Lab Coat Transport

The University of Kentucky is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy research environment for both personnel and animals. Proper use and removal of lab coats and other protective clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE) in animal facilities helps reduce the spread of allergens, contaminants, and potential infectious agents.

This guidance is intended to provide general recommendations and best practices for faculty, staff, students, and visitors working in or entering animal facilities.

Animal facility PPE, including lab coats, scrubs, gowns, and gloves, serves two important purposes:

• Protecting personnel from exposure to animal allergens, zoonotic agents, and facility contaminants.
• Helping protect research animals from outside contaminants carried on clothing or skin.

Wearing dedicated protective clothing and removing it before entering public or clean areas helps minimize the spread of allergens and maintain good biosecurity practices. Maintaining good PPE practices helps protect personnel, research animals, and the broader campus community.

To support good hygiene and biosecurity practices, the following are discouraged:

• Wearing animal facility lab coats in offices, cafeterias, elevators, classrooms, or public areas.
• Wearing contaminated PPE outside animal facilities.
• Storing used PPE with personal items.
• Eating, drinking, chewing gum, or applying cosmetics while wearing contaminated PPE.
• Hanging used animal facility coats in shared office spaces.

Transporting a lab coat or other reusable PPE between the animal facility and your laboratory involves several specific steps: 

• Take off your lab coat or other reusable PPE before leaving the animal facility. 
• Fold the coat so that the outer, potentially contaminated surface (the side exposed to animals and dander) is facing inward. 
• Place the folded coat directly into a sealable plastic bag (like a heavy-duty Ziploc) or a designated transport container. 
• Wash or sanitize hands.
• Never carry the bare coat in your hands, under your arm, or out in the open hallway. 
• Utilize designated service elevators and hallways whenever possible, keeping your enclosed coat secure during transit.