Stockroom PPE

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

As discussed in detail in the Chemical Hygiene Plan, departments using recognized occupational or environmental hazards are expected to take the steps necessary to protect employees and students from injuries or illnesses associated with those hazards. The provision and use of PPE in addition to other methods of hazard control (engineering, administrative, other safe work practice controls) is an academic departmental obligation. Typically, departments purchase PPE types and varieties unique to the hazards within their disciplines, with no Stockroom involvement. However, certain high-volume and heavily consumed types of PPE are purchased through the Stockroom Store, for resale to academic departments. It is important for academic departments wishing to purchase PPE through the Stockroom to log such activities in the Stock Items logbook, for inventory and accounting purposes. The types of high-volume and heavily consumed types of PPE sold through the Stockroom Store include the following:

• Hand protection (surgical gloves):
  • Nitrile, neoprene, natural rubber latex
• Eye protection:
• Safety glasses, chemical splash safety goggles

In addition to the high-volume and heavily consumed types of PPE noted above, the Stockroom also maintains a small inventory of specialized PPE, unique to particular hazards that are uncommon to the lab environment. Specialized PPE, when necessary, may be borrowed through the Stockroom through Mary Collis, and returned following use in a sanitary condition. If specialized PPE is damaged or consumed through use, it is expected that departments will replenish the supply they consumed through their budget lines. The specialized PPE maintained by the Stockroom (by type, variety and usage) includes the following:

• Hand Protection:
  • Poly-vinyl alcohol coated gloves—good for non-water-based liquids and solvents 
  • Heavy duty nitrile gloves—good where there are additional physical abrasion hazards to the hands while wearing nitrile glove protection
  • Cryogenic gloves—good when using cryogenic hazards like liquid nitrogen
• Body Protection:
  • Nomex lab coats—good when using pyrophoric or other energetic/reactive chemicals
  • Splash aprons—when used over a lab coat, good for providing additional protection to the body from high volume liquid corrosive splashes
• Face/Other Protection:
  • Splash shields—when used over eye protection, good for providing additional protection to the face and neck when using pyrophoric or other energetic/reactive chemicals
  • N95 dust masks—good for providing protection against nuisance aerosols/particulates

Spill Cleanup Supplies

The Stockroom maintains spill cleanup supplies sufficient to both stock and maintain 2.5 gallon lab spill kits located throughout the Science Center’s labs, and to respond to more significant spills beyond the capabilities of the lab spill kits. The materials in the lab spill kits may be used by departmental personnel on an as-needed basis for Level 1/low hazard emergencies, but should be replenished following use through the Stockroom. The use of spill cleanup supplies in the Stockroom for more significant spills is restricted to Mary Collis and the Director of EP&S.