Biological Safety

Providing support, in the form of risk assessment, review, consultation and training, for research at UC Berkeley that involves the use of recombinant DNA, biohazardous materials and biological toxins.

Waste Disposal

The Office of Environment, Health & Safety maintains a Hazardous Waste Program (HWP) to develop hazard waste disposal procedures, provide orientation to campus personnel, monitor departmental hazardous waste operations, receive departmental waste and dispose of the waste, and evaluate all hazardous waste disposal activities.

Laren Lofchy

Assistant Biosafety Officer
Biosafety
BUA
Lab Safety

Sophia Laskaris

Assistant Biosafety Officer / Controlled Substances Program Administrator
Biosafety
Lab Safety
Controlled Substances

Biological Safety

Providing support, in the form of risk assessment, review, consultation and training, for research at UC Berkeley that involves the use of recombinant DNA, biohazardous materials and biological toxins.

Biosafety How Do I: collapse all expand all...

Biological Safety Program Manual

2026

UC Berkeley is committed to maintaining a healthy and safe workplace for all laboratory workers, students and visitors. This manual is an overview of the administrative steps necessary to obtain and maintain approval for the use of biological materials in laboratories, as well as a reference for good work practices and safe handling of other potentially infectious materials (OPIM).

Biological Spill Kits

EH&S will provide one biological spill kit to each lab with an approved Biological Use Authorization (BUA). This kit contains the supplies needed to safely clean up small spills of biological materials. Bleach or other disinfectants must be made fresh in the event of a spill.

Biosafety Comprehensive Training Documentation

2023

Attentation of biosafety training and requirements

Formaldehyde: Hazards and Precautions

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2026

Training

The EH&S training team creates, delivers, and tracks health, safety, and environmental training for all faculty, staff, and students.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Labs

A standard operating procedure (SOP) is a set of instructions for performing experiments or processes that involve hazards (chemical, physical, biological, radiation). SOPs are lab-specific and include documentation of the people who have received training for that procedure.

New students and employees working in your lab should be provided with hands-on training for hazardous materials and operations that are covered by the SOPs for your lab.

SOPs by Hazard Type Chemicals & General Lab Safety

Written SOPs are required for all hazardous operations/activities. A library of...