Shop Safety

Policies, procedures, and training materials for any type of shop-work activities.

Injury Caused by High Voltage Capacitor Discharge

May 31, 2005

Office of Environment, Health, and Safety

What Happened?

A campus employee working in an electronics shop was repairing a power supply unit. The cooling fan had not been working properly, causing the unit to overheat. The employee replaced the defective cooling fan and then reached into the open top of the power supply unit to check the airflow from the replacement fan. The employee either made contact with a charged capacitor or was close enough (within 1/4") to allow electricity to arc to his hand causing an electric shock that entered his left hand and exited through his right hand.

Immediately after the...

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Electrical Safety Program

Electrical Safety at UC Berkeley

The UC Berkeley Electrical Safety 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. 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...

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Electrical Safety Program

Office of Environment, Health & Safety

2024

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.

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Department Safety Coordinators

Department Safety Coordinators (DSCs) are a vital part of the campus safety structure, coordinating, implementing, and documenting safety practices in departments across campus.

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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...

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Compressed Gas Cylinders: Proper Management And Use

Office of Environment, Health & Safety

2012

University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) departments that use compressed gas cylinders must comply with a wide variety of laws and regulations, including those issued by Cal/OSHA, the California Fire Code and the City of Berkeley. This booklet provides general guidelines to help departments comply with those regulations. More specific information can be obtained from Material Safety Data Sheets and your department’s Job Safety Analyses (JSAs). Talk to your gas supplier about hands-on training and other useful safety information.

Compressed gas cylinders range from small...

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Principal Investigators

Principal Investigators (PIs) must ensure the safety of work assignments and work spaces, assign safety training related to hazards, provide safety procedures and equipment, correct identified hazards (where practicable), look into the causes of incidents and take action to prevent similar incidents, and discuss safety in regular meetings and performance reviews.

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Personal Protective Equipment for Lab and Shops

Office of Environment, Health & Safety

2020

Controlling a hazard at its source is the best way to protect employees. Engineering or administrative controls to manage or eliminate hazards to workers is the preferred option. When engineering or administrative controls are not feasible or do not provide sufficient protection, supervisors must provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to their workers and ensure its use. Attire when occupying a laboratory or shop containing hazardous materials or equipment.