- Email: [email protected]
Developing a chemical and hazardous waste inventory system
FEATURE
Developing a chemical and hazardous waste inventory system We describe the development of a chemical management information system (CMIS) that addresses the multiple requirements of university-based chemistry department. The CMIS is a web-based inventorykeeping software developed using PHP and MySQL that provides chemical information such as safety data sheets; tracks individual chemical bottles using a barcode system to monitor stock-levels, consumption, movement and expiration; complies with government regulations on controlled chemicals and hazardous chemical wastes; facilitates sharing of chemicals among different departments; and stores supplier information. It has four user levels with increasing functionality: students; faculty members and researchers; department heads and staff; and technicians and system administrator. Currently, the system manages over 11,000 chemical bottles of three departments in the university.
By Jaclyn Elizabeth R. Santos, Franz Nicolas N. Alfonso, Fernando C. Mendizabal Jr., Fabian M. Dayrit
INTRODUCTION
In 2004, the Philippine government started to implement various laws, rules and regulations covering a broad
Jaclyn Elizabeth R. Santos is an instructor at the Department of Chemistry, Ateneo de Manila University, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City 1108, Philippines. Franz Nicolas N. Alfonso is a managing partner at TechForge IT Solutions, Inc., Bagtikan Street, San Antonio Village, Makati City, Philippines. Fernando C. Mendizabal, Jr. is a managing partner at TechForge IT Solutions, Inc., Bagtikan Street, San Antonio Village, Makati City, Philippines. Fabian M. Dayrit is a professor at the Department of Chemistry and Dean, School of Science and Engineering, Ateneo de Manila University, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, 1108 Philippines (e-mail: [email protected]).
1871-5532/$36.00 doi:10.1016/j.jchas.2011.05.012
range of activities related to the purchase, use, storage, waste management, and disposal of chemicals. Today there are six laws and seven department administrative orders which cover environment, health and safety, dangerous drugs and explosives that are being implemented by five government agencies. Compliance with these regulations includes obtaining licenses, monitoring of controlled chemicals (e.g., nitrate, chlorates and precursor chemicals to prohibited drugs) and chemical wastes and submitting periodic reports to government agencies. With the constant increase in the volume and types of chemicals and chemical waste, and to comply with government regulations, the use of a paper-based inventory system was no longer practical. A number of university-based chemical management and chemical waste systems has been described in the literature. These systems were developed to respond to various needs, such as national and local safety and regulatory requirements1,2 and the need for improved inventory.3 In addition to having a chemical inventory and waste management system, academic institutions can also design systems that can be a learning tool for students.4 We describe the development of a system that facilitates the inventory, purchase, storage, waste management and disposal of chemicals, educates
students, provides multi-level access, and assists with the reporting requirements to government agencies.
DISCUSSION
The chemical management and inventory system (CMIS) is an integration of different technologies such as PHP, MySQL and Apache (Figure 1). The PHP web application5 handles data presentation and manipulation while the MySQL database6 is used for data storage. CMIS runs on an Apache HTTP server7 which handles requests over the network. These services are deployed on a windows computer which is used to interact with a windows-based barcode scanner and label printer. With the chosen web-based application architecture, access and use of the system is easily managed. There is no need for end-users to install any CMISspecific application. Users just need to have a web browser (such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome or any other preferred web browser) and network access to the system. The system can be deployed through the Internet for a multi-campus university or for use by other universities or institutions. A database houses all the data in one place. This makes backup easy with the MySQL database management sys-
ß Division of Chemical Health and Safety of the American Chemical Society Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
15
[(Figure_1)TD$IG] links to electronic safety data sheets of chemicals found in the database. Hazard codes of chemicals are also displayed in the chemical page of the system. Pop-up windows are used by the system to remind chemical managers of pending chemical requests or chemicals that need to be replenished (Figure 3). The threshold feature is particularly important in places where the purchase and delivery of chemicals takes several weeks or months. Figure 1. System architecture of the CMIS. Material safety data sheets (MSDS) databank
tem’s built-in backup tool.8 As such, system administrators do not need to go through all the user’s computers for backup. Additionally, extending the capability of the system through additional modules is simple. The new modules, whether in PHP or C# or any other programming language, can access the database for content consumption and generation. In case of system breakdown, CMIS provides for back-up of the database. Chemical management
filling up the required data fields (chemical name, brand name, grade, concentration, amount, storage location). Other useful information may also be added (cost, funding institution, date added and expiration date) (Figure 2). Bottle entries can be updated directly in the computer or using a barcode scanner. The scanner allows the user to update a bottle’s contents and storage location. Data in the scanner are easily synchronized with data in the server through the system’s scanner-server synchronization feature. Searching for a particular chemical in the system can be done using its name (common name or IUPAC name), CAS number, or bottle ID. In addition to chemical information, the system also provides contact details of chemical suppliers and direct
The system is primarily an inventorykeeping software that allows users and administrators to track the availability, location and consumption of chemicals. The system of tracking is container-based wherein each chemical bottle is provided with a tear- and chemical resistant barcode sticker. As new chemicals are delivered, these are entered into the system by
MSDS for chemicals are stored in the system, which provide quick access to chemical information, handling and storage conditions and disposal instructions. Tracking of government-controlled chemicals
The CMIS allows monitoring of chemicals which are controlled by the government. In the Philippines, the responsible agencies include the Environmental Management Bureau, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and Philippine National Police. Each agency requires periodic reports, which can be monthly, quarterly or yearly. With this CMIS feature, reports are conveniently prepared at the prescribed periods using the system’s Reporting Service.
