Workplace Safety

The campuswide Workplace Safety Program serves as the university’s central program for creating a safe and healthful work environment. 

Fall Protection: Equipment and Inspection Fact Sheet

2007

Mold Fact Sheet

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2023

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...

Shop Safety Program

There are more than 50 shops on campus and at field stations that conduct work in support of research and maintenance activities. Work includes model-building, carpentry, machine building, electrical/electronics, concrete work, glass blowing, metal working, vehicle maintenance and more. The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) has developed this Shop Safety Program to manage the hazards associated with various shops and their work activities to comply with Cal-OSHA and other regulations concerning shops.

This program applies to any department on campus, at field stations...

Laboratory Safety Self-inspections

Each year, EH&S initiates and tracks the completion of lab safety self-inspections, which are conducted by principal investigators or their delegates. The topics covered are designed to supplement inspections conducted by EH&S in order to facilitate safety awareness and ownership within the lab.To promote this effort, please complete your self-inspection in advance of your General Lab Safety inspection. EH&S recommends you complete your self-inspection 3 to 6 months relative to the General Lab Safety inspection.

The self-inspection questionnaire can be...

Eye Exposure to Specular and Diffuse Reflections

October 17, 2016
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
What happened?

A student conducting a physics experiment was briefly exposed to specular and diffuse reflections from a continuous wave 975 nm invisible laser beam while not wearing laser eye protection. The student was applying oil to an objective lens with a glass stick when it was noted that the laser was still on. The student was immediately referred to the optometry clinic and was promptly examined. No eye damage was found.

What went right?

The student immediately stopped work and alerted their professor as soon as...

New UC Workplace Violence Prevention Plan and Training Requirement

September 18, 2024

Following the enactment of California law SB 553, UC Berkeley is introducing a Workplace Violence Prevention (WPVP) Plan. This plan is designed to protect you and everyone on campus by clearly outlining what constitutes prohibited conduct, including any act or threat of violence that occurs in the workplace...

Making BUA personnel changes on the RSS app

May 1, 2025
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
Previously, updates to personnel approved to conduct research on a BUA were made on Labs At Berkeley (L@B), the web application used to manage lab roster and training information. There is no longer a need to make BUA personnel changes in L@B. BUA personnel changes can now only be made in RSS BUA.

EH&S Safety Newsletter - Vol 3, July 2025

July 7, 2025
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
This Safety Newsletter, sent to department safety coordinators, is intended to build community and raise awareness about safety topics.

Event Permit Procedures

Ensuring safe and compliant campus events. Special Event Requirements for Registered Student Organizations

The Office of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) is responsible for permits and inspections of campus events at which food is served to the public. In accordance with the California Retail Food Code, Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) can hold up to ...