Good afternoon:

As an older male chemistry professor, I deal with this every semester at
some point, both male and female. Presumably you have a lab dress code
that is part of your lab safety policy that students are made aware of
on the first day of every lab course. It then becomes a simple matter
of saying something like "I notice you're not dressed correctly for lab
today. Please go change." I've never had a student (female or male)
argue with me about it or refuse to go change, but if they did, I'd just
point to the policy and say it's a nonnegotiable safety requirement.

I'm more curious why your faculty are having trouble enforcing the
policy. Would they have trouble enforcing goggles, for example? Lab
appropriate clothing is another form of PPE, so why are they struggling
with that? If they are afraid of getting poor evaluations or there is
no administrative support to enforce safety, you have bigger problems.

Mark
Long time CH&S member and listserv lurker

----------

Mark Sinton, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Dorothy Taylor Chair in Chemistry
University Science Center Instrument and Equipment Manager
Department of Natural and Applied Sciences
University of Dubuque
2000 University Ave.
Dubuque, IA 52001

Office Phone: (563) 589-3153

------ Original Message ------
From: "CHAS membership" <membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org>
To: "DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU" <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**princeton.edu>
Sent: 3/10/2022 3:17:43 PM
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Advice about laboratory attire

>From: Wendy L Hom <Wendy.L.Hom**At_Symbol_Here**hofstra.edu>
>Re: Advice about laboratory attire
>
>We had less of this before the pandemic but since coming back, there are students that have not been wearing appropriate lab attire and it has been challenging trying to get the instructors to enforce this. I was told by another female colleague that some male colleagues find it awkward to tell young ladies that they need to cover up as it goes against the societal rule that older men should not comment on the bodies of young women.
>
>They know and we all know that it is important for safety and we have this in the lab safety guide that all students review and attest to, and we have posted signs on the outside of the lab doors.
>
>Does the group have any advice or suggestions to address this? I always thought it was entirely appropriate to tell someone that they were not wearing appropriate attire for the lab and they could not continue since it was not directly commenting on one's body.
>
>Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!
>
>--
>
>Without Wax,
>Wendy Hom
>
>Department of Chemistry Laboratory Director
>Environmental Health & Safety Officer
>319 Berliner Hall
>151 Hofstra University
>Hempstead, NY 11549
>(516) 463-5541
>Wendy.L.Hom**At_Symbol_Here**hofstra.edu
>
>---
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