Workplace Safety

The campuswide Workplace Safety Program serves as the university’s central program for creating a safe and healthful work environment. 

Campus Laboratory Safety Policies

The University of California, Berkeley is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for the campus community. Faculty, students, and other personnel in laboratories and other academic settings may work with hazardous materials, equipment, and processes. With regard to safety and environmental protection, this teaching, and research work is governed by state and federal regulations and University policies.

New UC Systemwide Laboratory Safety Policies...

Event Safety

crowd (icon) Ensuring safe and compliant campus events. Fire & Life Safety during Events

An event permit may be required to ensure the fire and life safety of the campus community. Issues of concern include:

Expected attendance of fifty or more people Campus space being used for other than normal purposes Tents or canopies over 400 sq ft Locations that could impact access by emergency vehicles Use of open flame, pyrotechnics and/or compressed...

Department Safety Committees

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2023

To comply with state injury and illness prevention statutes, the campus encourages every department to have a safety committee that meets quarterly. This Fact Sheet will tell you what department safety committees do and how to start them.

View Department Safety Committees Fact Sheet

Shop Safety Self-Inspections

Each year, shop managers (or their delegates) are asked to conduct shop self-inspections. The topics covered are designed to supplement inspections conducted by EH&S to facilitate safety awareness and ownership within the shop.

Compliance Requirement

Self-inspections are a requirement of the campus Workplace Safety Program and Policy.

Shop Safety Self-Inspections

Complete a shop...

Shop Safety Program

There are more than 50 shops on campus and at field stations that conduct work in support of research and maintenance activities. Work includes model-building, carpentry, machine building, electrical/electronics, concrete work, glass blowing, metal working, vehicle maintenance and more. 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.

This program applies to any department on campus, at field stations...

Shop Safety Safe Work Handout

2026

Sewer System Management Plans

Wastewater generated at UC Berkeley is conveyed through our sanitary sewer collection systems and eventually flows to EBMUD's wastewater treatment plant in Oakland prior to discharge to the San Francisco Bay.

The Waste Discharge Requirements Order No. 2022-0103-DWQ adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board regulates sanitary sewer systems greater than one mile in length (each individual sanitary sewer system).

UC Berkeley maintains regulatory coverage for three collection systems:

Sewer System Management Plans

(All...

Heat Illness Prevention and Response

Heat Illness Prevention and Response

Work in hot environments can have direct effects on human health including, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and can lead to reduced labor productivity. All university employees who work outdoors or in environments with elevated indoor temperatures may be at risk for heat illness– the group of medical conditions caused by the body’s inability to cope with heat.

Heat exposure can be...

Indoor Heat Illness Prevention

Cal/OSHA has implemented standards for employees working outdoors or indoors in elevated temperatures, which include mandatory training, and provision of breaks or cooling areas depending on the situation. Note that standards differ for indoor vs outdoor. View general information about heat illness prevention and response.

Indoor Work Indoor work with high heat

Heat illness can occur in indoor areas where temperatures reach or exceed 82°F. Heat may be due to mechanical...

Materials Handling and Storage Self Inspection Program

Each year, shipping/receiving and storage managers (or their delegates) are asked to conduct Materials Handling and Storage self-inspections. The self-inspections cover facilities such as:

Loading docks

Loading dock materials storage areas

Distribution facilities for mail and package delivery

Facilities used for furniture and event supplies storage and transport

The topics covered are designed to supplement inspections...