Chemical Safety
Through the chemical management program, Environmental Health and Safety works to ensure the safe and environmentally sound management of chemicals from acquisition, storage use, inventory control, regulatory compliance, and disposal.
Chemical Inventory
³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ tracks our chemical inventory through an online chemical inventory program through the Vertere Chemical Inventory Manager. Every hazardous chemical stored on campus is entered into a database with a specific barcode number assigned to each container. Information associated with each piece includes the chemical name, manufacturer, size, barcode number, owner, and storage location. This system allows ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ to manage and control our chemical inventory more efficiently from purchase to disposal. Please visit the Vertere Inventory Manager website for more information on the Inventory Management Software.
View the Deleted Barcode Sheet for Used Chemicals (PDF).
Chemical Compatibility Chart
³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ EHS has developed (with generous help from the University-Wide Safety Committee) a helpful Chemical Segregation Chart (PDF) for common laboratory chemicals. This chart is meant to give general guidelines on how to store laboratory chemicals in a manner to avoid incompatibles from being in proximity to each other and lessen the possibility of them coming in contact. These guidelines cover many basic chemicals but are not all-inclusive. If you have any questions about chemical storage please contact us.
View the Chemical Compatibility Chart (PDF).
Chemical Safety
Use chemicals safely. First, keep a tidy and clean workspace that is easy and safe to work in. Wear long pants and closed-toed shoes when working with chemicals. Wear a lab coat or apron, gloves, and goggles. Keep chemicals capped when you are not using them. Work in a fume hood or in well-ventilated areas. Respirators should be used only as a last resort during chemical use, and are strictly regulated.
See the following EHS web pages for more information:
Chemical Waste
Accumulate and dispose of your chemical waste properly. For more information, visit the Waste Management webpage.
Laboratory and Workplace Surveys
Laboratory and workplace surveys are regularly conducted by EHS of all laboratories on campus. These surveys are designed to help you keep a safe and healthy workplace. In addition, you should inspect your own laboratory annually.
The EHS Lab Inspection Checklist (PDF)is used by ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ EHS on a semi-annual basis to evaluate all laboratories on campus. Labs may use this checklist to do regular self-inspections in order to enhance the safety and health of the lab.
Shipping Hazardous Materials
If you prepare, package, mark or label a shipment for a hazardous material, you must first be trained to do so according to U.S. Department of Transportation requirements [49 CFR 173.1(3)(b)].
According to the U.S. DOT, a hazardous material is defined as "... a substance or material, which has been determined by the Secretary of Transportation to be capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce, and which has been so designated."
This includes hazardous chemicals (corrosive, toxic, reactive, or flammable), infectious substances, radioactive substances, compressed gases, dry ice and more.
Shipping hazardous materials can be complicated. And, the consequences for doing it improperly can be high, including fines and possibly imprisonment! It is very important that you be certified to ship hazardous materials and understand and follow the pertinent national and international regulations before you ship anything hazardous.
EHS is required to notify the Department of Homeland Security if you ship certain listed substances governed by the recent Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards Title 6 CFR Part 27.
International shipments may also be subject to Import/Export requirements. Please contact ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ EHS for information on these requirements.
Assistance with shipping your hazardous material
EHS, in coordination with several departments around campus, offers assistance for ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ students, faculty, and professional staff who need to ship hazardous materials. Please contact us for further information.
For assistance in shipping radioactive materials, contact the Radiation Safety Officer.