Certain high-hazard activities and equipment require additional safety training and written pre-approval. Faculty-led committees issue use authorizations for high hazard activities to ensure the work is safe and monitored appropriately. These include:
Laboratory Operations & Safety Committee
Summary of Charges
The campus Laboratory Operations & Safety Committee (LO&SC) formulates, and recommends to the Vice Chancellor for Research, campus policy on research and instructional activities to help ensure compliance with applicable regulations and adoption of appropriate best practices regarding the safety and potential environmental impact of activities conducted in campus laboratories and in field research. Technical areas covered include chemical safety, management of hazardous wastes and unwanted hazardous materials, chemical effluents, hazardous materials management and shipping, and electrical and other hazards not covered by other campus research oversight committees.
LO&SC provides input and guidance to the Office of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) and other units regarding development and of appropriate and effective standard practices and campus expectations. Guidance is provided to programs such as: the Chemical Hygiene Plan Program, the Chemical Inventory Program, the Hazardous Waste Management Program, campus Drain Disposal Guidelines, the Toxic Gas Program, the Hazardous Materials Shipping Program, laboratory inspection and self-assessment programs, the Strawberry Creek Management Program and other safety and environmental programs as they apply to field work and campus research and teaching activities. Reviews safety and compliance training materials intended for student or faculty audiences.
LO&SC is staffed and supported by EH&S, and typically meets three times a year. The Chair of the LO&SC sits on the campus Research Compliance Advisory Committee (RCAC), which is chaired by the VC-Research.
Contact List for Laboratory Operations & Safety Committee
Chair: Dean Toste, Professor of Chemistry, fdtoste@berkeley.edu
EH&S Coordinator-Member: Kelsey Mesa, EH&S, kmesa@berkeley.edu
Administrative Support: Contact EH&S at 642-3073
Animal Care and Use Committee
The Animal Care and Use Committee (ACUC) program and the staff of the Office for Animal Care and Use (OACU) at the UC Berkeley campus ensures the health and well-being of animals while facilitating research that supports human and animal health and is beneficial to society.
Visit acuc.berkeley.edu to learn more.
Committee for Laboratory and Environmental Biosafety
The Committee for Laboratory and Environmental Biosafety (CLEB) serves as UC Berkeley’s Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). CLEB is comprised of subject matter experts, an animal health expert, an occupational physician, as well as community members.
The committee meets to review Biological Use Authorizations on the first Monday of every month 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm via Zoom. RSVP by email is required. If you wish to attend a committee meeting or have any other questions regarding CLEB, please contact bso@berkeley.edu.
Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects
The Committee for Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS) is comprised of two groups that serve as Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) for the University of California, Berkeley. The primary mission of the IRB is to ensure the protection of the rights and welfare of all human participants in research conducted by university faculty, staff, and students. The Office for Protection of Human Subjects (OPHS) is the administrative office that supports the CPHS.
Visit cphs.berkeley.edu to learn more.
Radiation Safety Committee
Summary of Charges
Reviews and approves all uses of ionizing radiation and radioisotopes; establishes campus policy on ionizing radiation safety; advises Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) staff in implementing campus radiation safety and radioactive waste programs in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements.
Contact List for Committee on Radiation Safety
Chair: Peter Hosemann, Associate Professor, Department of Nuclear Engineering, peterh@berkeley.edu
EH&S Coordinator-Member: Jim De Zetter, Radiation Safety Officer, 812-0317, jimdezetter@berkeley.edu
Administrative Support: Contact EH&S at 642-3073
Non-Ionizing Radiation Safety Committee
Summary of Charges
Advises on all safety and compliance matters related to non-ionizing radiation, reviews and approves uses of lasers and laser systems, advises Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) staff in carrying out campus Non-Ionizing Radiation Safety Program in accordance with applicable State and Federal requirements.
Contact List for Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiation Safety
Chair: Michael W. Zuerch, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, 697-2342, mwz@berkeley.edu
EH&S Coordinator-Member: Eddie Ciprazo, Laser Safety Officer, 643-9243, lso@berkeley.edu
Administrative Support: Contact EH&S at 642-3073
Research Compliance Advisory Committee
Summary of Charges
The Research Compliance Advisory Committee (RCAC) advises the Vice Chancellor for Research on issues related to regulatory compliance and risk management in all research activities conducted on University of California, Berkeley property or by University of California, Berkeley personnel.
RCAC Committee Membership
The RCAC is chaired by the Vice Chancellor for Research. Represented on the Committee are the offices of The Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost and the Chancellor's Office of Legal Affairs. Membership also includes top administrators from EH&S and University Health Services.
At-large Academic Senate members are appointed by the Committee on Committees to provide a faculty perspective on the overall impact of environmental, health and safety programs and policies. Committee chairs from the following academic committees are also members:
- Animal Use and Care Committee
- Committee for Protection of Human Subjects
- Committee on Laboratory & Environmental Biosafety
- Laboratory Operations & Safety Committee
- Non-Ionizing Radiation Safety Committee
- Radiation Safety Committee
Contact: vcr@berkeley.edu for more information