Acquisition - DOE-HDBK-1139-1-20060026

DOE-HDBK-1139/1-2006

2.2 Acquisition

Acquisition includes procurement, onsite synthesis, blending of chemicals ,

individuals/organizations bringing chemicals onsite, and other mechanisms.

Acquisition management arranges for the procurement of needed chemicals after

work planning, an approved hazard analysis, and life cycle analysis. In other words,

effective acquisition management addresses options for eliminating or substituting

less toxic chemicals, assessing the feasibility of controlling the associated hazards,

and assessing the costs involved in the safe disposal of chemicals. Ultimately,

acquisition management should lead to the identification of chemical substances

that can be used in a safe, non-polluting manner.

Managers, employees, and supervisors consider a number of factors during the

work planning and acquisition of chemicals, including:

Need for the chemical;

Hazards of the chemical;

Use of non-hazardous or less hazardous substitutes when appropriate;

Justifiable quantities;

Use of available excess chemicals in lieu of new purchases;

Stability/shelf life/legacy hazards;

Suitability of storage facilities;

Availability of an appropriate safe and environmentally acceptable means for

the final disposition of environmentally sensitive chemicals, products, and by-

products;

Waste minimization and pollution prevention, e.g., use of micro scale vs. macro

scale chemistry;

Required safety documentation [e.g., material safety data sheet (MSDS)]; and

Input of chemical information into the site chemical management tracking

system.

Excess chemicals from within a site's inventory, as well from other sites, should be

considered as the first source of supply. In addition to site-wide systems, the federal

government, as well as DOE, has established other materials exchange programs.