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Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Seeking Chemical Management Advice

Date: Feb 12, 2026 14:56 UTC

Author: Garry Haacke <000024500fc9f354-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**LISTS.PRINCETON.EDU>

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Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Seeking Chemical Management Advice

Date: Feb 12, 2026 15:16 UTC

Author: Schairer, Christine <Christine.Schairer**At_Symbol_Here**STOCKTON.EDU>

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From: Shannon Nephew <millersc**At_Symbol_Here**PLATTSBURGH.EDU>

Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] [External] [DCHAS-L] Seeking Chemical Management Advice

Date: Feb 12, 2026 15:07 UTC

Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>

In-Reply-To: [DCHAS-L] Seeking Chemical Management Advice

Demystify: 
Hello Rachel and congratulations on your new role!
inventory Systems
  • We use Vertere for our chemical inventory (which used to be conducted biannually and now that I have been doing it for over ten years, it is now conducted annually.  I do all of our procurement, receiving and delivery, so our inventory happens organically all year round through that process as well).  I have been very pleased with the customer service from Vertere, as they are always immediately responsive.  I am unsure of their cost comparison in regard to the other options.  I did just have to buy a new scanner and that was rather pricey (around $2000 if I recall correctly), but we had the same one for well over 10 years.  There is a mobile option where you can use your mobile device to scan the barcodes, so that would be handy and eliminate the need for the scanner.  We have a Zebra printer to print our barcodes and that is old and I have never replaced it.

Explosion vs Flammable Fridge/freezers
  • We have the flammable fridge/freezers in our labs and I am interested to hear from anyone who has the feedback on the explosion proof.  

Student Lab Safety
  • I talk about this in my student and faculty/staff annual training sessions and we actually have a demonstration where I set fire to them or have one of the participants do it.  Our Lab Safety Team made videos doing this last year.  I did find some papers, but the one with photos was older and of someone who was smoking and caught her nail on fire and subsequently had to get her finger amputated.  If you respond off list, I am happy to share whatever I have.  
  • I also have a model of a hand that I put a nail on and have it poking through the finger of the glove, to demonstrate how long nails can compromise the integrity of the glove.  It has taken awhile to see less of the acrylic nails, but we rarely see them now.  Instructors share with students the first week of lab that they are not recommended and it is also in our Chemical Hygiene Plan.
Hope this helps, feel free to reach out anytime!

Shannon

SHANNON C. NEPHEW, 
MS, CSM, CCHO
Chemical Hygiene Officer, Hudson Hall Science Complex Building Manager
Laboratory Safety Professional
Hudson Hall 317
101 Broad Street
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
plattsburgh.edu
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On Thu, Feb 12, 2026 at 9:32 AM Rachel A Kaiser <0000244c46d98b14-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**lists.princeton.edu> wrote:
Hello, 

I recently became the Chemical Hygiene Officer at Wittenberg University and I am hoping you can help me with a couple of questions:

Inventory Systems
  • I am looking for chemical inventory system recommendations that are cost effective and user friendly. I have gotten quotes from UNHCEMS, VelocityEHS, EHSInsight, EcoOnline, CampusOptics, and ChemicalSafety. I have also tried the free system ChemInventory, but I could not figure out how to add synonyms for the chemicals and I didn't love that the system defaults the date the chemical is added as the date acquired. Please let me know if there is a way to get around either of those issues. Additionally, I would love to know if you have any of these chemical management software and your opinions on them or if you have other system recommendations?

Explosion vs Flammable Fridge/freezers
  • I understand that the difference between Flammable Fridges/Freezers and Explosion-proof Fridges/Freezers is that the explosion proof have spark-proof interiors and exteriors rather than just spark-proof interiors. We have an explosion proof fridge/freezer in our chemical stockroom that needs to be replaced. We have a flammable fridge that we could use as the replacement, but I want to make sure an explosion-proof fridge is not necessary. Our stockroom has vented cabinets and a relatively small amount of volatile chemicals, but I was hoping to get more experienced opinions on this!

Student Lab Safety
  • There has been an increase in students attending classes/labs with long acrylic nails. Do you all have any information regarding the safety of fake nails while working with chemicals or safety precautions that anyone has put into place around this? 

I really appreciate any and all advice,

Rachel Kaiser ’22 (she/her/hers)

Chemistry Lab Coordinator | Chemical Hygiene Officer

Wittenberg University

(937)327-6442

 

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