Hazardous Materials

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

Refueling a Gas Caddie

Department of Recreational Sports
2004
5 gallon gas containers

Exposure to chemicals can result in acute or long-time health effects. Touching, picking up, or moving a fuel container can be hazardous to a responder. A fuel container can be touched, picked up, and/or moved after assessment and conclusion that it poses no imminent danger to the person handling the item.

Refueling a Gas Caddie, Job Safety Analysis (JSA)

Also see:...

Exposure to Bromine During a Laboratory Refrigerator Clean-up

June 30, 2008
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
What Happened?

While performing a chemical inventory inside a laboratory refrigerator, a UC Berkeley graduate student observed the presence of condensate on the inside walls of the refrigerator. This student and two other graduate students proceeded to clean the refrigerator walls, assuming that the condensate was water. When one of the students noticed a bottle of 99% bromine had a small leak, clean-up was immediately stopped, a sign was posted on the door to keep away, and the Department Safety Coordinator (DSC) was notified of the accident. The DSC summoned EH&S clean-up...

Exposure to Poisonous Chemicals Due to Improper Storage and Unsafe Work Practices

June 30, 2008
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
What happened?

A graduate student working in a UC Berkeley laboratory needed a chemical from an overhead shelf. To reach the chemical, the student stood on tiptoe and leaned on the edge of a shelf. This pressure caused the shelf to shift and chemicals to fall. Among the bottles that fell were two that were covered with aluminum foil instead of the original screw-on caps. Those containers held strychnine powder and azure blue dye. The contents fell on the researcher, bench, and floor. The exposed researcher spent 15 minutes under a safety shower and then went to the Tang Center for...

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...

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.

Chemical Safety

Chemical SafetyHow Do I: collapse all expand all Store chemicals safely?

The safe storage of hazardous chemicals is an essential part of an environmental, health, and safety program. Chemical storage facilities must meet certain minimum standards to...

Safe Storage of Hazardous Chemicals

The safe storage of hazardous chemicals is an essential part of an environmental, health, and safety program. Chemical storage facilities must meet certain minimum standards to satisfy diverse regulations, such as those of Cal/OSHA, the local sanitary district, and the California Fire Code. This manual provides guidelines to help you meet these standards.

In addition, laboratories and work areas on campus must observe several requirements that incorporate safe storage:

Keeping an up-to-date chemical inventory...

5.10 Explosive and Potentially Explosive Chemicals

GHS symbol showing an explosive reaction.

Characteristics

Explosive chemicals can rapidly release tremendous amounts of destructive energy. Explosive chemicals can cause death, serious injury, or severe property damage. Heat, shock, friction, or even static electricity can initiate explosions of these chemicals. Due to the extreme sensitivity and handling risks, explosives are not permitted on campus....

5.9 Water Reactives

GHS symbol showing a flame

Characteristics

These substances often react violently with water and may ignite or generate toxic, flammable, or corrosive gases.

Laboratory Chemicals

Solids

aluminum chloride (anhydrous)

calcium carbide

magnesium

...

5.8 Pyrophorics (Air Reactives)

GHS symbol showing a flame

Characteristics

Substances that ignite spontaneously upon contact with air.

Laboratory Chemicals

Solids

sodium

finely divided metal (e.g., aluminum, chromium, zinc)

Liquid

aluminum borohydride...