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.

Campus Committees

Certain high-hazard activities and equipment require additional safety training and written pre-approval. Faculty-led committees issue use authorizations for high hazard activities to ensure the work is safe and monitored appropriately. These include:

collapse all expand all Laboratory Operations & Safety Committee

Summary of Charges

The campus Laboratory Operations...

Ingrid Castro Rodriguez

Health & Safety Manager
Health & Safety
Controlled Substances
Administration

Resources and Guides

Job Safety Analysis (JSA)

A JSA describes job tasks in step-by-step fashion, identifies associated hazards at each step, and outlines proper hazard controls that minimize the risk of injury or illness to the individual(s) performing that task.

JSAs Listed by Topic: Body Mechanics ...

Reminder: Food and Drink in Laboratories

January 25, 2024
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety

The beginning of the year is the perfect time to review the following key points to help prevent contamination of food and beverages.

Food and beverages are NOT allowed to be stored or consumed in laboratories or other rooms that use or store hazardous materials (e.g., hazardous chemicals, biological hazards, unsealed radioactive materials, research animals, and/or human blood or tissues). Whenever feasible, break rooms or separate office space(s) should be made available for food and beverage consumption. Protect Clean Areas from contamination: Consistent with building,...

Preventing Gas Cylinder Leaks

January 9, 2024
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety

Leaking cylinders can pose serious hazards, including: oxygen displacement, release of toxic or other hazardous gas, and/or fire/explosion due to flammable or reactive gas release. If your lab works with compressed gas, please be aware that older cylinders are prone to leaking at the valve.

What to do

Please follow the precautions below to prevent gas cylinder leaks:

Remove or replace cylinders that are 10 years or older. Remove cylinders that are no longer in use. Most are returnable to the vendors (Linde, Airgas) with no charge. Check cylinders, regulators, piping, and valves...

Coming Soon: New BUA Process

December 12, 2023
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
Information for Biological Use Authorization (BUA) holders

We are modernizing the Biological Use Authorization (BUA) submission process by moving to the online UC Risk & Safety Solutions software system (“RSS BUA”).

RSS BUA improves the BUA submission process Easily add or remove information – for amendments or renewals. Easily address reviewer comments and questions found within the application. What to expect The biosafety team will transfer data from your BUA document into RSS BUA...

Important lab coat reminders

December 7, 2023
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
EH&S needs your extra lab coats!

When researchers leave the lab or the university, many lab coats are left behind and remain unused. This occupies valuable space and prevents EH&S from reissuing coats.

1. Return Surplus Lab Coats.

To sustain our campus-funded lab coat program, please return any surplus coats by following the instructions.

2. New lab coat laundry process

EH&S launched a new lab coat laundry process earlier this semester. Please...

Reminder: Complete lab safety self-inspections

September 14, 2024
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
Important Reminder for Principal Investigators and Laboratory Safety Coordinators Complete a self-inspection

Submit your self-inspection online through Inspect, an RSS web application.

Review the instructions on how to conduct a self-inspection...

Lab Decommissioning

Lab Equipment Decontamination Protocol Departments must identify equipment desired for release by creating a list for Equipment Management (contact: betshelp@berkeley.edu). Department equipment listings must provide a BETS #, Serial #, building and room number of the equipment intended for release. Departments must also include: equipment history, associated chemical use, biological use or radiation use authorizations - where applicable. Verify and update equipment building, room and description to...

Nanoscale Materials Information Form

January 23, 2024

Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) is preparing the 2024 Manufactured Nanoscale Materials Disclosure for the City of Berkeley.

If you use nanoscale materials in your lab, and

a. you have never filled out the Nanoscale Materials Information Form,

or,

b. you have begun using new nanoscale materials, or a new class of materials, in your lab,

Please...