Inventory
Knowing what chemicals are present in a particular room on campus can be vital not only to keeping those materials and those around them safe, but also to assist the users of those chemicals in easily knowing how much of any one material they have. Risk Management and Safety's Chemical Inventory management program is tasked with maintaining the inventory of all hazardous chemicals on campus through CHIMERA. These listings allow RMS to obtain Material Safety Data Sheets for those chemicals that may pose a hazard to those working with them, while also providing a simple means for lab personnel to track what materials are in their possession. The chemical inventory process also assists RMS in complying with current and future policies mandated by federal, state, and local regulations—such as those set by the Department of Homeland Security: Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards.
The inventory process is quick and easy for most rooms. Inventory can be scheduled around sensitive times, such as during the performance of experiments, if the Chemical Inventory specialists at RMS are contacted beforehand. Follow-up visits may sometimes be required to verify certain chemical data, and rarely take longer than the time to find the chemical alone.
Receiving of Chemicals
In addition to the inventory process, Risk Management & Safety works with Central Receiving to ensure that the inventory shown in CHIMERA is as close to real-time as possible, and to ensure Material Safety Data Sheets for new chemicals are on-hand. Packages processed through chemical receiving are not delayed from the original delivery date, and are delivered directly to their intended locations after being inventoried.
Frequently asked questions
Contact UNLV Receiving and have the shipper's bar code number (FedEX, UPS, DHL, etc.) which is used to track the status of your item.
Some, but not all, chemical shipping containers are marked with DOT (Department of Transportation) labels indicating the hazards of the contents; flammable liquid, oxidizer, toxic, dangerous when wet, corrosive, etc. Also, well known chemical suppliers such as Sigma-Aldrich, Fisher Scientific, Alfa Aesar, Strem Chemicals, and others (Bio-Rad), suggest chemical contents.
Some chemical suppliers such as Sigma-Aldrich, Fisher, VWR and others also supply non-chemical items such as laboratory equipment, glassware, etc. In some cases, boxes have external markings identifying the contents (such as beakers or pipettes), which alleviate the need for further inspection. Any box transferred to RMS by UNLV's receiving department will be opened to check for chemicals. Boxes that do not contain chemicals will be immediately re-sealed, along with a written communication explaining why they were opened. All boxes handled by RMS will be delivered on the same day they were received.
Samples containing biological materials are usually externally labeled (identifying the contents) and will not be intercepted. Animal shipments will not be intercepted by RMS.
Perishable items are usually shipped on dry ice and externally labeled (identifying the contents) will not be intercepted by RMS.
Chemicals will be removed from their packaging (except containers in metal cans) to place a UNLV Bar Code label on each container, then re-packaged in the same manner as originally sent by the supplier and according to federal DOT (Department of Transportation) regulations.
No. Metal cans containing chemicals will not be opened. The item will be inventoried and a notification and a barcode will be tapped to the can. Please, place the barcode on the chemical after opening the metal can.
These packages will be intercepted by RMS, and delivered on the same day. However, if the buyer needs it prior to the RMS delivery, they can go to receiving and pick it up.
You can inventory the chemical yourself using
CHIMERA, or contact Robert Deaver at robert.deaver@unlv.edu or (702) 895-4386 with your name, the building and room where the chemical is used/stored and a phone number where you can be reached. An RMS staff member will contact you and visit your lab to inventory the item. Please keep the box until after RMS arrives so that we can better understand why the item was overlooked, but please proceed with your use of the item.
The purchaser will be notified and RMS will replace the item.
If a chemical container is found to be broken due to shipping (not due to RMS activities), RMS will notify the purchaser, so a claim can be filed with the manufacturer to replace the item. The event will be documented, and the contents of broken chemical containers will be moved to the university's hazardous waste accumulation area. Once it is safe to do so, the other items in the package will be delivered to the purchaser as soon as possible.
No, do not instruct suppliers to send large gas cylinders containing the gases listed above to receiving. You may continue with the delivery of large gas cylinders directly to your lab from the supplier. Medium sized cylinders and small lecture bottles with custom gas mixtures or specialty gases can however be delivered to receiving, especially if a local supplier is not available and the item is shipped via traditional shippers (UPS, FedEx or Ground Fright).
If they are currently delivered directly to your lab or re-filled in your lab, you can continue that practice.
This document was last modified on August 18, 2011.
