Lab Safety

UC Field Safety Training

University of California has a Field Safety office that offers period Wilderness Advanced First Aid courses (8 hrs) at a reduced rate for UC affiliates. Prior to fieldwork see the Field Safety Plan available. Links to additional information such as travel insurance can be viewed on the ARF's Research Travel page

First Aid Kits available

The UC Field Safety Office has First Aid Kits that they will loan to UC projects at no cost provided that someone on the project has at least Advanced First Aid training. The First Aid Kits are the "NOLS 4.0" model and they weigh a little over 1 lb.

Emergency Satellite Communication units available

The UC Field Safety has a number of Garmin InReach devices for loan to UC projects. These are a small Garmin GPS units with an SOS feature and, importantly, they allow you to send and receive text messages via satellite from anywhere on earth. The service costs $20 per month but the Field Safety office currently covers all costs.


UC Berkeley Environment, Heath and Safety

EHS Safety for Radiation Producing Machines -- required for use of the ARF X-Ray Fluorescence Analyzers
https://ehs.berkeley.edu/safety-subjects/radiation-safety/radiation-safe...

EHS Laboratory Safety 101 -- required for access to the ARF Wet Lab
https://ehs.berkeley.edu/labs-research/laboratory-safety-manual


US Department of Agriculture Quarantine Soils Permit

The ARF maintains a USDA quarantine soils permit #P330-20-00147 (exp. 04/27/2023) for non-local sediment samples (PPQ525).  A PDF of this permit is available upon request from the ARF Lab Manager (arf-labs@berkeley.edu).

Our online database of samples can be viewed online by UC Berkeley users. Refer to this database to determine next available sample number. A separate table and/or form is available for entering new records into the database. These new records are transferred into the complete database every six months.

Please contact the lab manager for labels 4 weeks prior to hand-carrying or shipment of samples to our facility.