Inventory and Tracking - doe-hdbk-1139-1-2000

DOE-HDBK-1139/1-2000

Change Notice No. 1

2.3 Inventory and Tracking

All chemicals brought on site should be tracked. In addition, secondary containers

of chemicals which may already be on site should be accounted for. Examples of

secondary containers include chemical process tanks, such as electroplating plants

and chemical cleaning tanks, which can be the most prevalent source of chemical

hazards.

Chemical inventory and tracking systems provide current information on the site's

hazardous chemical and material inventories. A properly integrated inventory and

tracking system can support other environment, safety, and health requirements

(directives). This is a continuous process performed from acquisition, through

storage and use, to final disposal.

Several inventory and tracking systems, often using bar code scanners and

computer databases, are used throughout the complex. The databases typically

include locations, amounts, uses, hazards, and custodians. Regardless of the

inventory and tracking software used, it is important to integrate this software with

other computerized environment, safety, and health systems, such as Hazard

Communication, waste disposal, medical surveillance, and MSDS systems, at a

particular site.

The following DOE directives and OSHA and EPA standards pertain to inventory

and tracking. At the activity or worker level, DOE O 440.1A requires the

DOE O 440.1A

identification of workplace hazards and evaluation of risk (440.1A.9). This Order

also calls out OSHA standards included in Title 29 of the CFR. Examples of OSHA

and EPA standards which call for inventory and tracking include: 29 CFR

1910.120, HAZWOPER, 29 CFR 1910.1200, Hazard Communication, 29 CFR

29 CFR 1910.120

1910.1450, Laboratory Standard, and Section 313 (EPCRA).

29 CFR 1910.1200

29 CFR 1910.1450

The DOE Office of Environmental Policy and Guidance maintains a web site

tutorial. This tutorial includes a guide for identifying and tracking chemicals that

are regulated under 40 CFR 355 (EPCRA) at DOE facilities, and Emergency

Release Notification and reportable quantities (RQ) (40 CFR 302).