News

Derek Apodaca has been the Safety Manager and Health and Safety Officer for the Division of Biological Sciences for the last 14 years. He shared what it’s like to have a front-row seat on world-changing research… and why safe science is good science.

What happened?

Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) is preparing the 2026 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 nanoscale materials 

Alicia Bihler stepped into the role of Executive Director of EH&S on July 1, 2025. Since 2023, she has led the department as Acting Director, guiding EH&S through a period of sustained focus on campus safety, regulatory compliance, and emergency preparedness.

After nearly two years of effort, the campus-wide chemical inventory tagging project is wrapping up—and the results are remarkable. Since February 2024, our partners at Triumvirate Environmental have visited almost every lab and hazardous materials area on campus, placing barcode tags on chemical containers and logging them into the RSS Chemicals database. In total, the team has tagged more than 200,000 containers, creating one of the most comprehensive chemical inventories UC Berkeley has ever had.

The following message is meant for labs:

Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) will be performing audits of groups on campus with chemical inventories to check for chemical inventory accuracy. Maintaining chemical inventories to at least 90% accuracy is a prerequisite to UC Systemwide MAQ compliance

The following messaging is meant for Department Safety Coordinators: 

Unhealthy air quality associated with wildfire smoke poses health risks, particularly for those who work outdoors or have outdoor activities planned. Ensuring the safety and well-being of the campus community is a top priority for Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S). As a proactive measure, departments and employees are encouraged to prepare by taking the following actions.

• Stay Informed 

When Alan Bolind walks into a lab, he’s not just inspecting equipment — he’s laying the foundation for a safer research environment. As a lab safety specialist (LSS) for UC Berkeley’s Office of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S), Bolind works closely with department safety coordinators (DSCs), like Amin Jazaeri, to ensure that safety isn’t just a checklist item, but a shared culture.

This message was sent as a Calmessage to all faculty and staff by the Vice Chancellor for Research and Vice Chancellor for Administration. 

Dear colleagues,

Following a nationwide search, we are pleased to announce that Alicia Bihler will assume the role of Executive Director within UC Berkeley’s Office of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S), effectiveJuly 1, 2025.

What Are Sharps? 

Sharps are any items with pointed edges or projections capable of cutting, puncturing, or piercing the skin. Common examples include:

• Hypodermic needles

• Syringes with attached needles or tubing

• Razor blades, scalpels, and X-Acto® knives

• Glass Pasteur pipettes

• Broken glass items

The campus Ergonomics program is a faculty and staff support unit part of the Be Well at Work program under University Health Services. They provide assistance to departments to guide ergonomic improvement for campus faculty and staff work environments to prevent and address repetitive strain injury.

Please review the following personal protective equipment (PPE) reminders and share this information with lab members.

Get a bulk replacement of clean coats

EH&S is now offering bulk lab coat replacements. This time of the year is a good time to exchange your lab coat for a clean one, even if there are no visible stains or spillage on it.