How Do I:
Store chemicals safely?
The safe storage of hazardous chemicals is an essential part of an environmental, health, and safety program. Chemical storage facilities must meet certain minimum standards to satisfy diverse regulations, such as those of Cal/OSHA, the local sanitary district, and the California Fire Code.
See Safe Storage of Hazardous Chemicals Guide to learn more.
Get my lab coat, safety glasses or splash goggles?
1. Get added to your lab’s roster on Labs @ Berkeley (L@B).
- Ask a member of your group to add you to the lab roster.
- Instructions for using L@B
2. Acknowledge the hazards in your lab using Lab Hazard Assessment Tool (LHAT).
Log in to LHAT using your CalNet credentials. In the ‘Action Items’ section, select ‘Review and Acknowledge Laboratory Hazard Assessment’ for the appropriate hazard assessment and complete the following:
3. Schedule an appointment.
See detailed instructions and learn more about Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Know what training I need?
All employees are required to take "Workplace Health and Safety Program" training. Use this link to take the training at the UC Learning Center:
Workplace Health and Safety Program Awareness Training
Training related to specific workplace, department, and/or job tasks may also be required. Supervisors may use the Safety Training And Records Tool (START) to create required safety training profiles for direct reports.
Use this link to access the START Program and your required training profile: Safety Training And Records Tool (START)
- You can read more about START and access tutorials here.
- If you do not yet have a START training profile, please ask your supervisor to complete the START assessment on your behalf.
- You may also visit the Required Safety and Compliance Training for Researchers website to determine what is generally required for job tasks.
Visit the EH&S Training to learn more.
Know the hazards of a chemical?
Safety data sheets (SDS) are the best source of information regarding the hazards, emergency response, and protective measures for any hazardous material.
See the Safety Data Sheets page to learn more.
Dispose of chemicals?
Use the Hazardous Waste Program (HWP) application to dispose of chemical waste.
For additional information, visit the Manage Waste page.
Ship my research (hazardous materials)?
All materials regulated in transportation must be shipped by an individual trained and certified by UC Berkeley EH&S Specialist to meet the requirements of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Hazardous Materials Requirements and the International Civil Aviation Technical Instructions on identifying, marking, labeling, documenting and offering the material to a registered transport carrier. Oftentimes materials that can be handled safely in a laboratory are deemed regulated materials in transportation.
An EH&S Hazardous Materials Shipping Specialist will follow up with your submitted request within 48 hours.
All requests must be completed with a valid chart string.
For the safety of your shipment and research, it is highly recommended that the shipments are coordinated on Monday–Wednesday with EH&S to allow proper delivery of materials prior to the weekend.
See shipping research guide to learn more.
Do I change my PPE if I move labs?
The lab roster for your new lab must first be updated in Labs @ Berkeley (L@B) roster tool. If the new LHAT indicates that additional materials are required, you will need to schedule a fitting for those materials.
