ChemTracker Chemical Inventory
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ChemTracker Chemical Inventory
The OSHA Hazard Communication Standard requires that each laboratory maintains an accurate inventory of hazardous chemicals. These inventories are critical for regulatory purposes, but they also allow emergency responders to know what chemicals to expect in an area during an emergency. To address the need for an accessible centralized chemical inventory system, the University of Louisville has enabled the SciShield ChemTracker inventory module. This module integrates with existing SciShield lab profiles and provides a variety of tools to track and reconcile hazardous chemical inventories.
A big thank you and shout out to Simone Houng at the University of Maryland for organizing these instructions and the FAQ!
Upcoming live training sessions:
- TBD
Email tOmull02@louisville.edu to reserve a spot!
Initial Instructions
The ChemTracker module will appear in the top row of tabs on your lab profile. Initial inventories can be uploaded in bulk by sending your inventory in Excel or by using the UL ChemTracker Import Sheet below. DEHS will coordinate this upload. Individual chemicals can be added, edited, and deleted within the module as needed.
Whether you are using your own Excel sheet or the Import Sheet template, be sure to include the following required information for each chemical:
- CAS number and Chemical Name - at least one of these must be given for each container
- Building Name and Room Number where chemical is located
- Amount (container size plus unit of measure, and number of containers)
Email your updated Excel inventory or completed Import Sheet to cathy.price@louisville.edu. Your inventory will be uploaded in the next bulk import window and you will be notified when it is available in your profile.
DOWNLOAD THE UL ChemTracker IMPORT SHEET HERE
How to Use ChemTracker
Frequently Asked Questions
ChemTracker allows UofL to meet regulatory requirements by OSHA and NFPA by ensuring that all labs have current chemical inventories and allowing for tracking of aggregate building quantities. With this information, we can organize more effective emergency responses, enhance hazard communication, and highlight higher hazard chemicals for improved handling and storage.
For labs, having a digital inventory accessible to multiple lab members decreases manual manipulation of spreadsheets and reduces loss of data when members move or leave lab. ChemTracker includes a reconciliation tool that can be used to update your chemical inventory on an annual basis.
From an environmental sustainability and cose reduction standpoint, maintaining accurate inventories reduces excess ordering and help keep track of excess chemicals in storage.
It is mandatory for every lab to maintain an inventory of hazardous chemicals in ChemTracker. In the past, DEHS has allowed the use of other tracking systems, but having the information in ChemTracker will greatly improve our ability to quickly provide emergency responders with the information they need.
Any chemical that poses a physical, environmental, or health hazard. If the container displays one of the GHS hazard pictograms, it should be included in the inventory. Please include all compressed gases, even if it is just air. Controlled substances and toxins should also be included.
Products with no chemical hazard (such as water, growth media, sugars and salts, amino acids, glass beads. Although it is not mandatory to include these materials, you may choose to use ChemTracker to track them.
Chemical waste should also not be included in your inventory.
Novel compounds that are synthesized in lab should be added to the ChemTracker inventory if there are known hazards associated with them. These compounds will likely not be in the SciShield database but can be added as an 'unlinked' chemical. Hazard and safety information can be manual entered for unlinked chemicals.
You do not need to measure remaining quantity after each use. For the purposes of the ChemTracker inventory, use the quantity that was purchased from the vendor. When the container is empty, it can be removed from the inventory.
Chemical inventories should be updated as chemicals and hazards enter and exit the lab. A full inventory review should be done once a year. The ChemTracker module has a reconciliation tool to facilitate this process.
Unwanted or expired chemicals should be submitted through Chematix, our online hazardous waste management system.
Your ChemTracker inventory is accessible to only you, your group compliance liaisons (lab managers), and DEHS. You may also grant edit permissions to anyone in your SciShield lab member list.
If you need help in determining this, or have any other questions about the ChemTracker module, please reach out to DEHS (502-852-6670).