Shops and Trades

As mandated by Cal/OSHA and other regulatory compliance codes, this program guides compliance with, and application of, all legal requirements for UC Berkeley departments, field stations and work / research operations that use these types of equipment.

Departments that own, rent and/or otherwise operate Aerial Lifts / Elevating Work Platforms (AL/EWP) must:

• Select and then purchase or rent appropriate equipment for job tasks based upon an work-environment and job-task hazard analysis,
• Train and license personnel who operate their specific type of owned / rented equipment,
• Conduct documented safety inspections and preventive maintenance of the equipment,
• Assure operators adhere to specific safe-work practices whenever using these types of powered industrial equipment, and
• Approve Contractors / Vendors to use AL/EWP equipment on their premises, and only allow properly licensed contractor / vendor personnel to use Department-owned equipment.

Resources
Complete Aerial Lift / Elevated Work Platform Program Document

EH&S assists the campus in complying with asbestos laws and regulations by assessing the potential risk from asbestos exposure and developing measures to control those exposures. In addition, EH&S together with Facilities Services (formerly PP-CS), responds to campus asbestos concerns, provides sampling, consults with contractors, and recommends corrective actions in emergency situations.

Contact EH&S for training on asbestos hazards and for additional campus information see the Asbestos Letter.

The Confined-Space Entry Program provides procedures, practices, and requirements necessary to ensure the safety of personnel working inside confined spaces.  This program applies to all UC Berkeley faculty, staff, students, and contractors performing confined-space entries on the UC Berkeley campus or at associated field stations and offices.

Confined Space Entry Program Fact Sheet

1. Confined Space Entry Program for Construction, Telecommunications Operations, and Electrical Work
   
   • Flowchart of CSE for Construction, Telecommunications Operations and Electrical Work
     
   • Confined Space Evaluation/Entry Form (Appendix C of Program Manual)

2. Confined Space Entry Program for Research and other tasks not covered under Program (1)
   
   • Flowchart of CSE for Research and other tasks not covered under Program (1)
     
   • Confined Space Evaluation/Entry Form (Appendix C of Program Manual)
   • Permit-Required Confined Space Entry Permit (Appendix D of Program Manual)

UC Berkeley’s Office of Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S) manages Crane Safety to ensure Cal/OSHA compliance by campus Departments, Field Stations, and Contractors using University-owned overhead cranes, hoists and rigging. Administrative requirements, training requirements, recordkeeping requirements, inspection criterion and procedures, “Operator” and “Standby Person” safe-work procedures are included for all types of cranesand hoists that are usedfor lifting/moving equipment and materiel.

There are two classes of cranes/hoists defined accordingto rated load capacities: “Three Tons and Under (≤3Ton)” and “Over Three Tons (>3Ton)”. The larger cranes are subject to more-stringent inspections, load tests and scheduled maintenance. Smaller cranes / hoists must have initial load tests and documented inspections leading to routine maintenance. This program applies to any research, construction, and maintenance activities that utilize such lift equipment.

Resources

• Crane/Hoist Safety Program
  • Table of Contents
  • FAQ
  • Forms/Templates 

More than 3,600 disabling electrical contact injuries occur in the workplace and more than 2,000 workers are sent to burn centers with electric burns every year in the U.S. Every day one person dies from electrical incidents.

This program provides information about electrical hazards, guides University safe-work policy, electrical safety procedures, equipment design, development and installation for all electrical work, equipment and systems at UC Berkeley (UCB). All faculty, staff, students, visitors and contractors must comply with the requirements of this program as it ensures their safety by:

• Defining safe work practices and use requirements for all people who work with electrically energized equipment as part of their normal job / research duties.
• Establishing training requirements for "qualifying" and "authorizing" persons who work on or near energized electrical circuits and components, and establishing "qualification" requirements for UCB-hired electrical contractors.
• Establishing a process for evaluating the hazards of every potentially energized electrical work task and for determining appropriate hazard controls.
• Establishing a formal process for controlling energized electrical work through an assessment and documented "energized work" or "Hot Work Permit" approval process.
• Chartering a "Campus Electrical Safety Committee" to oversee and guide electrically safe equipment procurement, work practices and procedures at UCB.

