News

A new Cal/OSHA Indoor Heat Illness Standard went into effect July 2024 to protect workers in areas where temperatures may exceed 82°F. During Bay Area heat waves, our building ventilation systems may be challenged to maintain temperatures below this threshold, potentially affecting all campus employees.

The campus Drain Disposal Restrictions have been revised in an effort to simplify the guidelines and mitigate improper disposal practices. Discharge of hazardous chemical wastes into the municipal sanitary sewer system is prohibited by campus policy and is regulated by federal, state, and regional laws. UC Berkeley is committed to the protection of the local community and the environment.

CSHEMA's Lab Safety Awareness Week is held from February 10-14, 2025, and is intended to promote laboratory health and safety programs and offer information and ideas on how to keep our faculty, staff, and students safe.

Following guidance from Cal/OSHA and the University of California Office of the President (UCOP), UC Berkeley’s Guidelines on Protecting Workers from COVID-19 training, the COVID-19 Prevention Program, and the COVID-19 Workplace Exposure dashboard will be retired.

Please refer to the University Health Services website for the latest COVID-19 information.

The following materials are for researchers, principal investigators, staff, and faculty involved in off-campus fieldwork–both domestic and international. 

Practice your Drop (or Lock), Cover, and Hold on this ShakeOut at 10:17 am on October 17. 

We invite you to get involved by taking actionable steps to bolster your personal preparedness for earthquakes and other emergencies that can impact our campus and region.

Where? South Side of McCone Hall

When? 11 am to 2 pm Thursday, October 17

Get MyShake on the App Store 

Off-Campus, Field, and International Research: Resources for a Safe and Inclusive Experience

Know Before You Go: Planning Resources for Fieldwork

The town hall will be held on Wednesday, October 23, 2024 online from 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm.

Zoom Information

Access Zoom link

Zoom Meeting ID: 948 3905 3719

Passcode: 6427540.

Warmer temperatures are returning. The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory for the region. 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.

Following the enactment of California law SB 553, UC Berkeley is introducing a Workplace Violence Prevention (WPVP) Plan. This plan is designed to protect you and everyone on campus by clearly outlining what constitutes prohibited conduct, including any act or threat of violence that occurs in the workplace

Important Reminder for Principal Investigators and Laboratory Safety Coordinators

Complete a self-inspection

• Submit your self-inspection online through Inspect, an RSS web application. 

To ensure new lab members can obtain PPE, please review the following reminders.

1. Make sure your lab's hazard assessment is certified

A new Field Hazards section was added to LHAT earlier this year. If you have not already done so, please complete the field hazards section by following these directions:

Please review important changes to hazardous waste disposal costs.

Please review the following lab coat reminders and share this information with your 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.  

• To request bulk lab coat replacements (5 or more coats), email ppe@berkeley.edu

UC Berkeley EH&S is offering to match the University of California Office of the President's Be Smart About Safety (BSAS) funding to provide limited support for machine guard purchases in campus shops. The BSAS funds will allow EH&S to match the cost of one guard up to a certain limit in order to distribute funds as equitably as possible across all shops.

Following are the instructions for receiving and applying the funds:

Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S) is in the process of tagging all chemicals in all buildings on campus in response to new chemical inventory requirements issued by the UC Office of the President (also see MAQ project page). 

What happened?

A researcher walking towards an optical table was exposed to a laser beam that reflected off a hex ball driver tool.  Another researcher at a nearby bench was installing an optical component on a breadboard when the hex ball driver he was using inadvertently moved into an active beam path. The hex ball tool had a reflective surface.

Radiation Safety Awareness Training (EHS 404) is required for all staff who work in areas where radioactive materials and/or radiation producing machines are located. This training was recently integrated into the Fundamentals of Laboratory Safety training (EHS 101)

The annual material handling and storage safety self-inspection period is here! As a reminder, facilities are asked to conduct self-inspections each year to supplement EH&S inspections in order to promote safety awareness and safe work practices. These inspections are also in compliance with the UC Berkeley Workplace Safety Program and thus, Cal/OSHA annual safety inspection requirements.

Complete a self-inspection via RSS Inspect by Friday, June 7, 2024.