• Question: do you have to wear protective gear so you dont catch the disease

    Asked by diggerlack to Rory on 12 Mar 2014. This question was also asked by miriamirwin.
    • Photo: Rory Miles

      Rory Miles answered on 12 Mar 2014:

      Yes, this is a very important part of my job. On the door of all of the labs we have guidance as to what we should be wearing to protect ourselves. Usually this is a lab coat and gloves. Using these I protect my clothes and hands if I were to spill anything. It also helps to prevent me from spreading anything I’ve been working with around the building. Some microbes are considered too dangerous to work with in a normal lab, so work with them must be done in a different lab (we call these high containment). With this, all the work just be done within cabinets (a box with vents), using large gloves that reach into it. This reduces the risk of getting infected even more. I have lots of training in working safely and it is very uncommon for anyone to get infected from their work. Being sasfe while doing your work is a very important part of being a scientist.

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