Lab safety, PPE, and cadaver protocols.
What to wear, how to behave, and what to do if something goes wrong. Read before your first lab. Specific lab locations (eyewash, spill kit, evacuation route) are walked through together on the first day of class.
The donors trust us to protect their dignity.
We work with cadaveric human donors under a legal agreement with UCSF's body donation program. Every protocol on this page exists for two reasons: to protect you, and to honor the people who gave their bodies to your education.
Read the Digital Device Policy in full before your first lab session. It is signed before you are allowed into the lab.
What to wear, every lab.
- Non-latex nitrile gloves. Required any time you are working with cadaveric material, prosected specimens, or anatomical models. Share a box with your group to reduce cost.
- Lab coat (required). Stored in the lab through the end of the term. Cannot be shared with chemistry; bring your own.
- Closed-toe shoes. Required in all lab sessions. No sandals, no open-toed footwear.
- Hair tied back if long enough to fall forward when leaning over a specimen.
The standard in this room.
- No food, drink, or gum in the lab. Eat outside before or after.
- No phones, cameras, smart watches, AI glasses, or recording devices. See the Digital Device Policy for the full rules.
- Treat every specimen with respect. No nicknames, no jokes, no commentary that would distress a family member who walked in.
- Keep the work area clean. Replace covers, return tools to their stations, wipe down surfaces before leaving.
- Stay with your team. Do not move between stations without checking with the instructor.
If something goes wrong, here's what to do.
The specific locations of every safety resource in our lab will be walked through together on the first day of class. Pay attention during that tour. You are responsible for knowing where each one is from day one onward.
What to learn on day one
- Eyewash station and emergency shower
- Spill kit
- Sharps disposal container at every workstation
- Biohazard waste container
- Fire extinguisher and primary evacuation route
- Class assembly point outside the building
If you cut yourself, get stuck, or have a fluid exposure
Tell the instructor immediately. Wash the area with soap and water for 15 minutes (eyes: use the eyewash station). The instructor will walk you through the campus exposure protocol.
If there is a spill
Step back, alert the instructor, and do not attempt to clean cadaveric or biohazard spills yourself. The instructor will get the spill kit and direct cleanup.
If there is a fire or evacuation alarm
Exit via the route we walked on day one. Meet your team at the assembly point. Do not stop to collect belongings.
Where they go, every time.
- Scalpels, needles, and any other sharps go directly into the labeled sharps container at the work station. Do not leave them on the table or in the trash.
- Used gloves, gauze, and other biohazard materials go into the red biohazard bag, not the regular trash.
- Anatomical tissue scraps are returned to the specimen tray, not discarded.
Pick up your PPE this week.
Lab coat, nitrile gloves, closed-toe shoes. Order during week 1 or 2. You must have your own before week 3.
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