[(Figure_3)TD$IG]
[(Figure_2)TD$IG]
Figure 2. Form for entering a chemical into the system.
16
Figure 3. Pop-up window for: (A) pending chemical requests, and (B) chemicals below the threshold limit.
Journal of Chemical Health & Safety, November/December 2011
[(Figure_4)TD$IG] Exportable reports
Reports (stock-level, consumption, expiration, movement) can be exported as comma-separated (CSV) files which can be opened in Microsoft Excel, Open Office Spreadsheet or any text-capable reader. This includes: a. stock-level reports: a comprehensive list of all the chemicals stored in the CMIS; b. stock-level reports based on location: list of stock-levels based on storage location; c. consumption reports: a log of the consumption of specific chemicals within a period of time; d. threshold reports: list of chemicals which need to be replenished; e. expiration reports: list of chemicals which are expired or near their expiration dates; f. movement reports: a log of when chemicals were moved from one storage location to another; g. price reports: lists purchase prices of chemicals; and h. reports of government controlled chemicals: a log of consumption of all government-controlled chemicals.
User levels and database management
The CMIS is designed with user-level controls and functionality for chemical security purposes (Table 1). It has four user levels with increasing functionality: Level 1: students, who can check chemical stocks in any of the three departments, request for chemicals
Figure 4. Form for entering a chemical waste bottle into the system.
(which requires approval of the mentor), and view chemical and supplier information; Level 2: faculty members and researchers, who can reserve and request for chemicals for their classes and research activities; Level 3: department heads and staff, who have access to the system’s reporting service; and Level 4: the system adminis-
Table 1. Different user-levels of the system: 1: students; 2: faculty members and researchers; 3: staff and department heads; 4: technicians and system administrator.
CMIS feature Access to chemical information Requesting services Access to storage locations Access to stock-levels Password management Setting-up and modification of data Reporting services Access to hazardous waste inventory system Administrative functions
User-level 1 2
Journal of Chemical Health & Safety, November/December 2011
3
4
trator and technicians, who update and manage the inventory system. Hazardous chemical waste management
A hazardous waste inventory system (HWIS) is linked to CMIS. Tracking of chemical waste is also containerbased where each bottle is provided with a barcode sticker. Information and hazard symbols in the system conform to government labeling requirements. Chemical waste bottles can be added to the database in the same way as a new chemical entry as shown in Figure 4. The hazardous waste system is also equipped with its own reporting services (i.e., reports on generated wastes, classification of chemical wastes, waste disposal and movement). These reports can be exported as CSV files which can be opened by any text-capable reader. Moreover, the system can also generate a manifest form for the chemical waste bottles that are to be disposed and monitors the destruction
17
of the chemicals, as required by regulation. System implementation and evaluation
An alpha version of CMIS was introduced to the students, staff and faculty members of the Chemistry department in 2006. A beta version has been deployed in the Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Science departments at our university since 2009. Seminars on chemical safety and waste management which are regularly given include an orientation on the use of the system. Surveys are conducted to solicit suggestions and feedback on the system. Most of the respondents commented on the ease of navigation through the system and the easy access to chemical information, MSDS and supplier information. On the part of stockroom personnel, since chemical requests are made online, they are able to prepare the needed chemicals ahead of time. With the use of the barcode scanner, stockroom personnel were also able to update their inventory more often and more quickly than the annual inventory that they used to do using the paperbased system. Reports regarding chemical stock were also easily prepared with use of the system’s reporting service.
18
The CMIS has vastly improved the management of chemical stocks and chemical wastes. It has also become an effective vehicle for education and reinforcement on chemical safety and chemical waste management among the students, faculty and staff of the university. The web-based architecture also allows for continuous enhancements of the system. In the future, we plan to add a portal where news features and advisories related to chemical safety and chemical waste management can be posted, and to offer this for use by other universities and institutions.
SUMMARY
The CMIS combines a secure webbased inventory system to provide a means for efficient updating and query of chemical stock levels. It also provides an effective means to track and manage chemicals and chemical wastes, and provides useful information for users at various levels. The CMIS has also become an effective vehicle for education and reinforcement on chemical safety and chemical waste management among the stu-
dents, faculty and staff of the university.
