And if you have to leave your white coat in the lab?? I really wouldn't want
to expose colleagues to the, perhaps distressing, sight of me in underpants
and socks whilst I walked whitecoatless from the lab to where ever my shirt
& trousers etc were.
The real answer to this thread is that the employers in the NHS need to be
made to fulfil their obligation to provide their employees with a safe and
comfortable working environment.
Academia is just as bad; I'm typing this e-mail from a University office
where at 08.40 the temperature is already 29 C. A small fan to stir the
humid and hot air about a bit doesn't help much. It doesn't do much for my
mood either. Still, there's only 1076 days to go to retirement.
Robert Forrest
-----Original Message-----
From: Clinical biochemistry discussion list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Gareth Morgan
Sent: 19 August 2004 08:40
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Suitable alternative to white coats
Hi
>2) In general fastened white coats over underwear alone might be better
than
>plastic apron over shorts and t-shirts. (My comment: Raises the thought of
>some interesting scenes in the lab and its environs, hmmm?)
The order of the day here is either full white coat over outer clothes or
the use hospital white jackets and trousers over underwear (perhaps
including a T-shirt). Changing rooms are provided so "interesting scenes"
are a feature of the overactive imagination only. Seeing underwear through
this type of clothing may be amusing for about half an hour but not really
something to get worked up about.
>My two pence worth is that the lab staff and some others at Forensic
>Alliance in Abingdon wear what looks like blue poly cotton two piece
>garments with long sleeves and white trainers. Looks neat and helps the
>corporate image, is cool and comfortable and is fit for purpose both in
>infection control and in reducing transfer from staff to specimens.
>
>Robert Forrest
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Clinical biochemistry discussion list
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Robert Forrest
>Sent: 18 August 2004 15:11
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Suitable alternative to white coats
>
>
>Why not ask your local infection control team? I have the pleasure of being
>married to a Consultant in Communicable Disease Control who is a former
>Senior Registrar in Clinical Chemistry & research Fellow in Haematology. I
>will copy extracts of this thread to her and ask her if she can produce a
>response for the list.
>
>Robert Forrest
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Clinical biochemistry discussion list
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Elizabeth Hall
>Sent: 18 August 2004 15:04
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Suitable alternative to white coats
>
>
>Some more objections to plastic pinnies -
>they make you very hot and sweaty round neck and waist
>make sure people write on the outside if they are going to put the same one
>on after tea
>any large volume spill (acid, solvent, urine) will just drip onto feet
>In a previous lab we allowed fabric aprons - they would soak up a spill in
>the same way as a coat
>
>Elizabeth Hall
>
> >>> "Hogan, Tim" <[log in to unmask]> 18/08/2004 14:48:45 >>>
>Whilst having great sympathy for the staff involved I do feel that a
plastic
>apron is insufficient protection for staff working in laboratories handling
>samples with possible blood borne infection risk. The arms are the area
most
>likely to be in contact with work surfaces and being close to the hands!
>more likely to be subject to contamination when handling samples. Would you
>let staff work with the sleeves of their white coat rolled up?
>Maybe a plastic apron and and veterinary gloves such as used for examining
>cows internals.
>However this is a serious subject and laboratories need to be designed to
>cope with the increased heat load emitted by large analysers, and the cost
>of air cooling needs to be considered when looking to replace
>instrumentation.. In our experience trying to get air cooling for staff
>welfare is a waste of time, especially when many other health professionals
>are also suffering from lack of air cooling , however if your instruments
>are designed to run in a set temperature range and your ambient
temperature
>exceeds this then you have a good case for air cooling. The fastest
>implementation of air cooling I have seen was when our cross match dept.
>told the powers that be that they could not guarantee blood groups because
>the ambient temperature was outside of the range for their kits.
>At least you have the promise of air cooling in a few months (in time for
>the winter), we are still trying to upgrade a system following the
>installation of a replacement immunoassay analyser.
>
>[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Carey Susan (RTF) NHCT
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: 17 August 2004 18:24
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Suitable alternative to white coats
>
>
>
>Dear Colleagues
>
>Having been promised that some form of air-conditioning will be installed
in
>the next few months we still need to address the current problem of staff
>working in temperatures over 30 C. At present we have abandoned white coats
>and are using plastic disposable aprons over as light weight clothing as
>decency allows! but are considering ordering theatre scrubs.
>
>We know neither of these is entirely suitable laboratory attire, but the
>staff are being worn down by the relentless heat and humidity, so I feel as
>a temporary solution they would do the job. Has anyone any views on this
>(especially from a CPA angle), there must be other labs in the same
>situation with analysers and UPSs throwing out vast amounts of heat, are
>there any other dress solutions - given that A/C has been promised (to
>ensure the analysers keep working!) and this is very much an interim
>solution?
>
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Med vänliga hälsningar/With best regards
Gareth
http://www.ki.se/biomedlab
e-mail [log in to unmask]
Tel +46 8 5858 1038
Fax +46 8 5858 7730
Gareth Morgan MPhil MSc FIBMS,
Department of Laboratory Medicine (Labmed),
Karolinska Institute,
Karolinska University Hospital at Huddinge, F46
SE 141 86 Stockholm
Sweden
OBS! Besöksadress: F-Huset, Forskningsgatan 2 F52, Rum 2.10. Laboratoriet
för klinisk patologi och cytologi.
NB! Visiting address: Building F, Research Corridor 2 F52, Room 2.10.
Clinical Histo- and Cytopathology Laboratory.
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community working in clinical biochemistry.
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------ACB discussion List Information--------
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Please note, archived messages are public and can be viewed
via the internet. Views expressed are those of the individual and
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