- Substitution: use something safer (a less toxic solvent, a dilute solution).
- Engineering controls: isolate people from the hazard (fume hoods, biosafety cabinets, shields, interlocks).
- Administrative controls: change how work is done (SOPs, training, signs, limiting time or quantity).
- PPE: protect the individual (goggles, gloves, lab coat, respirator).
PPE comes last because it only works if it is the right type, fits, is worn correctly every time, and is not damaged. It does nothing for the person next to you.
The basic lab dress code
Almost every lab requires, before you even walk in:
- Long pants (or equivalent) and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes that cover the foot. No sandals, no exposed skin between pants and shoes.
- Long hair tied back, no dangling jewellery or loose sleeves.
- Lab coat, buttoned, sleeves down.
- Eye protection whenever hazardous materials are in use, even if you are not handling them yourself.
Eye and face protection
| Type | Protects against | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Safety glasses with side shields | flying particles, minor splashes | must meet ANSI Z87.1 in the US (marked Z87) |
| Chemical splash goggles | liquid splashes from any direction | seal around the eyes; indirect vents |
| Face shield | splashes to the face | worn over goggles, never alone |
| Laser or UV eyewear | specific wavelengths | must match the laser's wavelength and optical density; physics and materials labs |
Regular prescription glasses are not safety glasses. Contact lenses are allowed in many labs with goggles, but follow your lab's rule.
Gloves
No glove protects against everything. Each material resists some chemicals and fails against others. Two terms matter:
- Breakthrough time: how long before the chemical gets through.
- Degradation: whether the glove swells, cracks or dissolves.
| Glove | Good for | Weak against |
|---|---|---|
| Nitrile (disposable) | incidental contact with many aqueous solutions, oils, some solvents; biological work | many chlorinated and aromatic solvents, acetone (short breakthrough) |
| Latex | biological work, dexterity | many organic solvents; latex allergies |
| Neoprene | acids, bases, alcohols | some solvents |
| Butyl rubber | ketones, esters | hydrocarbons |
| Insulated / cryogenic | hot or very cold objects | chemicals (not a chemical glove) |
Always check the SDS section 8 and the glove manufacturer's chemical resistance chart. Thin disposable gloves are for incidental splash only: if contaminated, take them off, wash your hands and put on a new pair.
Remove gloves before touching door handles, phones or keyboards, so you do not spread contamination. Peel them off inside out without touching the outside with bare skin.
Body protection
- Cotton or polyester-cotton lab coat for general chemical and biological work.
- Flame-resistant (FR) lab coat when working with flammable liquids in quantity, pyrophoric reagents or open flames. Synthetic fabrics can melt onto skin.
- Disposable or fluid-resistant gowns for BSL-2 and clinical work, often with cuffs tucked under gloves.
- Chemical-resistant apron over the coat for large volumes of corrosives.
- Lab coats stay in the lab; contaminated coats are laundered by the institution, not at home.
Respiratory protection
Fume hoods and biosafety cabinets are the normal way to avoid breathing hazards. If a respirator is required, OSHA requires a written respiratory protection program, a medical evaluation, fit testing and training first (29 CFR 1910.134). Never borrow or improvise one.
Worked example: choosing PPE for a procedure
Task: diluting concentrated hydrochloric acid into water in a fume hood.
- Hazards: corrosive splashes to eyes and skin, corrosive vapour.
- Engineering control: fume hood (vapour).
- Eyes: chemical splash goggles, plus a face shield for larger volumes.
- Hands: gloves rated for hydrochloric acid on the manufacturer's chart (often neoprene or thicker nitrile).
- Body: buttoned lab coat; apron for large volumes; closed shoes, long pants.
- Procedure: add acid to water, never water to acid.
Common mistakes
- Treating nitrile as universal.
- Wearing a face shield without goggles.
- Wearing gloves outside the lab or touching shared surfaces with them.
- Pushing safety glasses onto the forehead "for a second".
Quick recap
- PPE is the last line of defence after elimination, substitution, engineering and administrative controls.
- Match eye protection to the hazard: glasses for particles, goggles for splashes, face shield over goggles.
- Pick gloves from the SDS and resistance charts; change them when contaminated.
- Respirators need a formal program with fit testing.
Official source: OSHA Personal Protective Equipment, https://www.osha.gov/personal-protective-equipment (Checked on 2026-10-23.)