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.

Kim Hunter

PPE Coordinator
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Lab Safety (Gloves, Lab Coats, Goggles)
Shop Safety (Gloves, Face Shields, N95 Masks, Respirators)
COVID-19: Face Coverings

Laser Shutdown & Safety Day - November 9, 2022

October 28, 2022
The following message was sent to Laser Use Principal Investigators (PIs) on October 28, 2022. Laser Free Day - November 9, 2022 After nearly 20 years without any reported laser injuries and only a few laser incidents on the Berkeley campus, there have been 5 laser exposure incidents within the past 15 months. One incident led to minor, but permanent, retinal damage in a student. For each incident, there were violations of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and/or failure to adhere to campus regulations on laser use.

In response to this uptick, I am...

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...

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...

Jim Baugh

Associate EH&S Director, Director of Research Safety
Research Safety
Chemical Safety
Biosafety, BUA
Controlled Substances
Lab Safety

Radiation, LSC cocktail

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2004

Environment, Health, & Safety – Radiation Protection
Using LSC Cocktail

One Glove Policy

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2021
Do not use gloves to touch common surfaces (elevator buttons, door handles, card swipes, etc.) Only ONE GLOVE may be used to transport chemicals and samples through common areas. Use of one glove prevents chemical contamination in common areas.

Sophia Laskaris

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

Discovery of an Old Container of Potentially Explosive Chemical

June 30, 2008
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
What Happened?

While working in a UC Berkeley laboratory, a graduate student discovered the presence of an old experimental set-up, which was labeled as containing a small amount of hydrazoic acid, in a shared cold room with no responsible contact person. This material is a potentially explosive chemical under certain circumstances, so the student referred the set-up to the Department Safety Coordinator (DSC). The DSC requested the assistance of EH&S who recommended that the set-up be disposed of by an explosives material contractor because very little was known about the source...

Explosion of Concentrated Hydrofluoric Acid Waste Solution

June 30, 2008
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
What Happened?

A graduate student in a UC Berkeley laboratory discovered the aftermath of a chemical explosion upon arrival at the laboratory he shares with other graduate students. The extensive contamination was caused by the explosive rupture of a plastic bottle of liquid waste kept inside the hood. According to the container label, one of the components inside the ruptured bottle was hydrofluoric acid. The investigation revealed that an incompatible material may have been poured into the same container causing the reaction and resulting explosion. The hood, floor and walls near...