This was my suggestion. To get them washed every summer by the laundry service.
Lab coats
- Thread starter saba
- Start date
Do you have a textiles or cookery department? If so ask them whether they use a laundry service. Our's send their aprons, tea towels, etc off every term so we just send the lab coats with them when they need to be done.
Our kids don't wear lab coats, except at A level where there are considerably fewer students. I believe the technician washes these periodically.
We don't have textiles department, don't think the lab coats should be in the food tech department at the risk of cross contamination.
I used to send them out to a laundry annually but I'm very lucky to have a maintenance team that wash them in-house for me. We have washing machines and dryers on site for the boarding facilities so we make use of them. I must admit though that without this it would be a big pain in the ass. We managed without them during Covid and as someone has already mentioned, they aren't essential PPE so I don't see why we end up with it as another technician responsibility. I suggested them as part of the uniform list but that idea was soon disregarded. The pupils provide their own food tech aprons and PE kit so I'm not sure why lab coats are any different.
They don't go in the food tech department, they just get collected by the laundry service at the same time as the food tech stuff so we don't have to pay for an additional collection.
We don't issue lab coats. It's part of the uniform so students should have their own but, as it's not PPE, if they forget they are reminded of the risks and work without one.
We're a boarding school, too, so use the on-site laundry.
I have around 120 lab coats, and send them to the laundry twice a year at Christmas and summer.
And sixth form have the option to buy their own which we get embroidered with the school logo and their name, so I don't both with those as they are personal property, even though they keep them in the Labs.
I have around 120 lab coats, and send them to the laundry twice a year at Christmas and summer.
And sixth form have the option to buy their own which we get embroidered with the school logo and their name, so I don't both with those as they are personal property, even though they keep them in the Labs.
After covid I 'hid' all the lab coats on recommendation from CLEAPSS.
They are allowed disposable plastic aprons for eye dissection, but nothing for other lessons.
They are allowed disposable plastic aprons for eye dissection, but nothing for other lessons.