Office of Environment, Health & Safety

Please contact the EH&S Construction Specialist at ehs-ep@berkeley.edu or (510) 642-3073.

EH&S offers environmental and occupational safety (CalOSHA) consultation and project assessments free of charge to campus project managers. If analytical testing or other services are required by your project that incur a cost to EH&S, a chartstring and EH&S Recharge account will be needed from your project.

Contact the Construction Coordinator at ehs@berkeley.edu to request a project assessment or inspection.

Typical environmental services and inspections for construction include:

• Project planning and consultation regarding environmental compliance within building design and equipment selection.
• Sampling soil or building materials for hazardous materials screening.
• Disposal of shop and chemical wastes or equipment.
• Stormwater monitoring.

Cal-OSHA requirements can be met in a variety of ways and should include EH&S’ Safety Engineer. Safety codes can be vague at times, but may greatly impact how buildings should be designed. Contact EH&S in advance for assistance in building design to meet Cal-OSHA requirements.

Most common Cal-OSHA violations and building design issues revolve around:

• Ladders and maintenance access
• Window washing
• Fall protection
• Lock-out, Tag-out (Energy Controls)
• Confined spaces
• Elevators

Building work areas that may include some of these elements can be challenging to maintain by the end-user and can be simplified with the right advice.

EH&S can also help you come up with a compliance checklist that is specific to your project needs.

Environmental permits depend on the design, activity and size of the project as well as the disturbance that will occur to: soil, air water or spaces and buildings.

Some construction work has environmental compliance elements that are not part of a permitting process, but rather a documentation process involving some due diligence.

Common Environmental Permits

Examples of permits required before performing work are:

Other Owner Obligations

Examples of owner obligations that do not require a permit, but are covered under federal law and applicable to any party who may potentially claim protection from Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) liability as an innocent landowner, a bona fide prospective purchaser, or a contiguous property owner:

• Environmental site assessments
• Hazardous materials building surveys
• Excavation & soil off-haul/import
• Proper characterization of waste

Regulatory Guide for Construction Managers

EH&S created the Regulatory Guide for Construction Managers as a screening tool for building changes and construction that may have environmental, health and safety exposure impacts or agency requirements beyond fire marshal requirements.

Review the Guide and contact the EH&S construction coordinator at (510) 642-3073 or ehs-ep@berkeley.edu to help you summarize compliance requirements specific to your project needs.

To schedule a fire and life safety construction inspection:

• For New Construction and Renovation Projects
  • Visit the Facilities Services Inspections page and complete the inspection request form. Make sure you select "Fire Marshal" from "Inspection Authority" on the third page.
• Purchased or Leased Spaces
  • Prior to purchase or entering into a lease agreement of space for use by UC employees, contact the Campus Fire Marshal for inspection.

If you have any questions, please contact the Fire Prevention Division at fireprevention@berkeley.edu or (510) 642-3073.

Resources

• EHS Water Discharge Regulations/Guidelines
• Information Sheet: Bulletin Boards
• Fact Sheet: Space Heaters in University Buildings
• Fact Sheet: Extension Cords and Surge Protectors
• Self-Inspection Checklist