Assessment and Inspection Management System
Manage lab safety inspections, personal protective equipment (PPE) assessments, and radiation-related materials and activities
Personal Protective Equipment
Summary
How to choose and wear personal protective equipment (PPE).
Who is this for?
- Building and operations management.
- Lab and research staff, including Principal Investigators (PI) and conservation, research, and teaching labs.
Personal protective equipment at Harvard
Wearing the right PPE lowers your risk of injury and illness.
- Use PPE when you cannot eliminate hazards by other methods.
- Follow all regulatory and Harvard policy PPE requirements for specific processes and materials.
- Protect yourself and others by properly choosing, caring for, and using PPE.
Lab personal protective equipment
Lab and research staff must use appropriate PPE to stay safe during lab work.
Use PPE like gloves, lab coats, and safety glasses to supplement your lab’s safety equipment and protocols.
PIs or their designees must follow Harvard’s PPE policy for labs by:
- Regularly assessing your lab’s PPE needs.
- Ensuring PPE is readily available in your lab and that all staff members use it properly.
Use the Assessment and Inspection Management System (AIMS) to manage lab PPE assessments.
Avoid wearing gloves outside your lab.
Never let gloves touch any surface outside your lab, including common surfaces like:
- Card swipes.
- Door handles or elevator buttons.
- Phones.
- Water fountains.
Follow instructions for transporting research materials while wearing gloves.
Related resources
Find documents and online tools to manage PPE.
Biosafety Manual
Safety guidance, policies, and procedures for work with biological materials
Chemical Hygiene Plan
Chemical safety requirements and guidelines for labs, including lab chemical standard operating procedures (SOP)
Clean (No Gloves) Labels
Printable clean (no gloves) labels
Construction EHS Exhibit: Personal Protective Equipment
Construction personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements
Lab Coat Required Label
Printable label to identify spaces with lab coat requirements
Lab Glove Selection
Choose gloves for skin protection skin against chemical contact hazards in labs
Lab Gloves Required Labels
Printable lab gloves required labels
Lab Personal Protective Equipment Policy
Personal protective equipment (PPE) policy for research, teaching, and conservation labs
Laser Safety Manual
Safety policies and procedures for lasers and laser instruments
Personal Protective Equipment Hazard Assessment Form
Form to conduct a personal protective equipment (PPE) hazard assessment
Personal Protective Equipment Program Template
Template to create a personal protective equipment (PPE) program
Radiation Safety Manual
Safety policies and procedures for radiation, radioactive materials, and radiation generating devices
Respirator Evaluations and Requests
Evaluate if you need a respirator for certain work activities
Respiratory Protection Medical Evaluation Form (HMS Students)
Form for HMS student respirator fit-testing
Respiratory Protection Medical Evaluation Form (Staff)
Form for Harvard staff respirator-fit testing
EHS support
Contact EHS for more information about general PPE, including:
- Respiratory protection and respirator voluntary use form.
Contact lab_safety@harvard.edu for more information about PPE in labs, including:
- Choosing PPE by task, activity, or PPE type.
- Lab glove posters.
- Support for schools and labs implementing the lab PPE policy.