Technicians Favor Colored Lab Coats

Lab coats play an important role in medical and scientific laboratories. Since white lab coats have come to be associated with doctors, many workers in other specialties have begun to favor colored lab coats.

Lab coats are essential in many scientific and medical fields. They protect the workers' street clothes and sometimes their skin as well from biological or chemical spills. Originally used by doctors to protect their clothes from blood and other bodily fluids, this protective garb is used widely today in many scientific fields. Among those who wear lab coats regularly are doctors, nurses, pharmacists and various other health care professionals; veterinarians and their assistants; technicians in all kinds of laboratories, along with scientists, chemists and electronics technicians, among others.

Because of the prestige associated with the traditional white, knee-length lab coat, doctors can tend to prefer that garment to colored lab coats. Some hospitals restrict the use of long lab coats to senior medical staff, to distinguish them from residents and interns. The latter doctors-in-training usually wear blazer-style lab coats known as "consultation jackets."

Other medical and scientific workers, especially those who work daily in laboratories, have opted for colored coats for many reasons. Colored lab coats distinguish other workers from senior doctors or scientists, giving them a separate identity. As with the children mentioned above, medical workers in colored lab coats tend to encounter less anxiety among patients, such as when it's necessary to take a blood sample.

However, the primary reason to wear a lab coat of any color remains protection. For instance, certain lab technicians or nurses in certain specialties may wear lab coats that have knitted cuffs on the sleeves. This style is design to make the sleeve fit snugly around the wrist, so it doesn't get caught in equipment or drag through a biological sample.

Lab coat styles vary when it comes to pockets although most versions have two large patch pockets and a small breast pocket. The pockets may be designed to hold pens upright so they can be easily accessed.

What's more, lab coats are designed to be stripped off quickly if something hazardous spills on them. Longer coats typically have snaps or buttons, while shorter jackets tend to have zippers.

Lab coats come in several colors, including light blue, green, navy, gray, beige and even burgundy. Styles of colored lab coats include the traditional knee-length coat, a shorter length, a blazer-style jacket and even a sleeveless lab vest that's become popular. Unisex coats are common, but senior scientific and medical professions often prefer lab coats that are more fitted.

Yes, colored lab coats offer a happy marriage of protection and style for medical and scientific professionals.