Chemical Purchasing

Purchasing & Receiving Storage Distribution Application Collection Treatment & Disposal

Purchasing & Receiving Purchase Chemicals When purchasing new chemicals: Obtain the SDS Obtain an assessment and approval from environment, health and safety (EHS) personnel or chemicals manager The assessment should involve evaluating safer chemical alternatives & verification that appropriate storage and worker protections are available Ask for A RSL/MRSL Confirmation Guarantee Letter Obtain approval from the customs office and other relevant government authorities, if needed If approved for purchase, add to chemical inventory and approved chemicals lists Check that labels for all chemical containers (packages) meet the legal requirements Keep hazardous chemical purchase and transportation documentation in accordance with regulatory requirements, including items such as the license for hazardous chemicals and personnel qualifications All industrial used or stored chemical should be inspected and approved before being put into use. Enterprises should do their best to use the most suitable chemical during operation. Employee’s safety, using and storage of chemicals, management requirements, chemical effectiveness, environmental problems, disposal and costing should all be considered.

Purchasing & Receiving Create a list of standard chemicals used on site Develop a process for approving chemicals to be on the list Determine allowable quantities that are permitted for purchase Develop a receiving protocol that is linked to the chemical inventory Establish processes and responsibilities for review of chemical purchase requests Develop request/order/checklist forms Provide training to relevant staff on the policies

Purchasing & Receiving Chemical Checklist Does chemical have a compliant SDS? Is the chemical free of any banned or restricted chemicals? Is the chemical container properly labelled (including contents and all hazards)? Does your facility have the appropriate controls for storage, use and handling of the chemical? Have workers been informed/trained on proper chemical handling?

Purchasing & Receiving Closing The Backdoors Strict Purchasing Policy All purchased made centrally Purchasing department must assure compliance with chemical requirements (RSL’s, etc.) Contractor Management Plan Include requirements for bringing chemicals on-site Chemical purchases for some departments (i.e. cleaning, maintenance) can often be missed or not included in the chemical selection process. It is important to close these backdoors and ensure all chemicals flow into the facility through the established purchasing policy and are subject to appropriate screening.

Activity: Chemical Purchasing

Activity Notes: Have attendees get into groups and list 3-5 of the most significant Chemicals Management challenges on the activity sheet. Have each group brainstorm solutions to the identified challenges (if you like, have the groups swap challenges and come up with solutions to other groups challenges) Note: This activity can be completed all at once, OR you can have the groups hang on to their challenges list and conduct the brainstorming solutions activity at the end of the training or session. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.