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...

Laboratory Safety Manual

The laboratory safety manual provides an overview of lab safety procedures and policies.

Megan Hall

Program Director, UC Chemical Management Safety (Deputy Fire Marshal - Hazardous Materials)
UCOP Center of Excellence
Fire Prevention
Hazardous Materials

Shipping Research (Hazardous Materials)

All materials regulated in transportation must be shipped by an individual trained and certified by UC Berkeley EH&S Specialist to meet the requirements of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Hazardous Materials Requirements and the International Civil Aviation Technical Instructions on identifying, marking, labeling, documenting and offering the material to...

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - Labs

EH&S provides campus researchers with lab coats, safety glasses, and goggles. Please contact the PPE coordinator at ppe@berkeley.edu if you have any questions or comments about personal protective equipment for your lab.

We also distribute N95 masks to employees when campus is impacted by unhealthy air quality due to wildfire smoke (when AQI exceeds 150). View distribution schedule.

Campus Laboratory Safety Policies

The University of California, Berkeley is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for the campus community. Faculty, students, and other personnel in laboratories and other academic settings may work with hazardous materials, equipment, and processes. With regard to safety and environmental protection, this teaching, and research work is governed by state and federal regulations and University policies.

New UC Systemwide Laboratory Safety Policies...

Rob Miers

Assistant Biosafety Officer
Biosafety
BUA
Lab Safety

Chemical Inventory Spot Check Inspections

August 22, 2025
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety

The following message is meant for labs:

Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) will be performing audits of groups on campus with chemical inventories to check for chemical inventory accuracy. Maintaining chemical inventories to at least 90% accuracy is a prerequisite to UC Systemwide MAQ compliance

How can I prepare?...

Understanding Sharps Safety and Handling

June 25, 2025
What Are Sharps?

Sharps are any items with pointed edges or projections capable of cutting, puncturing, or piercing the skin. Common examples include:

Hypodermic needles

Syringes with attached needles or tubing

Razor blades, scalpels, and X-Acto® knives

Glass Pasteur pipettes

Broken glass items

Glass microscope slides and coverslips

Sharp instruments...

Laboratory Ergonomics

June 24, 2025

The campus Ergonomics program is a faculty and staff support unit part of the Be Well at Work program under University Health Services. They provide assistance to departments to guide ergonomic improvement for campus faculty and staff work environments to prevent and address repetitive strain injury.

Their primary goal for departments with lab environments is to help labs address ergonomic risk from a design and equipment standpoint. Most of the fundamental ergonomic risks faced in lab work can be attributed to lack of adjustability, manual...