The UC Berkeley Electrical Safety Program must be applied to every individual piece of equipment, research/experimental apparatus or facility that has electrical energy as a source of power and/or utility distribution in compliance with Cal/OSHA code, California Electrical Code, California Building/Construction Code and NFPA Life Safety Code.

For basic information about Electricity and Electrical Safety, please review the Frequently Asked Questions / Fact Sheet to become familiar with electrical hazards and controls.

• Go to the Table of Contents
• How this program applies to you

In 2009, nationally there were fatal 520 falls, while in California there were 54 fatal falls of which 41 would have been prevented with adequate fall protection. Cal/OSHA has Fall Protection Safety regulations that ensure safe-work activities when the possibility of falling is present. The University of California, Berkeley (UCB) has developed this Fall Protection Safety Program to manage the safe selection, procurement, use of and safe work practices, inspection, and record-keeping of all fall protection equipment (FPE). Included are guidelines for identification and correction of locations with fall hazards that endanger employees, students, and the public.

The Fall Protection Safety Program applies to any department on campus, at field stations, or on leased property where any type of activities could result in injuries from falls. Roles and responsibilities are detailed for users of FPE (including fulltime employees, contract employees and fallprotect2.jpggraduate students performing research related activities in field stations and remote research facilities) as well as those of EH&S in managing this program, and “Owner Departments” that purchase, maintain and manage an inventory of fall protection equipment, and train their personnel on its safe use and proper care.

Resources

• Fall Protection Program
  • Table of Contents
  • FAQ
  • Forms/Templates

• Fact Sheet: Fall Protection: General Requirements

• Fact Sheet: Fall Protection Equipment and Inspection 

This program guides all aspects of the Forklift and Industrial Lift Truck Safety Program for the University of California at Berkeley. As mandated by Cal/OSHA and other regulatory compliance codes, this program guides compliance with, and application of, all legal requirements for UC Berkeley departments, field stations and work / research operations that use these types of equipment.

Departments that own, lease, rent and/or otherwise operate forklifts and other types of industrial lift trucks must:

1. Select and then purchase, lease or rent appropriate equipment for job tasks based upon an work-environment and job-task hazard analysis,
2. Train and license personnel who operate the specific type(s) of owned / rented equipment,
3. Conduct documented safety inspections and preventive maintenance of the equipment,
4. Assure operators adhere to specific safe-work practices whenever using these types of powered industrial equipment, and
5. Approve Contractors / Vendors to use forklifts and industrial lift equipment on their premises, and only allow properly licensed contractor / vendor personnel to use Department-owned equipment.

Resources

• Complete Forklift and Industrial Lift Truck Safety Program Document
  • Table of Contents
  • FAQ
• Pre-operation Inspection Forms
  • Electric Industrial Lift-Forklift Truck
  • High-lift Truck-Forklift Truck
  • Narrow Aisle Truck
  • Petibone
  • Walking Pallet Jack

EH&S and University Health Services (UHS) together administer a Hearing Conservation Program designed to protect faculty, staff and students from hearing loss due to exposure to loud noise, i.e., exposure to noise above 85 decibels as an eight-hour time-weighted average.

The Hearing Conservation Program includes:

• Workplace and personal exposure monitoring
• Annual audiometric (hearing) tests
• Annual training on the hazards of noise, purpose of audiometric testing, and proper use of hearing protection
• Hearing protection devices (ear plugs or ear muffs) made available where needed

You may need to be enrolled in the Hearing Conservation Program if you work in any area where you have to raise your voice to be understood at arm's length. If you feel your work area may have unhealthy levels of noise, contact EH&S at (510) 642-3073 so that noise monitoring can be conducted. If excessive noise is detected, EH&S will prepare recommendations for your department to try to reduce the noise levels. If sufficient noise reductions are not feasible, you will receive audiometric testing and training at UHS (Tang Center), and hearing protectors will be made available to you free of cost.

