Ladies in Lab Coats

The first science themed topic is lab coats!  Now, I don't want to talk about how lab coats are unflattering or why they aren't available in a variety of colors.  A lab coat is supposed to serve a purpose: to keep you safe.  I don't need a sparkly pink lab coat to keep me safe.

I've been working in labs for around 10 years.  At first they were labs in academia followed by labs in industry.  I have had a hard time finding properly fitting lab coats the whole time.  I think all of the labs that I have worked in hire a company to supply and launder the lab coats.  And these lab coats all seem to be very thin, generally very cheap feeling, and designed for a man that is 6 ft tall.  I even worked somewhere that thought it was a good idea to use lab coats with pockets on the INSIDE of the coat ( I would have remove my gloves, unbutton my coat, and reach into the coat every time I needed a pen.)

I have a problem that many ladies have: big boobs.  I've been various sizes over the years, but my lab coat size hasn't changed (L or XL,) because my boobs have always been big and I will always be 5'2".  In order for me to find a lab coat that actually buttons comfortably, I end up swimming in a lab coat that extends to mid calf and sleeves that extend several inches past my finger tips.  Depending on the style of the lab coat there may also be a neck closure that doesn't button until a few inches above my belly button.

In my day to day bench work, I generally use a variety of chemicals that I don't really want to come in contact with my skin.  If my sleeves are constantly falling down, there is a very good chance I'm going to knock something over causing a spill.  If my lab coat is excessively long, there is a good chance it's going to get caught on something (a drawer, my chair, the flammable cabinet, etc.) which could result in several negative outcomes.  If my coat doesn't button all the way up, I should probably avoid wearing v-neck or lower neck line shirts to work, because something could fall into/on the aforementioned big boobs.  And if I have chemicals on my gloves, I would never want to reach inside of the lab coat to possibly contaminate my clothes or worse my skin.

Now, according to the National Science Foundation women have earned half or more of all science and engineering bachelors degrees since the late 1990's (link to the statistics here.)  I've also noticed that most industry labs that employ newly graduated undergraduates are usually full of women (this is just a personal observation, no statistics to show for this.)  So it's not like there aren't a lot of women that need lab coats, there are a lot!

Luckily, I now work in a small lab that let me pick out my own style of lab coat.  We still use a service, but all of the lab coats cost the same fee.  So I have a different style than what the boys use.  My sleeves have elastic around the cuffs to handle the long sleeve situation, and it snaps up all the way up to my neck.  And I'm very happy that the pockets are all on the OUTSIDE of the lab coat.  The coat is very long, but I feel like the positives outweigh the negatives overall.

So, here are my final thoughts about the lab coat situation:

• Lab coat manufacturers should offer 2 styles of each lab coat.  Perhaps a petite version and a standard version.  If offered, labs should stock both versions depending on their workforce demographic.  And if there is only 1 lady, please at least give her the option to work in the safest option for her.
• Not all lab coats are good for all kinds of lab work.  A lab coat that works for a sterile GMP drug manufacturing lab may not be ideal for an analytical chemistry lab.  Some situations call for a lab coat that protects its user, while some situations call for a lab coat that protect the experiment/test subject from the user.  
• Buttons vs snaps.  If you spill something on yourself and you need to take that lab coat off quickly, snaps are vastly superior to buttons.
• Re-evaluate your needs every few years.  Ask your employees what works and what doesn't work.  The cheapest option is not always the safest option for everyone.  And have several different people try it on before you make a final decision!

Are there any lab coat features you can't live without? Or features that drive you crazy? Let me know in the comments! Also, any negative comments about my boobs will be deleted...this is a safe space after all.