Chemical Inventory Management

Maintenance of the laboratory’s chemical inventory is both a regulatory requirement for using, handling, and storing hazardous materials as well as a tool for communication and managing chemical hazards within the laboratory. The inventory of hazardous chemicals in GU laboratories is maintained in the EH&S Safety Portal. The chemical inventory is updated by the owner of these chemicals (i.e., PI/lab or facility manager). The inventory needs to be updated when there are changes to the laboratory’s chemical inventory and on an annual basis.

An accurate chemical inventory provides a number of utilities for the laboratory, including efficient ordering of chemicals, locating reagents, effective emergency response, compliance with hazardous material limits, effective hazard communication, and safer storage practices. 

Spot checking of chemicals will occur during the annual inspection to ensure that laboratories are routinely updating their chemical inventories to include all hazardous chemicals stored inside their laboratories. 

Guidance materials on preparing chemical inventories can be found below.