Chemical Safety

Ensuring the safe and compliant use of chemicals on campus.

Training

The EH&S training team creates, delivers, and tracks health, safety, and environmental training for all faculty, staff, and students.

Hazardous Materials

hazardous materials icon Helping campus units manage their hazardous materials by providing assistance with shipping, waste pick-up and disposal, and chemical inventory needs.

Dispose of Waste

Master list of waste types is displayed below. Note: If you cannot find the item that you are trying to get rid of in this list, please contact EH&S at ehs@berkeley.edu or (510) 642-3073. collapse all expand all Aerosol Cans

Please log into the...

Chemical Waste Recharge

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2003

EH&S sends hazardous chemical waste generated by the campus to several facilities that treat or dispose of chemicals. EH&S derives the recharge rates for hazardous chemical waste from the rates charged by the waste disposal/treatment facilities plus the costs for transportation, contractor labor, packaging materials, and other supplies. In addition, a nominal per-item charge is included in the recharge rate to encourage consolidation of compatible wastes.

If you have any questions about recharge rates, please contact the Recharge Administrator at...

Chemical Waste Recharge Authorization Form

Office of Environment, Health & Safety

This form authorizes EH&S to recharge the account specified below whenever a department representative signs a Materials Packing List (MPL), or whenever a Hazardous Materials Management Team member completes and signs an MPL for routine bulk material pick-ups (i.e., oil, photographic waste,etc.).

To establish your Chemical Waste Disposal Account, complete this form.

If you have any questions, please contact the Recharge Administrator at 642-3073 or e-mail at ehsrecharge@berkeley.edu.

Unknowns Questionnaire

2024

For disposal of unknowns, fill out template as completely as possible to communicate known hazards and relevant information to EH&S, or describe in comments as appropriate. Print and attach to each bottle for pickup.

Please log into the Hazardous Waste Program (HWP) to create a waste label and request a pickup.

Fume Hoods

Common Sensors on Campus collapse all expand all Magnehelic and Minihelic

magnehelic gauge...

Chemical Explosion Causes Eye Injury

May 31, 2015

ANSI-approved safety glasses—and other personal protective equipment specified in the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)—are essential whenever working with hazardous materials. SOPs also indicate other precautions that must be followed to ensure safety, such as performing work with energetic or explosive materials behind a fume hood sash or blast shield.

What happened?

A graduate student researcher was working at a laboratory bench synthesizing approximately one gram of diazonium perchlorate crystals. The student was transferring synthesized perchlorate using a metal spatula...

Accidental Mixing of Bleach and Acid

October 31, 2009
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
What Happened?

A researcher working in a laboratory glassware washing area thought she should refresh the bleach solution for soaking lab glassware. In an "inattentive moment" she added fresh bleach to what she thought was the bleach soaking tub; unfortunately the tub did not contain bleach but contained 5% hydrochloric acid. The acid solution (with bleach) immediately turned from clear to yellow. She quickly realized that bleach and acid should never be mixed because toxic chlorine gas can be created. She immediately had everyone leave the room; she considered calling 911, but since...

Carcinogens

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2012

The Carcinogens Fact Sheet and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) specify minimum requirements for safe storage, use, and handling of carcinogens on the UC Berkeley Campus. This fact sheet has been approved by the Laboratory Operations & Safety Committee and defines carcinogens as chemicals that cause cancer or tumor development, typically after repeated or chronic exposure. Their effects may only become evident after a long latency period and may cause no immediate harmful effects.