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.

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,...

Kim Hunter

PPE Coordinator
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Lab Safety (Gloves, Lab Coats, Goggles)
Shop Safety (Gloves, Face Shields, N95 Masks, Respirators)
COVID-19: Face Coverings

Principal Investigators

Principal Investigators (PIs) must ensure the safety of work assignments and work spaces, assign safety training related to hazards, provide safety procedures and equipment, correct identified hazards (where practicable), look into the causes of incidents and take action to prevent similar incidents, and discuss safety in regular meetings and performance reviews.

New labs

How do I set up a new lab?

Note: Your department's Department Safety Coordinator (DSC) may have their own practices and guidelines. It is strongly suggested that you contact them for guidance. Not sure who your DSC is? Use the "Who's your DSC?" tool to find out!

Getting Started Email labsafety@berkeley.edu to have your new lab set up in our database. If you are a new Principal Investigator,...

Ren Ramos

Lab Inspection Program Coordinator / Lab Safety Specialist
Lab Safety
EH&S Inspections

Preventing Gas Cylinder Leaks

January 9, 2024
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety

Leaking cylinders can pose serious hazards, including: oxygen displacement, release of toxic or other hazardous gas, and/or fire/explosion due to flammable or reactive gas release. If your lab works with compressed gas, please be aware that older cylinders are prone to leaking at the valve.

What to do

Please follow the precautions below to prevent gas cylinder leaks:

Remove or replace cylinders that are 10 years or older. Remove cylinders that are no longer in use. Most are returnable to the vendors (Linde, Airgas) with no charge. Check cylinders, regulators, piping, and valves...

Important lab coat reminders

December 7, 2023
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
EH&S needs your extra lab coats!

When researchers leave the lab or the university, many lab coats are left behind and remain unused. This occupies valuable space and prevents EH&S from reissuing coats.

1. Return Surplus Lab Coats.

To sustain our campus-funded lab coat program, please return any surplus coats by following the instructions.

2. New lab coat laundry process

EH&S launched a new lab coat laundry process earlier this semester. Please...

Reminder: Complete lab safety self-inspections

September 14, 2024
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
Important Reminder for Principal Investigators and Laboratory Safety Coordinators Complete a self-inspection

Submit your self-inspection online through Inspect, an RSS web application.

Review the instructions on how to conduct a self-inspection...

Lab Decommissioning

Lab Equipment Decontamination Protocol Departments must identify equipment desired for release by creating a list for Equipment Management (contact: betshelp@berkeley.edu). Department equipment listings must provide a BETS #, Serial #, building and room number of the equipment intended for release. Departments must also include: equipment history, associated chemical use, biological use or radiation use authorizations - where applicable. Verify and update equipment building, room and description to...

Biological Use Authorization Application

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2022
Biological Use Authorization (BUA) Application Form

Principal Investigators (PIs) will need to submit a Biological Use Authorization (BUA) if working with biological agents including:

recombinant DNA synthetic nucleic acids WHO Risk Group 2 or higher pathogens biological toxins material of human or non-human primate origin, including cell lines

To determine if the agent you plan to work with is considered Risk Group 2 or higher, please reference the...