Chemical Safety

Ensuring the safe and compliant use of chemicals on campus.

What do I include in my inventory in 'Chemicals'?

You are encouraged to include all hazardous materials in your inventory so the information is readily available to emergency responders. All materials that are toxic, oxidizing, corrosive, reactive, carcinogenic, or flammable, as well as any liquids and gases under pressure, including liquid nitrogen tanks and compressed air cylinders, are required to be in Chemicals.

Many materials should not be entered in the chemical inventory, however, per the table below. If you are still unsure what to include, please contact EH&S.

What to include in your inventory What not to...

Why does our lab's inventory in 'Chemicals' show substances we didn't have in our inventory before?

When the data was migrated over from the former inventory system, CIS, some items were matched to incorrect substances. You may be seeing substances such as STRONTIUM TITANIUM DOUBLE METAL ALKOXIDE, Cacodylic acid sodium salt trihydrate solution, 1.0M, pH 6.2, or others unfamiliar to you, show up in your inventory. We are working to...

Job Safety Analysis

Job Safety Analysis or JSAs describes job tasks in step-by-step fashion, identifies associated hazards at each step, and outlines proper hazard controls that minimize the risk of injury or illness to the individual(s) performing that task.

Getting Started with Job Safety Analysis (JSA)

How do I write or find a JSA? The objective of providing this library is to:

Improve safety awareness among staff Decrease injury rates Make effective JSA resources available to the entire UC Berkeley campus

New labs

How do I set up a new lab?

Note: Your department's Department Safety Coordinator (DSC) may have their own practices and guidelines. It is strongly suggested that you contact them for guidance. Not sure who your DSC is? Use the "Who's your DSC?" tool to find out!

Getting Started Email ehs@berkeley.edu to have your new lab set up in our database. Populate your lab roster with the...

Labs At Berkeley (L@B)

Labs At Berkeley (L@B) is a web application, created by Berkeley EH&S, that allows any campus laboratory member to view and edit information about researchers in their lab.

Getting started with L@B

Log into L@B using your CalNet ID and you will see your lab’s roster. If you belong to more than one lab, select the name of the lab you wish to view or update from the pull-down list in the upper left corner of the page. To add or remove members,...

Lab Hazard Assessment Tool (LHAT)

Lab Hazard Assessment Tool (LHAT) is a web-based application that enables researchers to identify hazards in their labs or research areas. Upon completion of LHAT, you will receive a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) recommendation voucher—based on your lab’s assessment—that will make you eligible for the EH&S free PPE giveaway program.

Note: It may take up to a day for roster changes on L@B to reflect on LHAT. Please contact service@...

Drain Disposal Restrictions for Chemicals

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2020

Disposal of chemicals into the sanitary sewer is regulated by federal and state laws and regulations, by the local East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) Wastewater Control Ordinance and by the EBMUD Wastewater Discharge Permit issued to the campus. These laws and regulations prohibit any drain disposal of hazardous wastes and limit the allowable wastewater concentration of a number of specific substances. The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) is committed to protection of the local community and the environment through strict compliance with these laws and regulations...

Waste Disposal

The Office of Environment, Health & Safety maintains a Hazardous Waste Program (HWP) to develop hazard waste disposal procedures, provide orientation to campus personnel, monitor departmental hazardous waste operations, receive departmental waste and dispose of the waste, and evaluate all hazardous waste disposal activities.