Lessons Learned

Reports on incidents that involve injury, exposure (real or potential), or significant damage property. Lessons Learned detail what happened and how similar incidents can be avoided in the future.

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...

Employee's Toes Crushed by Falling Compressed Gas Cylinder

March 31, 2007
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
What Happened?

In February 2007, a University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) researcher was loading a gas cylinder on a two-cylinder cart when the previously loaded cylinder fell and crushed his toes.

What was the cause of the accident? What were the contributing factors?

The most likely cause of this accident is the fact that this two-cylinder cart had no means to secure both cylinders independently. Therefore, when positioning the second cylinder on the cart, there was no way to secure the first cylinder. Loading the second cylinder puts the...

Job Safety Analysis (JSA) Library

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.

Fact Sheets

Fact Sheets

EH&S Fact Sheets serve as campus-wide Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).

Lessons Learned at UC Berkeley

Glass Reactor Over-pressurization Causes Serious Injury to Grad Student Researcher

October 31, 2011
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
What Happened?

A recent lab accident caused serious injury to a UCB graduate student due to an over-pressurization that caused a glass reactor to fail. Glass was sprayed at the researcher who received cuts to his lip, chin, chest, and serious cuts to his hands. 911 was called and the researcher was taken by ambulance to the hospital. The cuts to the hand were serious enough to require stitches and surgery on the palm.

The chemical research involved a toxic/flammable gas that was liquefied and used with a pyrophoric reagent. The reaction was done inside a fume hood, so no one else...

Forklift Rollover

December 31, 2006
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
What Happened?

A veteran forklift operator with 20 years of experience started his day just as he had often done, then soon realized just how fast things can change. Due to an oversized load, the operator was transporting a dumpster bin on the forks of his forklift while he was traveling in reverse. While in reverse, he hit a curb, causing the forklift to roll over onto its side.

The stunned operator was transported by ambulance to the hospital emergency room, where he was treated for a fractured leg.

The operator understood the importance of wearing a seat belt and holding-...

Improper Hazardous Material Disposal

September 30, 2002
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
What Happened?

A can of epoxy hardener was included in a salvage cart (see photo) and spilled at some point in the process of moving the salvage cart. An employee came in contact with the spilled material and was instructed to immediately wash with soap and water. EH&S then cleaned up the spill (see photos).

Lessons Learned

Please remind your staff of proper disposal methods for hazardous materials.

Paper Cutter Guards

November 30, 2000
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety

Don't lose your thumb! Paper cutters such as the one here are not safe or legal. Cal/OSHA has cited campus departments for allowing unguarded paper cutters in the workplace in prior years.

a hand on a paper cutter with no finger guard

Lessons Learned

Please be sure all paper cutters in your department have a guard like the one seen here.

Bolt and Brace Your Shop Equipment

October 31, 2002
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
What Happened?

Someone was using the vice pictured below to hold an item in the process of a normal workday. In the process of performing a task, the vice toppled off the surface onto the person's foot causing a serious injury. The person was not wearing steel-toed boots.

Lessons Learned

Always wear your steel-toed boots when working around heavy machinery and shop equipment. All shop equipment that is designed to be braced to a work surface or floor must be braced. Do not use equipment that could fall or otherwise cause injury if it is not braced according to...