Workplace Safety

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

Respiratory Protection Program

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2018

EH&S evaluates workplaces for possible airborne hazards and recommends ways to reduce these hazards when found. When appropriate, EH&S will fit campus workers with respirators and provide annual training on their proper use. This program is administered in cooperation with University Health Services. UHS evaluates a person's ability to safely wear a respirator prior to a respirator being issued. For more information contact EH&S at ehs@berkeley.edu.

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.

Field Safety Reminders for the Spring/Summer

April 16, 2024
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety

Following these simple steps supports safe and successful research.

Five reminders for the Spring/Summer fieldwork & travel season

Register all University travel >100 miles via UC Away (Calnet login required) for travel insurance documentation, 24/7 travel assistance, and a destination-specific trip brief.

For international travel, review the...

Shop Safety Self-inspections Due May 1, 2024

March 21, 2024
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety

The annual shop safety self-inspection period is here! As a reminder, shops are asked to conduct self-inspections each year to supplement EH&S inspections in order to promote safety awareness and safe work practices.

Important Update Expanded Shop Safety Checklist The inspection checklist has expanded to include additional safety considerations for a more thorough safety inspection. Be prepared to spend more time conducting the self-inspections. There are now 10 safety categories, which includes a total of 83 items to check as part of the self-inspection. Review the...

Event Safety

Ensuring safe and compliant campus events. Fire & Life Safety during Events

An event permit may be required to ensure the fire and life safety of the campus community. Issues of concern include:

Expected attendance of fifty or more people Campus space being used for other than normal purposes Tents or canopies over 400 sq ft Locations that could impact access by emergency vehicles Use of open flame,...

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 can hold up to...

Shop Safety Self-Inspections

Each year, shop managers (or their delegates) are asked to conduct shop self-inspections. The topics covered are designed to supplement inspections conducted by EH&S to facilitate safety awareness and ownership within the shop.

Compliance Requirement

Self-inspections are a requirement of the campus Workplace Safety Program and Policy.

2024 Shop Safety Self-Inspections

Complete a...

It takes a lot of effort to keep aisles and exits clear in our busy, crowded lab. Why is it so important?

EH&S wants you to get out of your lab safely in an emergency. A good question to ask yourself is: “Could I quickly and safely get out of my lab in the dark?” Maintain a minimum of 36 inches clearance in aisles at all times and never block required exits with equipment, boxes, or other items (required exits have a lighted “exit” sign above the door).

How far apart do incompatible gases need to be?

Flammable gases (e.g., hydrogen, methane, propane, acetylene) and oxygen (or other oxidizing gases) must be separated by 20 feet or by a non-combustible partition extending 18 inches above and to the sides of stored gas cylinders. Cylinders should be positioned so that the label with the name of the gas and its hazard is clearly visible. Gas cylinders are often difficult to reach; in an emergency, first responders need to see what they’re dealing with as quickly as possible.

Indoor Air Quality During Smoky Conditions

The UC Berkeley campus has hundreds of buildings and each building performs differently based on its design, age, equipment, and critical human factors.

"It Smells Smoky in Here..."

We can't stress enough the importance of keeping doors and windows closed when it's smoky outdoors. Indoor air will commonly smell of smoke during a wildfire event, but when we test it, we find it’s consistently better (i.e., containing lower particulate matter) than being outdoors. Most buildings contain MERV-rated filters that reduce harmful particulate pollution, but do not have charcoal...