Karen,

At University of Nevada, Reno, the EH&S department manages and maintains the chemical inventory with EH&S staff.  Any chemicals that get delivered to the university central receiving are inventoried then delivered directly to the purchaser by EH&S staff.  We must maintain a database of people and places in order to know where to deliver chemical packages.   

EH&S also goes around periodically to perform a physical inventory in laboratory room spaces as a snapshot glance to reconcile items still on site, and to delete items not found. 

Note that not every type of chemical gets delivered to the university central services, large gas cylinders and cryogens go direct from supplier to the purchasers w/o EH&S being involved.  Hazardous household chemicals that can be purchased from consumer stores (acetone, rubbing alcohol, WD-40, etc.) also do not pass through central receiving but are inventoried during the physical inventory in lab spaces. 

Message me directly if you have more questions.  Sincerely,  Luis

I’m interested in hearing from academic campuses that have instituted a campus-wide chemical inventory system.  We currently have a centralized inventory for the Sciences Building, but not for the entire campus.  For those of you who use a single inventory for the entire campus, who manages it and how do you receive the chemicals and then get them out to the different buildings on campus?

Thank you,

Karalyn (Karen) Humphrey, Ph.D

Laboratory Safety Program Manager

& Radiation Safety Officer

Department of Environmental, Health & Safety

Baylor University

Office: Draper 244.10

Phone:  254-710-2002

"… our job in safety is to make the task happen, SAFELY; not to interfere with the work…” Neal Langerman