What should be included in the chemical inventory?

Laboratories should prepare hazardous material inventory records and make the inventories available to EHS if a manufactured (commercially obtained) hazardous chemical is used, handled, or stored in quantities equal to or greater than the following:

• Any amount of chemical/compound/material with a hazard characteristic of:
  • pyrophoric
  • water-reactive
  • potentially explosive
  • peroxide-forming
  • strong corrosive
  • strong oxidizing
  • strong reducing
• Any amount of chemical/compound/material that meets OSHA criteria of being a Particularly Hazardous Substance (PHS):
  • acutely toxic
  • carcinogenic
  • reproductive/developmental toxic
• Any amount of a compressed or condensed gas (including liquefied gases, gases dissolved in solvent, and cryogens)
• Containers of solid substances:
  • Greater than or equal to 10 grams if associated with the “Danger” signal word
  • Greater than or equal to 100 grams if associated with the “Warning” signal word
  • Greater than or equal to 250 grams if not associated with a signal word
• Containers of liquid substances:
  • Greater than or equal to 10 milliliters if associated with the “Danger” signal word
  • Greater than or equal to 100 milliliters if associated with the “Warning” signal word
  • Greater than or equal to 250 milliliters if not associated with a signal word

See Chemical Inventory Logging Flowchart for additional guidance on determing whether a container should be logged to the chemical inventory.

Laboratory Prepared Reagents

Many laboratories prepare additional reagent stocks from manufactured chemicals/compounds/material.  Laboratory prepared reagents that are for immediate use and are used or disposed within 48 hours are not required to be logged to the laboratory’s chemical inventory.  Laboratory staff may exercise their discretion to log prepared reagents that are used or disposed within a week but are kept longer than 48hrs.  Laboratory prepared reagents that are kept in the lab for more than a week and meet the criteria above for commercially procured materials should be logged to the laboratory’s chemical inventory.

Laboratory prepared reagents not logged to the chemical inventory must have the date of preparation indicated on the container label.

Tip:  Laboratories that regularly prepare reagent aliquots or carboys with dilutions, buffers, etc. should log the typical maximum quantity of these reagents that will be on hand.  This account will help accurate track hazardous materials in the research buildings to ensure that quantities are within permitted limits.

Novel Chemicals/Compounds and Uncharacterized Mixtures

Many laboratories may synthesize (or obtain from collaborators) novel chemicals/compounds/materials or prepare reagent mixtures during the conduct of their research that may not be well characterized.  In the absence of known hazard classification for laboratory prepared materials, researchers should make a reasonable attempt to identify the hazards associated with the prepared materials.  EHS can offer additional assistance identifying the hazardous associated with a material based upon extrapolation of known properties of the components of mixtures and prediction based upon structural/functional analogs.

Novel chemicals/compounds and uncharacterized mixtures that meet any of the preceding criteria for inclusion in the chemical inventory system should be logged.