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.

Drain Disposal Restrictions for Chemicals

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2024

Disposal of chemicals into the sanitary sewer is regulated by federal and state laws and regulations, by the local East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) Wastewater Control Ordinance and by the EBMUD Wastewater Discharge Permit issued to the campus. These laws and regulations prohibit any drain disposal of hazardous wastes and limit the allowable wastewater concentration of a number of specific substances. The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) is committed to protection of the local community and the environment through strict compliance with these laws and regulations...

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...

Chemical Hygiene Plan: Additional Training Documentation Page

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2024

By law, laboratory personnel must be trained on the contents of the Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP). This training must be documented on the CHP Flipchart before starting work in the laboratory. Whenever the CHP is revised, training must be provided on the changes and documented on the CHP Flipchart.

If space runs out on the training documentation page of the original CHP, please print out this page, attach it to the CHP, and continue documenting training.

Power Failures

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2024

Power Outages: Preparation and Response

This Fact Sheet includes:

General Power Outage information for the UC Berkeley Campus Best Practices for Advanced Preparation Before a Power Outage What to do During a...

Lab Self-Inspection Checklist

Office of Environment, Health & Safety

Reviewing the EH&S lab self-inspection checklist is a good way to prepare for inspections. The department safety coordinator for each department or an EH&S lab safety specialist will reach out to each lab to schedule an inspection time.

Contact the campus chemical hygiene officer at (510) 643-6381 or ucbcho@berkeley.edu with any questions or concerns about the EH&S General Lab Safety Inspection Program.

Laser Eye Exposure from a Specular Reflection

June 17, 2024
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
What happened?

A researcher walking towards an optical table was exposed to a laser beam that reflected off a hex ball driver tool. Another researcher at a nearby bench was installing an optical component on a breadboard when the hex ball driver he was using inadvertently moved into an active beam path. The hex ball tool had a reflective surface.

Resources and Guides

Job Safety Analysis (JSA)

A JSA 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.

JSAs Listed by Topic: Body Mechanics ...

UC Berkeley COVID-19 Prevention Program (CPP)

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2024

Reminder: Food and Drink in Laboratories

January 25, 2024
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety

The beginning of the year is the perfect time to review the following key points to help prevent contamination of food and beverages.

Food and beverages are NOT allowed to be stored or consumed in laboratories or other rooms that use or store hazardous materials (e.g., hazardous chemicals, biological hazards, unsealed radioactive materials, research animals, and/or human blood or tissues). Whenever feasible, break rooms or separate office space(s) should be made available for food and beverage consumption. Protect Clean Areas from contamination: Consistent with building,...

Approaching Soon: Annual General Lab Safety Inspections

February 22, 2024
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
Annual General Lab Safety Inspections will begin soon.

Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) lab safety specialists are in the process of scheduling an in-person inspections for labs.

How to prepare? The inspection checklist has expanded to include additional safety considerations. Please review the inspection questions and visit the General Lab Safety Inspections web page for more details...