News

The ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety will be hosting their RAMP in the Research Lab workshop on Wednesda

It’s summertime and warmer temperatures are returning. The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory for the region starting Friday. Heat can be dangerous and potentially life-threatening. It is important to take precautions and to be prepared for high heat conditions. Please share this information with supervisors and employees in your department that work outdoors or may be exposed to high temperatures indoors during their workday.

Effective today, May 31, 2023, UC Berkeley Managers and Supervisors will now report workplace-related injuries or illnesses online with RSS Injury and Illness Reporting. RSS Injury & Illness Reporting is an online solution that offers a simplified way to submit and monitor employee injury claims to help manage risks and reduce the likelihood of repeated injuries in the workplace. Injury & Illness Reporting (IIR) will replace our current Employer’s First Report (EFR) system.

The annual shop safety self-inspection period is here! Each year, shops are asked to conduct self inspections to supplement EH&S inspections in order to promote safety awareness and safe work practices.

Complete a self-inspection online by Monday, May 1, 2023

The annual self-inspection program for shipping/receiving and storage facilities is here! Each year, these facilities are asked to conduct self-inspections to supplement inspections conducted by EH&S in order to facilitate safety awareness and safe work practices.

Complete a self-inspection online by Wednesday, April 26, 2023.

Department Safety Coordinators (DSC) play an important role in campus safety structure – coordinating, implementing, and documenting safety practices in departments across campus. The Office of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) partners with DSCs to help implement safety and compliance programs and communicate information to departments.

Update DSC Contacts

Safe and Inclusive Working Environments for Off-Campus or Off-Site Research

This is reminder was sent to Laser Use PIs as follow-up to the Vice Chancellor of Research, Katherine Yelick’s, October 28, 2022 message.

Laser Free Day Information

Agilent, a lab instrumentation company, has identified a potential fire safety hazard affecting the 8890, 8860, and Intuvo 9000 Gas Chromatography (GC) instruments. If your department has any of these instruments, please share the attached notification with potential users for more details about corrective actions that can be taken to mitigate the fire safety hazards.

On Friday, September 9, 2022, Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) responded to a fire incident at 2000 Carleton Street resulting from a defect in a recalled “SMC” brand pedestal oscillating floor fans.

Overview

The risk of getting infected with Mpox/MPX (formerly Monkeypox) is very low for the general public. However, as this comes on the heels of the Coronavirus and all the public health concerns that it has raised, it’s important to get informed about the risks of MPX and what you can do to protect yourself.  

Be Prepared to Help

First Aid Training Opportunity

Urgent Field Action Notice: Getinge ULTIMA Washer/Dryer

Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) has been advised of a defect with ULTIMA washer/dryer models that may be in use in your lab.

The manufacturer, Getinge Life Science, has received complaints where the screed/cylinder link of the ULTIMA washer/dryer was broken, leaving the door unlatched when opened. This may result in an unreasonable risk of harm to the user.

Cal/OSHA recently made its third and final revision to the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard. The Campus COVID-19 Prevention Plan is being updated accordingly. The new ETS will go into effect on May 6 and will remain in effect through December 31, 2022.

Each year, law requires that the Cal/OSHA Annual Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses Form 300A be posted in each department. The summary must be posted in a visible place, such as where notices to employees are displayed. Departments must have the summary posted through April 30, 2022.

Please work with your department(s) to ensure that this summary is appropriately posted.

What happened?

A researcher was exposed to a 1 watt continuous wave beam from a Ti-Sapphire (852 nm) laser while visually inspecting a non-linear crystal on the optical table with a dielectric mirror. The researcher was unaware that the beam was present and it was directed into their right eye. The researcher was not wearing laser eye protection because they thought the laser was off.

Keeping EH&S Applications Secure

EH&S has implemented temporary security parameters to reduce vulnerabilities across our applications. In order to use EH&S applications, you will now need to either 

CAL FIRE Information Bulletin

Office of the State Fire Marshal
Issued: December 15, 2020