Hazardous Materials

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

Fume Hoods (Fact Sheet)

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2008

One of the most important safety devices in a laboratory is a properly functioning fume hood. The fume hood protects users by containing and exhausting airborne hazards; it does this by constantly pulling room air into the hood and exhausting it from the roof. Fume hood sashes also provide shielding in the event of an explosion or fire inside the hood.

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...

Empty Container Disposal and Recycling

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2011

This Fact Sheet describes how to properly dispose of or recycle an unwanted container which previously held a hazardous material. Hazardous materials include laboratory chemicals, paints, solvents, pesticides, aerosols, compressed gas cylinders, and hazard- ous waste.

Download Empty Containers Fact Sheet

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...

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.

Flammable & Combustible Liquids Storage In Campus Laboratories

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2006

California Fire Code (CFC) regulations limit the quantity of flammable and combustible liquids that can be stored in research and teaching laboratories. This fact sheet provides a simplification of the complicated CFC regulations, and establishes standard practice at University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley). For questions not covered in this fact sheet, or for assistance with more complicated issues, please contact the Office of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) for situation-specific guidance.

Exposure Control Plan - UC Berkeley

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2020
Biological Spills and Exposures

Follow procedures outlined in the lab’s Biological Use Authorization (BUA).

Exposure Control Plan

The UC Berkeley Exposure Control Plan (ECP) describes how to eliminate or minimize the exposure of all UC Berkeley personnel to human and nonhuman primate blood or blood products and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) that might contain bloodborne pathogens (BBP).

Also see:...

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.