Laboratory Coats

  • Laboratory coats are a critical component of worker protection in both laboratory and clinical/patient care areas. 

















    In order to protect against accidental spill or contact, lab coats must be worn whenever working in the laboratory or clinical areas, in addition to the appropriate type and size of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

    All students, faculty, staff, and visitors who conduct the following work activities must be provided a laboratory coat:

    • work in laboratories,
    • handle biological, chemical, or radiological materials and waste,
    • handle human blood, tissue, cell lines, or other potentially infectious materials,
    • direct contact with patients, or
    • handle clinical specimens.

    The WCM Office of Procurement has contracted ImageFIRST as WCM's Preferred Lab Coat Vendor, to provide both lab coat supply and laundry services.

    Alternate lab coat services are available from Unitex and other vendors. To inquire about alternate services, please see contact information for Unitex and the WCM Purchasing Department listed below.

    Laboratory Coat Uses

    When properly used, lab coats:

    • Provide protection of skin and personal clothing from incidental contact and small splashes.
    • Prevent the spread of contamination outside the lab (provided they are not worn outside the lab.)
    • Provide a removable barrier in the event of an incident involving a spill or splash of hazardous substances.

    Limitations of Lab Coats

    In general, protective clothing, including lab coats, should not be used as a substitute for engineering controls such as a fume hood, a glove box, process enclosure, etc., or as a substitute for good work practices and personal hygiene.  For significant chemical handling, it will be necessary to supplement lab coat use with additional protective clothing, for example, a rubber or vinyl apron for handling large quantities of corrosives or hydrofluoric acid, or it may be preferable to use chemical resistant coveralls for full body protection.  Conversely, use of engineering controls such as fume hoods does not preclude the need for wearing the proper PPE, including lab coats.

    Laboratory Coat Types

    There are four styles of laboratory coats available for laboratories and clinical areas

















    provided by ImageFIRST:

    • Flame-Resistant Laboratory Coat - Flame-resistant laboratory coats provide increased protection against flash fires. These coats must be worn while working with pyrophoric materials and other high fire hazard operations.
    • Knit-Wrist Laboratory Coat - Traditional white laboratory coats with knitted cuffs for workers concerned about the open sleeve interfering with their work.
    • Traditional Laboratory Coat - Traditional white laboratory coats.
    • Fluid-Resistant Laboratory Coat - Fluid-resistant laboratory coats provide increased protection against organic materials, blood, bodily fluids, and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) in the event of an accidental spill/splash.

    Please use the ImageFIRST laboratory coat ordering forms below to order specific coats for clinical and for laboratory areas.

    ImageFIRST Related Documentation

    Please note:

    • When you initiate an agreement with ImageFIRST, you will be required to continue with that company until the master service agreement ends on June 1, 2020.  Any termination prior to that date may include early termination fees as outlined in the agreements.
    • Lab Only – There is no buyout or hidden costs if a lab closes.
    • You will be asked to sign a Terms and Condition agreement, which is standard with all service agreements. Please take the time to read and understand the agreement before signing.
    • Once you have signed an agreement, you can set up an LOC (Line of Credit). Please make sure that you attach the signed agreement to the shopping cart.
    • The Master Service Agreement pricing and terms & conditions are available online. Included with the service agreement is an example of the agreement each department initiating services will sign. Click here for the ImageFIRST terms. Please treat this information as confidential.

    ImageFIRST Sales Contacts 

















    For sales (new accounts) 
    Donna Slavin 
    973-417-3388
    dslavin@imagefirst.com

    For service calls, additional products, billing questions, to report missing laboratory coats: 

    Andre Cherry
    973-703-6483
    acherry@imagefirst.com

    To request copies of invoices: 
    800-368-3676

    For all service and billing calls, please be sure to have your ImageFIRST account number available.

    Unitex Contacts 

    Ronald Moore
    914-364-6494
    rmoore@unitex.com
    Brian Settles
    347-755-9974
    bsettles@unitex.com
    Rich Perry
    914-227-8945
    rperry@unitex.com
    Unitex Office  914-699-7100

    Unitex Related Documentation

WCM Contacts

Financial-related, contact WCM Purchasing at 646-962-3900 

Operational-related, contact WCM EHS at 646-962-7233 or ehs@med.cornell.edu

Related Links

Contact Us

Go to the staff directory for individual contacts within EHS. You may also use the Weill Cornell Medicine online directory to search for faculty and staff.

Create an EHS Incident

 

Weill Cornell Medicine Environmental Health and Safety 1300 York Avenue
Room LC006
New York, NY 10065 Phone: (646) 962-7233 Fax: (646) 962-0288