Stanford University

Chemical Inventory Management

Chemical Labeling

Label all chemical containers with the identity of the contents.

  • List the full chemical name(s) in English
  • Do not use chemical formulas, chemical structures, abbreviations or acronyms
    • Exceptions to this rule
      • If the container holds a nonhazardous buffer with pH 5.5-11, you may use the buffer abbreviation (e.g., PBS, TRIS, TBS)
      • If the contents are a manufactured product with a trade name, you may use the trade name (e.g., Zaclon ZR flux, windex)
  • Include hazard warning (e.g., flammable, corrosive, toxic, reactive)
  • Include chemical concentration information
  • Hazardous Waste Containers must be labeled with a waste tag

Chemical Inventory

Federal, state, and local regulations require that Stanford keep an accurate inventory of the chemicals stored on campus. We report this chemical inventory to the governing regulatory agencies in the form of the Hazardous Materials Management Plan (HMMP). The Plan also helps users keep track of their chemicals, conduct laboratory hazard assessments, provide chemical hazard information to emergency responders, and minimize unnecessary stockpiling of chemicals.

How do labs manage their inventory?

PIs and lab or shop managers must report the hazardous materials they have on hand via ChemTracker 4 online application to inventory all the hazardous chemicals on campus. Each lab and shop that uses chemicals must update their chemical inventories in ChemTracker 4 at least annually.

EH&S ChemTracker 4 information: https://ehs.stanford.edu/services/chemtracker
Request new ChemTracker 4 user account: https://ehs.stanford.edu/request-a-new-chemtracker-user-account
ChemTracker 4 Demos/User Guides: https://ehsapps.stanford.edu/chemtracker/help/inventory_management.html

What needs to be inventoried in ChemTracker 4?

What needs to be included:

  • Containers on-site for more than 30 days
  • It is important to pick the correct physical state, so that it will link with the chemical database
    • Liquid, Solid or Gas
  • Any amount of
    • Chemicals with acute toxicity
    • Chemicals listed as a carcinogen or reproductive hazard
    • Chemicals that are pyrophoric, water reactive or potentially explosive
    • Compressed gases (including liquefied gases) – list each gas and the concentration
      • For compressed gases, if a hazardous material or mixture is determined to exceed threshold quantities at standard temperature and pressure, it shall be reported in the physical state at which it is stored. (For example, propane and liquefied nitrogen = report in gallons). For gases at Standard Temperature and Pressure report in cubic feet.
  • Containers >100 mL of a liquid or >250 grams of a solid substance
    • Flammable/combustible liquids (e.g. alcohols, solvents, lubricants, and paints)
    • Flammable solids (e.g. magnesium, sodium, organo-metallics)
    • Oxidizers (e.g. concentrated mineral acids, bromates, chlorates, and permanganates)
    • Organic peroxides (e.g. hydrogen peroxide (>8%) and benzoyl peroxide)
    • Poisons not included in the above categories (e.g. biological toxins, select agent toxins, dyes, adhesives, and specimen solutions)
    • Corrosives (acids or bases that are corrosive to the skin, and other materials having a pH of ≤ 5.5 or ≥ 11.0) – provide the concentration
  •  55 gallons of hazardous waste must be included in ChemTracker 4
    • Enter – Waste (chemical name)
  • Hazardous Waste that is shipped directly from facility (offsite locations). EH&S is responsible for inputting this data into Chemtracker 4
  • NSAR Select Toxins
  • Controlled Substances (DEA-listed drugs)

It is not necessary to inventory in ChemTracker 4:

  • Retail products used for routine household-like activities (e.g. cleansers and dish soap). However, do include bleach used in laboratory processes.
  • Materials that will be expended within one or two days (e.g. working solutions)
  • Radioactive materials
  • Biohazardous materials
  • Non-hazardous buffers
  • Growth media
  • Enzyme preparations
  • Sugars

ChemTracker 4 support

EH&S provides customer support for ChemTracker 4 at Stanford. This includes: adding new chemical owner accounts (i.e., Principal Investigators), new ChemTracker 4 user access, and providing training for new users and basic troubleshooting.

You can contact the HMMP group for the following issues:

For ChemTracker 4 user basics, check out the quick guides:

Part 1: Login/Logout, Layout, ChemInfo & MSDS (rev. 10/28/13)
Part 2: Add Inventory, Add Inventory Templates
Part 3: Search, View, Download, Saved Search Templates
Part 4: Modify, Surplus

For additional questions please contact EH&S at (650) 723-0448.

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