Chemical Safety

Ensuring the safe and compliant use of chemicals on campus.

Fact Sheets

Fact Sheets

EH&S Fact Sheets serve as campus-wide Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).

Safety Data Sheets

Safety data sheets (formerly MSDS) are the best source of information regarding the hazards, emergency response, and protective measures for any hazardous material.

Manufacturers are always the most reliable sources for SDSs, and the UC system has provided its researchers with UC SDS Resources, a systemwide website created to help locate SDSs and other chemical safety information. In addition,...

Lessons Learned at UC Berkeley

Oleylamine Chemical Burn

December 31, 2008
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
What happened? A laboratory researcher suffered a delayed chemical burn after only a few drops of a highly corrosive organic chemical splattered on his unprotected left forearm. The burns first appeared hours after exposure, got worse overnight, and eventually required treatment at a hospital.

forearm with spotted chemical burns

The researcher's forearm

...

My lab has a permit to work with “select agents.” What Federal Agency regulations must I meet to determine whether a permit to transfer is required?

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the USDA are Federal Agencies that authorize the use and transfer of Select Agents and Toxins. Please note that even when not required to request a permit to transfer, you may still be required to meet other notification filings. After determining permit requirements, the transport of select agents and toxins are subject to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)...

How do I properly clean a lab or shop for deactivation?

Lab and shop deactivation is dependent on the history of work or research conducted in the space.

Chemical decontamination of spaces and equipment may be done by the following personnel:

Laboratory supervisors, researchers, or investigators who can effectively disinfect the equipment themselves and provide certification by signing EH&S’ Facilities/Equipment Decontamination Clearance Certification. Hazardous Materials contractors approved to provide such services to the campus, managed by EH...

How are chemicals relocated or disposed during decommissioning?

Chemicals will have to be moved or removed by a qualified contractor managed by EH&S. It’s possible that EH&S can help move small amounts of chemicals, but will have to be determined.

Chemical transportation is regulated by US Department of Transportation standards and must never be conducted with personal vehicles or department/campus vehicles.

Chemical disposal requires EH&S signatures. Signing disposal manifests by unapproved personnel is a legal violation resulting in citations from the California Environmental Protection Agency.

Improperly Vented Experiment Causes Explosion and Burns

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

A graduate student working in a UC Berkeley laboratory was performing a series of evaporation procedures outside of a fume hood using a general-purpose electric pump and a roto-evaporator that had no exhaust equipment. In an effort to make the solvent recovery more efficient, the student applied a vacuum to the condenser tower but quickly turned the pump off because the vacuum was too strong. By that time, the pump exhaust had already formed an explosive mixture of the acetone and ether vapors which ignited when the power shut-off switch was activated, resulting in...