ChemTracker Chemical Inventory
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ChemTracker Chemical Inventory
To comply with the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, each laboratory must maintain an accurate inventory of hazardous chemicals. These inventories are essential not only for regulatory compliance, but also to support emergency responders by identifying what chemicals are present in a given area during an emergency.
To meet this need, the University of Louisville has implemented the SciShield™ ChemTracker inventory module. This centralized system:
- Integrates directly with existing SciShield™ lab profiles
- Provides tools to track, manage, and reconcile hazardous chemical inventories
- Improves accessibility and accuracy across campus labs
Using the ChemTracker Module
You can upload your chemical inventory in bulk using one of the following methods:
- Your own Excel sheet
- The UL ChemTracker Import Sheet (download here)
- Once your inventory is ready, email it to: chemsafe@louisville.edu.
DEHS will coordinate the upload during the next bulk import window. You’ll be notified when your inventory is available in your profile.
Whether you're using your own Excel sheet or the Import Sheet template, make sure to include the following for each chemical:
- CAS Number and/or Chemical Name
(At least one is required for each container) - Building Name and Room Number
(Where the chemical is located) - Amount
(Include container size, unit of measure, and number of containers)
Frequently Asked Questions
ChemTracker allows UofL to meet regulatory requirements by OSHA and NFPA by ensuring that all labs have current chemical inventories and allowing for tracking of aggregate building quantities. With this information, we can organize more effective emergency responses, enhance hazard communication, and highlight higher hazard chemicals for improved handling and storage.
For labs, having a digital inventory accessible to multiple lab members decreases manual manipulation of spreadsheets and reduces loss of data when members move or leave lab. ChemTracker includes a reconciliation tool that can be used to update your chemical inventory on an annual basis.
From an environmental sustainability and cose reduction standpoint, maintaining accurate inventories reduces excess ordering and help keep track of excess chemicals in storage.
It is mandatory for every lab to maintain an inventory of hazardous chemicals in ChemTracker. In the past, DEHS has allowed the use of other tracking systems, but having the information in ChemTracker will greatly improve our ability to quickly provide emergency responders with the information they need.
Any chemical that poses a physical, environmental, or health hazard. If the container displays one of the GHS hazard pictograms, it should be included in the inventory. Please include all compressed gases, even if it is just air. Controlled substances and toxins should also be included.
Products with no chemical hazard (such as water, growth media, sugars and salts, amino acids, glass beads. Although it is not mandatory to include these materials, you may choose to use ChemTracker to track them.
Chemical waste should also not be included in your inventory.
Novel compounds that are synthesized in lab should be added to the ChemTracker inventory if there are known hazards associated with them. These compounds will likely not be in the SciShield database but can be added as an 'unlinked' chemical. Hazard and safety information can be manual entered for unlinked chemicals.
You do not need to measure remaining quantity after each use. For the purposes of the ChemTracker inventory, use the quantity that was purchased from the vendor. When the container is empty, it can be removed from the inventory.
Chemical inventories should be updated as chemicals and hazards enter and exit the lab. A full inventory review should be done once a year. The ChemTracker module has a reconciliation tool to facilitate this process.
Unwanted or expired chemicals should be submitted through Chematix, our online hazardous waste management system.
Your ChemTracker inventory is accessible to only you, your group compliance liaisons (lab managers) and DEHS. You may also grant edit permissions to anyone in your SciShield lab member list.
If you need help in determining this, or have any other questions about the ChemTracker module, please reach out to DEHS 502-852-6670.