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.

Darkroom, chemicals

ASUC Auxiliary Art Studio

2002

Read more about Darkroom, chemicals

Radiation Safety

Radiation Safety oversees and facilitates the use of radiation sources in research and instruction; helping to ensure safety and regulatory compliance.

Read more about Radiation Safety

The EH&S Hazard Communication program seeks to help campus departments fulfill the requirements of Cal/OSHA Section 5194, also known as the "Employee Right-to-Know" law. The law requires employers to provide information on physical and health hazards of the materials employees use or come into contact with as part of their work. There are three basic components of the Hazard Communication standard:

Adequate labeling of all hazardous substances in the workplace Providing information such as Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for each hazardous...

Read more about Hazard Communication

Laboratory Ergonomics

University Health Services

Laboratory Ergonomics
Whether you plan to work in a research lab for one semester or throughout your career, there are ways to protect yourself from ergonomic hazards common in laboratory settings. Learn about proper posture, pipetting, and other common ergonomic risk factors.

Read more about Laboratory Ergonomics

Samuel Chiang

Project & Communications Coordinator

Administration

Communications & Outreach

Read more about Samuel Chiang

Improper Labeling Causes Injury from Acid Spray

September 30, 2004

Office of Environment, Health, and Safety

What Happened?

A UC Berkeley researcher was preparing a sample for microscopy. After he had cleaned the sample with isopropanol, he poured the extra isopropanol into a container for unwanted chemicals labeled “isopropanol.” There was an immediate chemical reaction that caused the plastic container to rupture and spray the mixture around the area. He was later surprised to learn that the container actually held concentrated nitric acid in the form of spent copper etchant.

The researcher was startled and called for help. Other researchers promptly came to his assistance and called 911...

Read more about Improper Labeling Causes Injury from Acid Spray

Pipettes - Ergonomics

University Health Services

Ergonomic pipettes differ from traditional manual pipettes in that the design offers a way to reduce the force required to perform the pipetting task.