September 25, 2013
(VPF Statement - September 2013)
To aid the MIT community with lab coat services, VPF Procurement and the Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) Office have selected two lab coat preferred vendors, Cintas and North Star Rental Systems. These two preferred vendors provide rentals, sales, and laundering of new and existing lab coats. Both companies have experience serving labs of various sizes to set up and manage lab coat services. See the VPF website for Lab Coat Services to get started.
As a reminder, lab coats are a required layer of protection from hazardous chemicals, unsealed radioactive materials, and biological agents in labs. Learn more about lab coat protection at MIT on the EHS website.
Lab coats are made of different materials, and it is important to select a coat or coats of appropriate material for the types of hazards in the lab. The first step in this selection process is to determine the types of hazards that exist in your lab and the reasons for the lab coats. The PPE hazard assessment is used for assessing the lab's requirements for personal protective equipment.
The total cost for lab coat services will depend on multiple factors, including whether you rent or buy your coats, how often you have the laundry company wash dirty coats, the type of coat you want, the number of coats per person you have, and any add-ons such as custom embroidery. Price lists for both Cintas and North Star can be found on the SmartBuy pages for lab coat services. Both vendors can also work with you to generate an estimate of the monthly cost for the various options.
Cintas and North Star have been chosen as having the best combination of price and quality service.
For more information, please see the lab coat services FAQs. For EHS questions, please contact environment@mit.edu.