To:  SUNY Brockport Faculty and Staff

From: David Turkow, Director of Environmental Health and Safety

Date:  June 12, 2006

Re: Inventory of Chemical Materials (regulatory requirement)    

IF YOU HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED A HARD COPY OF YOUR Chemical INVENTORY IN THE MAIL, YOU CAN DISREGARD THIS NOTIFICATION.

Otherwise, please read the following information and respond accordingly. 
 

The Public Employees Safety and Health Bureau (PESH), the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC - Monroe County), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other regulatory agencies require SUNY Brockport to maintain a current inventory of all Chemicals used, stored or otherwise kept on campus. An accurate Chemical inventory is critical to the health and safety of our employees, students, visitors and responding emergency personnel in the case of an emergency (fire, spill, flood, etc.), especially in this time of heightened awareness of potential emergencies.  
 

The purpose of the inventory: 1) meet regulatory requirements 2) provide emergency responders with critical information regarding Chemicals stored and 3) provide a system to control procurement, use, access and security of Chemical Materials.  
 

AVOIDING the purchase (or taking donations of) unnecessary Chemical Materials is a basic principle involved in this process. Proper disposal of unwanted Chemical materials is generally twice as expensive as the original cost of the material. Minimizing the waste we generate is good for our college and good for the environment. 
 

Commonly asked questions: 
 

* What do you mean by a “Chemical”? Chemical - any element, Chemical compound, or mixture of elements and/or compounds. Typically, these materials are liquid, gas, aerosol, or solids and could be anything from a specific lab Chemical to a cleaning product mixture of chemicals. 
 

* Do ALL chemicals need to be inventoried? Chemicals that NEED TO BE INVENTORIED include any Chemical that is used in the workplace in such a manner that employees MAY be exposed under normal conditions of use or in an emergency. The chemicals are used in quantities, duration and frequency over and above normal consumer use. Chemicals that DO NOT NEED TO BE INVENTORIED include chemicals that are used in the workplace in the same manner as normal consumer use - where the amount, duration and frequency of use of the Chemical does not create an exposure greater than a normal consumer would expect. One or two cans of desk cleaner used periodically to clean a desk would NOT need to be inventoried; a case of desk cleaner which is used daily by a custodian to clean several desks would need to be inventoried. Also, a good general rule of thumb: what chemicals would a fire/emergency responder want to know about before he/she entered a room that was on fire?  Some judgment will be involved in deciding what needs to be inventoried – if you have questions, please call EHS at X2495. 
 
 

Please update your previous Chemical inventory submitted (hard copies mailed out previously) OR complete an initial Chemical inventory form (attached) by following the directions provided with the form. These forms and instructions are also available at the EHS Website at www.brockport.edu/ehs/ and the form can be completed on line (use the INSERT key on your computer).  
 

Once you have completed and submitted an initial Chemical inventory form, you will receive a hardcopy of the form (mailed to you) in subsequent years to merely update the changes. Please retain a copy of all Chemical inventory information you submit to EHS for your own records.  If you previously submitted a written inventory and have NOT received a hardcopy in the mail, please contact EHS at X2495 or X2907. 
 

Important note: Exact quantities are always preferred. However, for the purpose of this inventory, we are asking you to estimate the MAXIMUM AMOUNT IN STORAGE at any given time or the “worst-case scenario.” This may be the amount you have in storage in September (the beginning of the academic year) or a reliable estimate, based on your knowledge, of the maximum amount you have in storage at any given time. The intent is to provide a reliable estimate of chemicals stored in specific locations, not a daily inventory documenting each time a product was used or removed. A separate inventory form must be used for each room where chemicals are stored.  If you have the same materials stored in several different locations, merely indicate on the form each of the rooms where the same materials and maximum quantities are stored. 
 

Please provide an Emergency Contact Phone Number in order to comply with government requirements for notification. PLEASE NOTE: THIS NUMBER SHOULD NOT BE THE UNIVERSITY POLICE EMERGENCY NUMBER X2222. It is critical that we be able to contact a knowledgeable person from your area in case of an emergency. If you are concerned about giving out your home telephone number, arrangements need to be made with your supervisor to be able to contact you, if only your supervisor in listed on the contact list. This is most important where toxic or dangerous materials are stored, such as a science lab. 
 

In our effort to assist you in complying with these regulations, we ask that you submit this information prior to September 15, 2006. After that date, it may to necessary to notify the chairperson, supervisor or manager of the particular area if a Chemical inventory has not been submitted for a particular room or lab.    
 

Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to call Bill Wilson, EHS Office at 395-2495 or David Turkow, EHS Office at 395-2005. Thank you for taking the time and effort from your busy schedules to complete this important task. Once you have submitted an initial Chemical inventory, subsequent updates should be easier.  
 

Please proceed to the attached Chemical Inventory Form or your previously submitted inventory.  Additional information and instructions for completing the form are provided on the following page after the inventory form. Student assistants or work-study students have completed this task for various locations on campus, in the past. 

  ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY OFFICE

SUNY BROCKPORT 

Chemical Inventory Form (2006-7)

 SECTION A: Emergency Notification Information (Required under NYS/Federal Law) 

SECTION B:  Storage Location Data 

       SECTION C: Chemical Data