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.

Field Safety Reminders for the Spring/Summer

April 16, 2024
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety

Following these simple steps supports safe and successful research.

Five reminders for the Spring/Summer fieldwork & travel season

Register all University travel >100 miles via UC Away (Calnet login required) for travel insurance documentation, 24/7 travel assistance, and a destination-specific trip brief.

For international travel, review the...

Reminder: New Lab Coat Laundry Process

October 18, 2023
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
Information for Researchers

Earlier this fall, Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) launched a new lab coat laundry process.

Please perform the following steps if your lab coat is in need of laundering:

Fill out the Lab Coat Request Form to request a clean lab coat. Note: Clean lab coats will be delivered via campus mail to your mail code. Check your assigned mail...

Lessons Learned: Fume Hood Vessel Overpressurization and Skin Burns from Heating Glass

October 2, 2023
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety

The following lessons learned reports detail what went wrong and what corrective actions have been taken or will take place to address the incidents.

Reminder: Complete lab safety self-inspections

September 14, 2024
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
Important Reminder for Principal Investigators and Laboratory Safety Coordinators Complete a self-inspection

Submit your self-inspection online through Inspect, an RSS web application.

Review the instructions on how to conduct a self-inspection...

Wildfire Smoke Information for Supervisors

September 20, 2023
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety

Please share this information with supervisors in your department of outdoor workers:

Wildfire Smoke

As of this morning, the campus air quality index has exceeded 100 for a sustained period of time and we continue to be impacted by smoke from wildfires in Northern California and Oregon. Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) advises the following actions in response to unhealthy air quality:

Advise your employees who work outside or in non-filtered buildings...

Suggested Job Duties for Department Safety Coordinators

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2023

Department Safety Coordinators (DSCs) are a vital part of the campus safety structure. Yet at times there is confusion about what tasks are appropriate for the role. The Office of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) has developed the following task descriptions to guide campus departments in assigning responsibilities to DSCs. The language used is appropriate for insertion into job descriptions, a practice that can help clarify expectations for both DSCs and their supervisors. Departments should feel free to modify the task descriptions to meet their unique needs. EH&S staff...

Department Safety Committees

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2023

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

Download Department Safety Committees Fact Sheet

Working in Hot Weather: Reminders for Employees & Supervisors

June 29, 2023
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety

It’s summertime and warmer temperatures are returning. The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory for the region starting Friday. Heat can be dangerous and potentially life-threatening. It is important to take precautions and to be prepared for high heat conditions. Please share this information with supervisors and employees in your department that work outdoors or may be exposed to high temperatures indoors during their workday.

Outdoor work when temperature exceeds 80°F

Workers performing job duties outside...

Injury & Illness Reporting (IIR) Tool replaces the Employer’s First Report (EFR) system

May 31, 2023
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety

Effective today, May 31, 2023, UC Berkeley Managers and Supervisors will now report workplace-related injuries or illnesses online with RSS Injury and Illness Reporting. RSS Injury & Illness Reporting is an online solution that offers a simplified way to submit and monitor employee injury claims to help manage risks and reduce the likelihood of repeated injuries in the workplace. Injury & Illness Reporting (IIR) will replace our current Employer’s First Report (EFR) system.

There is also a new injury investigation module associated with the injury illness reporting system....

Department Safety Coordinator List Update

March 6, 2023
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety

Department Safety Coordinators (DSC) play an important role in campus safety structure – coordinating, implementing, and documenting safety practices in departments across campus. The Office of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) partners with DSCs to help implement safety and compliance programs and communicate information to departments.

Update DSC Contacts

In order to ensure that DSC contacts for departments are current and accurate, we kindly ask for your help in circulating a ...