Lab Resources

Biological Safety Program

• UCSF's goals of the Biological Safety Program are to protect laboratory workers, the public, and the environment from potentially hazardous biological agents and toxins.
• UCSF's Institutional Biosafety Committee advocates the use of biosafety precautions that effectively reduce or eliminate the risk of exposure to potentially hazardous agents used in research.
• There are several additional resources directly linked below:
  • Biosafety Resources (manuals, SOPs, admin forms, postings/labels, external resources)
  • Biosafety SOPs

Biohazard Use Authorization (BUA)

• UCSF Principal Investigators planning to carry out research which may involve biological hazards should should submit a Biological Use Authorization application form to the Institutional Biosafety Committee for review and approval.
• Lists all the research conducted in each laboratory.
• Lists all approved personnel.
• Lists training requirements.
• Lists approved locations for use.
• All research must be approved before research begins.
• BUA Orientation and Tips Sheet for getting started.

Maintain a Chemical Inventory

• Maintaining accurate chemical inventories is a regulatory requirement and is essential to ensuring the safety of first responders who may need to enter UCSF buildings.
• Chemical inventories must be updated annually, anytime the inventory significantly changes, and whenever a new storage and use location is added.
• To assist PIs in maintaining accurate chemical inventories, EH&S is introducing a user-friendly chemical inventory management system called UC Chemicals.
• View a one-page summary on "Managing your chemical inventory."

Draft SOPs for Particularly Hazardous Chemicals

• CAl/OSHA requires that standard operating procedures (SOPs) be established for work with any hazardous chemicals.
• Prinicipal investigators and laboratory supervisors are responsible for establishing SOPs relevant to health and safety for laboratory activities under their direction that involve hazardous chemicals.
• In order to alleviate the needs for hundreds or thousands of chemical specific SOPs for all of the hazardous chemicals in a lab's inventory, EH&S at UCSF has introduced the system of control banding SOPs.
• Control banding is a process that matches a control measure (e.g., ventilation, engineering controls, containment, etc.) to a range or"band" of hazards and exposures. (Acutely Toxic, Carcinogens, Corrosive, etc.)

Storage

• All chemicals must be labeled (including secondary transfer containers)
• Materials should always be segregated and stored according to their chemical family or hazard classification.
• When multiple hazards are present, prioritize them in the following order: flammability, reactivity, and corrosivity.
• There are basic storage requirements such as clearance from the ceiling, no ignition sources, approved storage cabinets, secondary containment, signage, and handling.
• See the full guidelines on "Safe Storage of Hazardous Chemicals."

Oversee the disposal of chemicals in WASTe

• All chemicals must be disposed of according to EH&S regulations and using the WASTe App located on the UCSF MyAccess page.
• To learn more about the WASTe program, please see HERE.

• The acquisition, use and disposal of Controlled Substances at UCSF is subject to strict Federal and State Drug enforcement Administration (DEA) regulations as well as University of California directives.
• Any lab that works with controlled substances needs to have the appropriate authorizations in place.
• Strict guidelines that cover users, storage, utilization, record keeping, and disposal.
• https://ehs.ucsf.edu/controlled-substances-program

• This online system is intended to identify and communicate hazards present in a lab or research area to prevent workplace illness and injuries.
• It offers the ability to easily maintain lab hazard assessments, determine the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) needs, and maintains training records required to help ensure that lab members are properly protected.
• Each member of the laboratory must be added to this assessment.  The person must certify the assessment and take the PPE training.
• This assessment is an App on the UCSF MyAccess Page.
• https://ehs.ucsf.edu/lab-hazard-assessment-lhat

All campuses departments are required to complete an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) on the UC READY platform. This plan outlines your department’s preparedness measures and priority actions during emergencies, from small incidents to citywide disasters. 

EAP user guide and bulletin HERE. 

The UCSF Office of Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S) provides expertise and resources to help the UCSF community maintain a safe workplace, ensure safe work practices, and preserve the environment.

The Laboratory Animal Resource Center (LARC) provides quality care for all animals used at UCSF. LARC is administratively part of the Office of Research Services in the Research unit of the University. 

UCSF – Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee is “Advancing Health Worldwide” by promoting humane care and use of animal subjects in research. The IACUC oversees all UCSF research and instruction that involves vertebrate animals, in order to ensure that the highest ethical and animal welfare standards are met through all applicable federal, state, and University laws and regulations.

The Research Resource Program (RRP) provides strategic planning and implementation of programs to support core facilities and other research resources at UCSF. RRP provides administrative, operational, and financial management support to core facilities.

Facilities provides the operational and maintenance needs of all UCSF campus facilities. Connect to https://campuslifeserviceshome.ucsf.edu/facilities and submit tickets HERE.

Supply Chain Management provides several essential services to the UCSF community. They are the UCSF supply chain infrastructure that advances health worldwide and safeguards the University through innovative contracting, purchasing, logistics, and payment services.

Procurement Tips

The links below are references to simplify and speed approval for purchase requisitions over $10,000 which must be reviewed by SCM Procurement. Sourcing items from these suppliers, when possible, reduces the information required to create a purchase requisition as well as the subsequent review by Buyers to generate a purchase order. The listed suppliers have competitively bid systemwide agreements with the University of California; therefore, no additional justifications are needed when submitting your requisition.

Life Science Company Agreements

All UC Supplier Agreements

Employment information, benefits, pay actions, working at UCSF, and information about HR webinars can be found HERE.

Emergency: 9-1-1

To contact the UCSF Police Department, call 911 from any campus phone or (415) 476-6911 from a non-campus phone. 

Non-Emergency: (415) 476-1414

Website: https://police.ucsf.edu

Logistics provides mail services, storage, delivery, moving, installation, surplus, and an online warehouse for gases and alcohol. Place orders under "UCSF Logistics Online Warehouse" in MyAccess. The Logistics website can be found HERE.