ChemManager+ is a chemical inventory platform that integrates with the university’s purchasing system to streamline inventory management and hazard communication. It will be used by anyone that needs to search for, order, and purchase chemicals for research and teaching labs. ChemManager+ has tools that PIs and lab managers can use to provide a safer working lab environment for their staff. Additionally, units can cut costs by reducing duplicate inventory and sharing chemicals between labs (this is optional).
Labs have always been required to maintain a chemical inventory and provide safety data sheets to lab staff. ChemManager+ is a campus-supported tool that automates and simplifies these tasks. As regulations become tighter and grants become more competitive, UW System and UW-Madison are providing ChemManager+ to support labs in meeting these future requirements and improve lab safety.
ChemManager+ will help us to:
- Augment our ability to ensure the safety of faculty, staff, and emergency responders.
- Facilitate the work of faculty and staff to order, manage, and dispose of chemicals.
- Better manage costs for units through better sourcing, tracking, and inventory control.
- Enhance our ability to demonstrate compliance to regulatory agencies.
- Prioritize the use of EH&S resources.
ChemManager+ will help UW-Madison accurately report chemical volumes, and other information, to agencies that require them, or to comply with regulations. A limited selection of agencies, organizations, and regulations that may require chemical and reagent information from us is below:
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Superfund Amendments Reauthorization Act (SARA)
- Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)
- International Building Code (IBC)
- International Fire Code (IFC)
- National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
- Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
- Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM)
- Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
- Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS)
- Wisconsin Commercial Building Code (WCBC)
- Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs)
- UW-Madison and City of Madison Police Departments
- Madison Fire Departments (MFD)
Once a lab’s legacy inventory has been uploaded and lab staff have access to ChemManager+, labs are expected to:
- Purchase chemicals through ChemManager+
- Ensure chemicals are correctly entered in ChemManager+, whether purchased through the platform or not
- Attach barcodes to new inventory
- Assign containers to a specific location and update that location if it is ever moved
- Update the chemical inventory once a container has been disposed of
Labs are NOT expected to:
- Update the volume of chemicals after each use
- Barcode or inventory the following:
- Research samples
- Active reactants
- Designated waste collection containers and carboys
- Laboratory supplies (e.g., pipettes, gloves, culture plates, etc.)
- Secondary containers, as defined by OSHA, into which chemicals are aliquoted for temporary use
ChemManager+ provides more methods for shopping than ShopUW+. You will be able to search for chemicals from various vendors or search for chemicals locally such as your lab or storerooms.