Chemical inventory and delivery

The EH&S department maintains a campus chemical inventory for regulatory, safety and informational reasons. The methods of data collection include chemical inventory at central receiving, delivery of received chemicals, chemical inventory in buildings, and frequent pick up of empty containers. All information is tracked in an on-line database called ChemTracker. The management process and flow of chemicals at the University of Nevada, Reno is as follows:

  1. Chemical Purchases – EH&S has no involvement with chemical purchases. Laboratory personnel purchase chemicals from their choice of suppliers.
  2. Chemical Inventory at Central Receiving (daily) – EH&S personnel inventory all incoming chemicals each day at the central receiving facility. To permit tracking of containers a unique UNR barcode number sticker is applied to each container. Laboratory personnel should contact EH&S if they see un-barcoded containers.
  3. Chemical Delivery (daily) – EH&S personnel deliver barcoded chemicals directly to the building and room where the chemical will be stored. The storage location of each container is tracked as part of the chemical inventory.
  4. Empty (barcoded) container removal (regularly) – EH&S personnel collect empty chemical containers from laboratories for disposal and removal from the inventory database. Laboratory personnel are responsible for collecting their empty containers and informing EH&S staff of their location for removal. If you wish to reuse an empty barcoded container, contact EH&S for proper accounting.
  5. Chemical Inventory in Buildings (periodic) – EH&S personnel perform physical inventory of chemicals in laboratories and other storage areas. On a building-by-building and room-by-room basis, EH&S updates chemical inventory data. The frequency of these inventory checks depends on many factors and may be performed every 1-3 years.
  6. Safety Data Sheet (SDS) Archiving (daily) – EH&S personnel upload all received safety data sheets (SDS) provided by chemical suppliers. Any SDSs that are included in chemical shipments are copied by EH&S and sent to the purchaser.

EH&S Assistance

The chemical inventory program provides the services listed below to assist laboratories in safely managing their chemical inventory. Contact Luis Barthel-Rosa or Stephanie Fuetsch for information and assistance.

  • Complete chemical inventory data for each laboratory room formatted in an Excel spreadsheet.
  • Floor maps of laboratory rooms showing chemical storage locations.
  • Lists of chemicals by hazard category (flammable, toxic, carcinogens, peroxide formers, etc.).
  • Lists of chemicals by compatibility storage groups to assist laboratories with proper segregation and storage of chemicals.
  • For chemicals with University bar codes, assistance with disposal of large numbers of chemicals.

Additional Information

Visit chemical inventory management.

Contact Luis Barthel-Rosa (luisbr@unr.edu, 327-2270)