Fact Sheet

Chemical Inventory

Who needs to do a chemical inventory?

Federal, state, and local regulations require UC Berkeley to inventory the types and quantities of its hazardous materials. The Chemical Inventory Program, coordinated by the Office of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S), tracks and reports the storage and use of hazardous materials. The inventory assists emergency responders, provides campus users with specific hazard and storage information, aids in the sharing of chemicals, and reminds users to dispose of sensitive chemicals before they become unsafe or expensive to dispose of. This Fact Sheet will help you decide if you need to do a chemical inventory.

A hazardous material is any material that, because of its quantity, concentration, physical characteristics, or chemical characteristics, poses a significant present or potential hazard to human health and safety or to the environment if released.

Materials to report in a chemical inventory include, but are not limited to:
Laboratory chemicals: acids, bases, solvents, mercury, metallic salts, halogenated compounds, toxic substances such as lead compounds and acrylamide, mixtures of hazardous chemicals
Compressed gas: toxic gases, pressurized gas cylinders of pure gases or mixtures of gases
Liquids under pressure: liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, propane, aerosols, chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants (liquid/gas phases)
Paints and inks: both water- and oil-based paints, spray paints, printing inks or pastes
Solvents and spirits: degreasers, kerosene, paint thinners
Lubricants: pump oil, hydraulic oil, motor oil, brake fluid, greases
Finishes: varnishes, shellacs, floor waxes, lacquers
Fuels: gasoline, camping fuel, diesel fuel
Maintenance/structural materials: asphalt-containing roofing, adhesives, and bonding agents
Grounds/landscape materials: fertilizers, plant food supplements, soda ash
Pesticides: insecticides, rodenticides, acaricides, fungicides, defoliants, herbicides
Drugs: pharmaceuticals
Photographic materials: developers, reducers, stabilizers, activators, fixers, stop bath
Custodial materials: cleaning agents, bleaches, floor strippers, soaps and detergents, disinfectants, corrosive products, ammonia

Note: Other hazardous materials, such as biological agents and radioactive materials, should not be included in the chemical inventory since they are tracked under separate EH&S programs. Very small quantities of hazardous materials (such as liquid toners and cleaners stored in offices) need not be reported. Call EH&S at 642-3073 if you have a question about whether a chemical or other material needs to be reported through the Chemical Inventory Program.

• Each department must submit an update annually. A department is assigned one of four quarterly periods for preparing its inventory and submitting it to EH&S. EH&S sends reminders to departments at the beginning of their reporting quarter, along with instructions and specific due dates.
• In addition to the scheduled updates, if there are any significant changes such as room relocations, increased maximum amounts, new or dangerous chemicals added, or changes in names and phone numbers of key contacts, you must submit updates to EH&S within 30 days of the change.