Resources

• Fact Sheet: Noise: Controlling Your Exposure at Work (PDF)
• Hearing Conservation Written Program

Please refer to the Crane & Hoist Safety resources above or the program document below.

Resources

• Crane/Hoist Safety Program
  • Table of Contents
  • FAQ
  • Forms/Templates 

Ladder Safety Program

UC Berkeley has developed this Ladder Safety Program to manage the safe selection, procurement, safe work practices, inspection, inventory tracking and record keeping of all ladders. The Ladder Safety Program applies to any department on campus, at field stations, or on leased property where any type of ladder three (3) feet or more in length/height is used. Roles and responsibilities for safe use of ladders by employees (including temporary employees and graduate students performing research-related activities in field stations and remote research facilities) are detailed. Roles and responsibilities for Owner Departments that purchase and maintain ladders are included.

The department owning the ladders is responsible for the proper selection of ladders to be kept in their ladder inventory based upon an assessment of work tasks. In addition, Owner Departments are responsible for providing training to their personnel who use ladders, for keeping the records of training completed, and for performing annual inspections and maintenance of all ladders under their ownership/control. Ladder users are required to follow safe-work procedures as outlined in this program, to alert Owner Department management whenever they discover a damaged ladder, and to follow the safe work practices developed by their department concerning ladder use.

CalOSHA code requires that any machine part, function, or process which may cause injury must be safeguarded. When the operation of a machine or accidental contact with it can injure the operator or others in the vicinity, the hazards must be either controlled or eliminated. All physical machine guards must be appropriate for the hazard involved, secured in place, constructed of substantial material and have surfaces free of hazardous projections.

This program describes various types of physical guards, interlocks and safeguarding methods for facilities and research machinery / equipment. This program can assist you in identifying the hazardous parts of a machine, determining the need for safeguards, and obtaining or fabricating the necessary guards.

Application of, and adherence to, this program will ensure compliance with CalOSHA and other codes and regulations.

Resources

• Machine Guarding Program
  • Table of Contents
  • FAQ/Fact Sheet
  • Attachments

EH&S evaluates workplaces for possible airborne hazards and recommends ways to reduce these hazards when found. When appropriate, EH&S will fit campus workers with respirators and provide annual training on their proper use. This program is administered in cooperation with University Health Services. UHS evaluates a person's ability to safely wear a respirator prior to a respirator being issued. For more information contact EH&S at ehs@berkeley.edu.

Do not buy, borrow or wear a respirator without contacting EH&S first!

Resources

• Respiratory Protection Program
• Employee Acknowledgement Form
• Annual Respiratory Protection Questionnaire
• Occupational Health Clinic Respiratory Protection Questionnaire
• Fact Sheet: Respiratory Protection

The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) has developed this Shop Safety Program to manage the hazards associated with various shops and their work activities to comply with Cal-OSHA and other regulations concerning shops.

Check out our Shop Safety Program page.

Resources

• Shop Safety Program Document
• Forms and Handouts
  • "Authorized Person" Qualification for Shop Work
  • Shop Safe - Work Policy, Procedures and Practices
  • Emergency Medical Response – Urgent Care Providers

The UC Berkeley Hot Work Program provides procedures and supplemental information for welding and other hot work on campus. This program is designed to prevent injuries, prevent fire, control hazards, and to ensure compliance with Cal/OSHA safety regulations and the California Fire Code. The procedures outlined in this program must be followed by staff who perform welding and other hot work on UC Berkeley property.

Anyone performing temporary hot work is required to have a valid
Hot Work Permit for each day of work.

Resources

• Hot Work Program Document
• Hot Work Permit
• Hot Work FAQ