Piercing Insights: Uncovering the Gaps in Guidance for Body Jewelry in Biological Laboratories

Body piercings in laboratory environments have received limited attention in biosafety literature despite their increasing prevalence in the workforce. The purpose of this review is to compile and collate the current recommendations, practices, and literature on wearing body piercings in and out of biological laboratories, thereby providing a clearer understanding of the topic, supporting biosafety professionals in developing informed institutional policies, and identifying gaps for future applied biosafety research.

Online literature reviews were performed, encompassing both domestic (U.S.) and international biosafety guidance documents, publicly available domestic institutional biosafety manuals, fomite transmission research, and reports on body piercing and jewelry-related laboratory incidents.

Biosafety documents and regulations vary widely, from requiring the removal of all jewelry and other personal effects before entry into laboratories to not addressing the issue at all. Specific guidance for body piercing jewelry was absent, although general statements about nonpiercing jewelry and personal effects such as rings and watches were occasionally present. The primary concerns cited were the potential for jewelry to interfere with personal protective equipment fit or function and challenges regarding personal decontamination.

There is a lack of evidence-based policies guiding practices for wearing body piercings (and other personal effects) in and out of laboratories as well as insufficient quantifiable data published that would be needed to inform the development of such policies.