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.

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...

Nanoscale Materials Information Form

January 23, 2024

Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) is preparing the 2024 Manufactured Nanoscale Materials Disclosure for the City of Berkeley.

If you use nanoscale materials in your lab, and

a. you have never filled out the Nanoscale Materials Information Form,

or,

b. you have begun using new nanoscale materials, or a new class of materials, in your lab,

Please...

Lab Managers & Safety Coordinators

Laboratory managers and Laboratory Safety Coordinators (LSCs) are typically selected by a lab’s principal investigator, and serve a critical role with regards to lab safety. In many cases, the LSC is also the lab manager, though not always. LSCs serve as delegates for the principal investigator for many safety programs and applications including Lab Hazard Assessment Tool (LHAT) and Inspect.

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....

Workplace Safety

California state regulations require every employer to establish, implement and maintain an effective Injury & Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). In August 2017, the University adopted a campuswide Workplace Safety Program that serves as the University’s central IIPP for creating a safe and healthful work environment. Having one program for the whole University helps to improve access, consistency, and usability across all departments. EH&S is the responsible department for overseeing the campuswide Workplace Safety Program. The campus Workplace Safety Program is based on the Injury...

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 ...

Health & Safety Team Staffing Update

February 28, 2023
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety

The Office of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) a s pleased to announce that Ingrid Castro-Rodriguez has returned to UC Berkeley to serve as the Health and Safety Manager for EH&S.