I'm at a mid-size pharma with only research and development labs on site.  Having grown up from a garage biotech, some habits were brought in and established from academia.  The result is a fight to have the kind of clear "our way or the highway" approach that large industrial manufacturing and R&D labs have (like where I started at Kodak).  

I have succeeded in getting agreement on a policy that is remarkably well accepted even by biologists: 

"1.5.	Footwear worn during lab operations should cover the entire foot and give solid support allowing for quick movement if needed.  Sandals, open-toed shoes or open-heeled shoes, or shoes without firm footing are not allowed while working in a laboratory.  "

As others have noted, the issue in R&D is going to be an acute protection issue, so we allow but don't encourage running shoes, etc.  We are in earthquake country, so the need to move quickly wasn't hard to explain.  At the time of implementation a few years ago, there was a great tendency by women and some men to wear clogs or related shoes more or less on platforms.  Thus we required the "move quickly" part and the "closed heel" part. Often the clogs had non-absorbing coverings (compared to tennis shoes) but it was too easy for the foot to come out.

As anywhere, it is the willingness of a manager or faculty to enforce that makes all the difference.

Lee

-----Original Message-----
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU]On Behalf Of
MaryBeth Koza
Sent: Friday, February 29, 2008 7:51 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Shoes in Lab

Here is our policy

·                     Open toe, high heel, open weave shoes, or cloth 
shoes must not be worn when working in a laboratory.


Murphy, Dr. Ruth Ann wrote:

>Hello,
>
> 
>
>I would appreciate learning your requirements for shoes in lab.   Tennis
>shoes, etc., while they cover the foot, offer little protection against
>spills.  Thank you for any information you might wish to share.
>
> 
>
>Best,
>
> 
>
>Ruth Ann
>
> 
>
>Ruth Ann Murphy, Ph.D. 
>Professor of Chemistry
>
>Chair, Department of Chemistry, Environmental Science and Geology
>The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor 
>900 College Street 
>Belton, TX  76513-2599 
>Phone (254) 295-4542 
>Fax (254) 295-4237 
>
> 
>  
>

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