Lab Safety

Providing support, in the form of risk assessment, review, consultation(link sends e-mail), training, and the necessary resources and guidance for research at UC Berkeley.

Maximum Allowable Quantities (MAQ) Project

The California Fire Code establishes requirements for Maximum Allowable Quantities (MAQ) of hazardous materials, which ensures amounts used and stored within buildings do not pose fire and life risks. Following the management of hazardous chemicals guidelines issued by the University of California Office of President in 2023, EH&S is implementing the directives outlined in...

Equipment and Tool Safety

hammer and wrench icon Providing resources and guidance for the safe use of tools by UC Berkeley personnel.

Chemical Safety

Chemical SafetyHow Do I: collapse all expand all Store chemicals safely?

The safe storage of hazardous chemicals is an essential part of an environmental, health, and safety program. Chemical storage facilities must meet certain minimum standards to...

Laser Safety

Ensuring the safe use of lasers, laser systems, and non-ionizing radiation sources. How Do I: collapse all expand all Get authorized to use a laser? Please go to the UC Learning Center and enroll in the course titled EHS 301 - Laser Safety. If you have questions, contact us at ehstrain@berkeley....

Building Coordinators

Dispose of Waste

Master list of waste types is displayed below. Note: If you cannot find the item that you are trying to get rid of in this list, please contact EH&S at ehs@berkeley.edu or (510) 642-3073. collapse all expand all Aerosol Cans

Please log into the...

Biological Safety

Providing support, in the form of risk assessment, review, consultation and training, for research at UC Berkeley that involves the use of recombinant DNA, biohazardous materials and biological toxins.

Biosafety How Do I: collapse all expand all...

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

Ultracentrifuges: Hazards and Precautions

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2005

The ultracentrifuge is a commonly used type of laboratory equipment. Rotors are exposed to enormous forces every time they are used. Rotors can fail catastrophically, resulting in destruction of the entire centrifuge and damage to a laboratory. As evidenced by the attached photographs, there is no doubt that serious injury could result should someone be present when a failure occurs. To prevent such failures, all ultracentrifuge manufacturers require that ultracentrifuge users maintain an up-to-date use log for each rotor, and also require that each time a rotor is used it must be given a...

One Glove Policy

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2021
Do not use gloves to touch common surfaces (elevator buttons, door handles, card swipes, etc.) Only ONE GLOVE may be used to transport chemicals and samples through common areas. Use of one glove prevents chemical contamination in common areas.