Safe, efficient and cost-effective management of chemical inventories at the lab or other places where chemicals are stored and used is essential to every organization’s daily operation. I say daily, because chemicals are ordered, received, transferred, mixed, used, stored and disposed on a daily basis and limiting chemical inventory to static or periodic checks can be the source of significant issues.
The first step, therefore, is to know where chemicals are at any given time, the amount of each chemical stored or used by location, who is using them and for what purpose, and the hazards associated with each of them.
Rules-based chemical tracking includes deciding what chemicals should be permitted in the workplace, permissible quantities, and uses, and EH&S managed functions for chemical authorization, approval, regulatory reporting and compliance.
Mobile apps with inventory management functions make updating chemicals and keeping inventories current and accurate easy. Using barcodes on containers that can be identified and read by the smartphone or tablet’s camera or a wireless (Bluetooth) connected to an inexpensive handheld barcode scanner makes the process fast and accurate.
With chemical inventory software and mobile apps like Chemical Safety’s Environmental Management Systems (EMS), numerous functions can be utilized to create cost-saving and safety-focused benefits:
- Organizing and maintaining a database of where a chemical is used at the container level by location and user and defining data and functional roles and permissions for individuals and groups.
- Chemical Authorization and Approval prior to purchasing and/or receiving chemicals reduces the risk of unauthorized or improper use.
- Cross-referencing chemicals based on compatibility rules that are monitor by chemical classification and/or chemical hazard class reduces the risk of improper storage and its associated hazards. The EMS software comes with a comprehensive chemical reference database that includes chemical classifications and hazard classes.
- Setting storage and use limits as well as permitted processes supports safety and efficiency.
- Chemical sharing through onsite chemical storerooms where chemicals can be found and requested, as well as a surplus chemical tool where chemicals can be shared, reduces chemical purchasing costs and lowers the chemical footprint onsite.
- Identifying and suggesting safer chemical alternatives through the integration of ems with the EPA’s Safer Choice Program inherently improves chemical safety and promotes corporate responsibility.
- The existence of a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) online database that is directly tied the chemical inventory onsite provides critical and immediate information for proper storage, labeling, handling and emergency response. Chemical Safety has a vast database of up-to-date and regularly updated SDS with the EMS software.
- Establishing streamlined processes for chemical waste disposal by utilizing online waste pickup requisition requests helps keep inventories up-to-date by automatically and seamlessly updating the onsite inventory when waste is picked up and provides an effective gateway for picking up, storing and disposing of hazardous waste.
- Chemical cycle counts and periodic location inspections which are recorded in Chemical Safety’s EMS.Audit mobile app and initiate notifications and corrective action as required ensure accuracy, safety, and compliance.
Chemical Safety Software has implemented technologies for effective management of chemical inventories using many of the methods listed above for many labs, universities, manufacturing and high-tech companies, utilities, R&D organizations and government agencies. Please contact us at ems@chemicalsafety.com.
For a review of your needs, a discussion of how some or all of the functions described above can help your entity improve the safety of its operations and reduce costs and to request a demonstration of how our EMS software solution can be of immediate benefit for you.
We offer rapid software deployment on secure cloud-servers and a well-planned and efficient implementation and integration of your entity. EMS is role-based through dashboards and one-click functions and extremely easy to learn and use.
We are most proud of our 24/7 customer support and rapid response to all of our clients’ needs. Please visit www.chemicalsafety.com for more information.
By Tony Diamantidis
Sr. Director, Chemical Safety Software
Email: tony@chemicalsafety.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tonydiamantidis