Lab Safety

Providing support, in the form of risk assessment, review, consultation(link sends e-mail), training, and the necessary resources and guidance for research at UC Berkeley.

Freezer

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2003

Storing Flammable Liquids in Refrigerators and Freezers

Flammable material refrigerators and freezers are designed to prevent ignition of flammable vapors inside the storage compartment and should be purchased whenever a refrigerator is needed to store flammable liquid. A flammable liquid is defined by the fire code as having a flash point of less than 100 ˚F (38˚C).

Storing Flammable Liquids in Refrigerators and Freezers, Fact Sheet

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.

UC Berkeley Toxic, Corrosive and Pyrophoric (TCP) Gas Program Document

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2021

UC Berkeley has a Toxic, Corrosive and Pyrophoric (TCP) Gas Program that specifies minimum requirements for safe storage, use, and handling of Toxic, Corrosive and Pyrophoric (TCP) gases on campus. The Office of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) coordinates this program by performing evaluations of toxic, corrosive and pyrophoric gas usage and offering technical advice on the requirements of the program.

Dispose of Waste

Master list of waste types is displayed below. Note: If you cannot find the item that you are trying to get rid of in this list, please contact EH&S at ehs@berkeley.edu or (510) 642-3073. collapse all expand all Aerosol Cans

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New Chemical Inventory Requirements

July 12, 2024
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety

Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S) is in the process of tagging all chemicals in all buildings on campus in response to new chemical inventory requirements issued by the UC Office of the President (also see MAQ project page).

Town Halls: Introduction to chemical tagging

EH&S is hotsting virtual town halls throughout the month of July to...

Laser Safety

Ensuring the safe use of lasers, laser systems, and non-ionizing radiation sources. How Do I: collapse all expand all Get authorized to use a laser? Please go to the UC Learning Center and enroll in the course titled EHS 301 - Laser Safety. If you have questions, contact us at ehstrain@berkeley....

UC Berkeley Mold Awareness and Guidance

Overview

Mold is a type of fungus that can produce spores which are released into the air. Mold can be found everywhere and can be detected year-round, both indoors and outdoors. Persistent warm and humid conditions promote mold growth. Exposure to damp and moldy environments may cause a variety of health effects, or none at all. For people who are sensitive to mold, exposure can cause nasal stuffiness, throat irritation, coughing or wheezing, eye irritation, and in some cases, skin irritation.

No matter what type of mold is present it should be removed.

Please...

Plastic Secondary Container Shatters Due to Dry Ice Sublimation

May 28, 2019
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
What happened?

A researcher packaged a microgram crystalline sample with dry ice to ensure sample integrity. The crystalline sample was first placed inside a glass vial, which was subsequently housed inside a plastic secondary container with a screw cap. The researcher placed dry ice around the glass vial inside the secondary container before loosely capping the top to vent.

When it came time to take out the glass vial, the researcher found that the secondary container was stuck, even though the cap was originally loosely screwed.

The researcher recruited the help of a staff...

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Laser Template

Lasers-Class 3B or 4
Standard Operating Procedure

This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlines requirements to be considered by an authorized user of the Type of Laser(s) or experiment as well as describes the normal operation of the laser and any hazards that may be encountered during normal operation. Finally, the SOP explains how to minimize any hazards and how to respond in an emergency situation. This document is to be reviewed one year from the date of approval or as conditions warrant, whichever is the shorter time period.

Lab Inspections

Lab Safety General Lab Safety Inspection Program

EH&S safety professionals inspect research labs with hazardous materials, hazardous operations, or biological materials. During inspections, EH&S safety professionals help researchers stay up to date on current safety requirements by providing consultations, support, and resources. Example inspection topics include, but are not limited to: training, chemical...