Environmental Health & Safety

Face Coverings are Required while on Campus. Faculty & Staff may Request a Face Covering from EH&S.

In response to UCR’s campus closure, the EH&S office is closed.  Critical functions related to emergency response coordination, hazardous waste collection and delivery of research materials under the purview of EH&S including radiation packages and controlled substances are operational, however may experience delay.

If you have safety emergency such as a hazardous material spill, injury or illness, contact UCPD at (951) 827-5222 or 911 on a cellular device.

You can still report an incident, injury, or safety concern using the online reporting tool. For general inquiries, please email us at ehs@ucr.edu and our remote staff will respond to your concerns by the next business day.

What is Safety & Industrial Hygiene? 

Safety & Industrial Hygiene is the practice of ensuring the general health and safety of the campus by supplying information, services, and equipment to help identify, evaluate, and control potentially harmful activities in the work and learning environment.

For more information, contact Safety or Industrial Hygiene or call (951) 827-5528.

General Safety

Safety program areas help you prevent injuries and illnesses while you are working.

Industrial Hygiene

Industrial hygiene activities involve the anticipation, recognition, evaluation and control of workplace hazards. 

  • Asbestos

    Asbestos is the name given to six minerals that occur naturally in the environment as bundles of fibers that can be separated into thin, durable threads for use in commercial and industrial applications. If products containing asbestos are disturbed, tiny asbestos fibers are released into the air. When asbestos fibers are breathed in, they may get trapped in the lungs and remain there for a long time. Over time, these fibers can accumulate and cause scarring and inflammation, which can affect breathing and lead to serious health problems. It is important for employees to follow proper work practices to minimize the potential for disturbing any presumed asbestos containing material (PACM) and potentially releasing asbestos fibers into the air.

    For more information on these and other health effects of asbestos exposure,see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry website.

    Annual Campus Asbestos Notification

    Cal/OSHA Regulation 8 CCR 1529; 5208; 8358

    Federal OSHA Regulation 29 CFR 1910.1001; 1926.1101

    EPA Asbestos Website

    Asbestos FAQ

    Awareness Training

  • Crystalline Silica Program

    The purpose of the Crystalline Silica Program is to protect the UC Riverside campus community from health hazards associated with exposures to respirable dust that contains crystalline silica and ensure campus compliance with applicable health and safety regulations. To request a respirator, please email ehsih@ucr.edu.

    UCR's Written Crystalline Silica Program

    Cal/OSHA Table 1 Specified Exposure Control Methods

    Cal/OSHA Regulation: 8 CCR 1532

  • Fume Hoods

    Chemical Fume Hoods capture and remove contaminants to prevent overexposure to personnel within the lab. When properly used, a well-designed hood in a ventilated room will protect you (a trained laboratory worker) from most airborne exposures to hazardous laboratory chemicals.

    Fume Hood Annual Certification Procedure

    EH&S Fume Hood Fast Facts

    Guide to Health, Safety, and Environmental Responsibilities for Researchers

    Cal/OSHA Regulation 8 CCR 5154.1

     

  • Indoor Air Quality

    The quality of indoor air inside offices, schools, and other workplaces is important not only for workers' comfort but also for their health. Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) has been tied to symptoms like headaches, fatigue, trouble concentrating, and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. The General Duty Clause of the OSH Act (the law that created OSHA) requires employers to provide workers with a safe workplace that does not have any known hazards that cause or are likely to cause death or serious injury.

    California Indoor Air Quality State Plan (OSHA)

    Indoor Air Quality Program (OSHA)

    UCR is Smoke and Tobacco Free

  • Mold

    Mold is fungi that is found everywhere – both indoors and outdoors all year round. The terms fungi and mold are often used interchangeably, but mold is actually a type of fungi. Concern about indoor exposure to mold has increased along with public awareness that exposure to mold can cause a variety of adverse health effects. There are many thousands of species of mold and most if not all of the mold found indoors comes from outdoor sources. It seems likely to grow and become a problem only when there is water damage, high humidity, or dampness.

    Mold Program (OSHA)

    Mold Hazard Recognition (OSHA)

  • Respiratory Protection
    Respiratory Protection Program Guidelines

    Respiratory Protection Program

    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. EH&S evaluates a person's ability to safely wear a respirator prior to a respirator being issued. For more information visit the Respiratory Protection Page.

    Do not buy, borrow or wear a respirator without contacting EH&S first!

  • Wild Fire Smoke Protection

    The University has measures in place to inform you of, and protect you from, the dangers of inhaling wildfire smoke.

    Wildfire Smoke Protection Training

    Cal/OSHA Regulation 8CCR 5141.1 | View in Spanish
    Mandatory Training Requirements (Appendix B)

  • Workplace Exposure Assessments

    The Workplace Exposure Assessment Program is established at UCR in order to evaluate potential personal exposures to hazardous substances. The program consists of a variety of activities implemented to evaluate a person’s exposure including observation of job routine, evaluation of work place control measures and environmental sampling. Several types of sampling are performed by Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) depending on the nature of the chemical hazard, the frequency of chemical use and the way the chemical is handled.

    Chemical exposure monitoring is often initiated by EH&S and can also be provided upon request. Some of the typical chemicals, which are monitored at UCR, include:

    • Asbestos

    • Lead particulate (Lead Based Paint)

    • Formaldehyde

    • Hazardous laboratory chemicals

    • Solvent based materials and cleaning products

    • Chemical carcinogens or extremely toxic substances

    Cal/OSHA Regulation 8 CCR 5204

Pre-Renovation/Demolition Hazardous Materials Building Survey Request
Abatement Project Notification
Respiratory Protection Program Guidelines

 

Learn More about the Respiratory Protection Program at UCR!
Report a Work Related Injury/Illness
Cal/OSHA Division of Occupational Safety and Health
Safety Training