PPE

Personal Protective Equipment for Lab and Shops

Plastic Secondary Container Shatters Due to Dry Ice Sublimation

May 28, 2019
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
What happened?

A researcher packaged a microgram crystalline sample with dry ice to ensure sample integrity. The crystalline sample was first placed inside a glass vial, which was subsequently housed inside a plastic secondary container with a screw cap. The researcher placed dry ice around the glass vial inside the secondary container before loosely capping the top to vent.

When it came time to take out the glass vial, the researcher found that the secondary container was stuck, even though the cap was originally loosely screwed.

The researcher recruited the help of a staff...

Shop Safety Program

UC Berkeley has over 50 shops that provide academic and research support to the UC Berkeley community. This program is intended to cover any space where materials are fabricated, maintained, modified, repaired or tested, including:

Academic shops in which student instruction and use are major components Professional shops in which research support, fabrication and facilities maintenance are major components

The UC Berkeley Shop Safety Program provides guidance and direction for establishing and maintaining a safe and healthy environment in these shops. This program applies to anyone...

Respiratory Protection

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2023

There are several ways to protect against exposure to airborne contaminants. The most effective are engineering and administrative controls. (Engineering controls can include measures such as increasing ventilation or installing a fume hood; administrative controls involve changes in work procedures.) The law requires that these controls be considered before employees are issued respirators. If engineering and administrative controls are infeasible, respirators can be assigned.

2025 Fall Semester Reminders for Labs

September 10, 2025
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
The fall semester is under way, and Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) would like to help get you started on the right foot with some key lab safety reminders

Chemical Safety

Chemical SafetyHow Do I: collapse all expand all Store chemicals safely?

The safe storage of hazardous chemicals is an essential part of an environmental, health, and safety program. Chemical storage facilities must meet certain minimum standards to...

Equipment and Tool Safety

hammer and wrench icon Providing resources and guidance for the safe use of tools by UC Berkeley personnel.

Wes Chase

Senior Certified Industrial Hygienist
Air Quality
Workplace Safety
Field Research
Wildfire Smoke

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 expand all...

Laboratory Safety Manual

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

How do I get my lab coat cleaned/replaced?

Steps:

Whether a lab coat should be laundered, disposed of, or given to EH&S for decontamination will depend on what was spilled on the coat.

Biological Radioactive Chemical

BSL1:

Spray with 10% bleach. Rinse after 20 minutes and let dry Send for laundering

If H-3 (Tritium) contamination is suspected:

Place the lab coat in a sealed bag. Label it with your name, date, and H-3 (Tritium). Contact the Radiation Safety Team for further assistance at (510) 642-3073 or radsafety@berkeley.edu...