REFERENCES 1. Rappaport, J.; Lichtman, J. Ongoing development of a chemical/biological inventory and safety management solution for Temple University. Chem Health Safety, 2005, 12(5), 4–8. 2. Gibbs, L. M. ChemTracker consortium— the higher education collaboration for chemical inventory management and regulatory reporting. Chem Health Safety, 2005, 12(5), 9–14. 3. Cournoyer, M. E.; Maestas, M. M.; Porterfield, D. R.; Spink, P. Chemical inventory management: the key to controlling hazardous materials. Chem Health Safety, 2005, 12(5), 15–20. 4. Foster, B. L. The chemical inventory management system in academia. Chem Health Safety, 2005, 12(5), 21–25. 5. PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor; http:// www.php.net/ [accessed: April 25, 2011]. 6. MySQL; http://www.mysql.com/ [last accessed: April 25, 2011]. 7. The Apache Software Foundation; http://www.apache.org/ [last accessed: April 25, 2011]. 8. MySQL database management system backup tool; http://dev.mysql.com/ doc/refman/5.1/en/mysqldump.html [last accessed: April 25, 2011].
Journal of Chemical Health & Safety, November/December 2011
Developing a chemical and hazardous waste inventory system We describe the development of a chemical management information system (CMIS) that addresses the multiple requirements of university-based chemistry department. The CMIS is a web-based inventorykeeping software developed using PHP and MySQL that provides chemical information such as safety data sheets; tracks individual chemical bottles using a barcode system to monitor stock-levels, consumption, movement and expiration; complies with government regulations on controlled chemicals and hazardous chemical wastes; facilitates sharing of chemicals among different departments; and stores supplier information. It has four user levels with increasing functionality: students; faculty members and researchers; department heads and staff; and technicians and system administrator. Currently, the system manages over 11,000 chemical bottles of three departments in the university.
By Jaclyn Elizabeth R. Santos, Franz Nicolas N. Alfonso, Fernando C. Mendizabal Jr., Fabian M. Dayrit
INTRODUCTION
In 2004, the Philippine government started to implement various laws, rules and regulations covering a broad
Jaclyn Elizabeth R. Santos is an instructor at the Department of Chemistry, Ateneo de Manila University, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City 1108, Philippines. Franz Nicolas N. Alfonso is a managing partner at TechForge IT Solutions, Inc., Bagtikan Street, San Antonio Village, Makati City, Philippines. Fernando C. Mendizabal, Jr. is a managing partner at TechForge IT Solutions, Inc., Bagtikan Street, San Antonio Village, Makati City, Philippines. Fabian M. Dayrit is a professor at the Department of Chemistry and Dean, School of Science and Engineering, Ateneo de Manila University, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, 1108 Philippines (e-mail: [email protected]).
1871-5532/$36.00 doi:10.1016/j.jchas.2011.05.012
range of activities related to the purchase, use, storage, waste management, and disposal of chemicals. Today there are six laws and seven department administrative orders which cover environment, health and safety, dangerous drugs and explosives that are being implemented by five government agencies. Compliance with these regulations includes obtaining licenses, monitoring of controlled chemicals (e.g., nitrate, chlorates and precursor chemicals to prohibited drugs) and chemical wastes and submitting periodic reports to government agencies. With the constant increase in the volume and types of chemicals and chemical waste, and to comply with government regulations, the use of a paper-based inventory system was no longer practical. A number of university-based chemical management and chemical waste systems has been described in the literature. These systems were developed to respond to various needs, such as national and local safety and regulatory requirements1,2 and the need for improved inventory.3 In addition to having a chemical inventory and waste management system, academic institutions can also design systems that can be a learning tool for students.4 We describe the development of a system that facilitates the inventory, purchase, storage, waste management and disposal of chemicals, educates
students, provides multi-level access, and assists with the reporting requirements to government agencies.
DISCUSSION
The chemical management and inventory system (CMIS) is an integration of different technologies such as PHP, MySQL and Apache (Figure 1). The PHP web application5 handles data presentation and manipulation while the MySQL database6 is used for data storage. CMIS runs on an Apache HTTP server7 which handles requests over the network. These services are deployed on a windows computer which is used to interact with a windows-based barcode scanner and label printer. With the chosen web-based application architecture, access and use of the system is easily managed. There is no need for end-users to install any CMISspecific application. Users just need to have a web browser (such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome or any other preferred web browser) and network access to the system. The system can be deployed through the Internet for a multi-campus university or for use by other universities or institutions. A database houses all the data in one place. This makes backup easy with the MySQL database management sys-
ß Division of Chemical Health and Safety of the American Chemical Society Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
15
[(Figure_1)TD$IG] links to electronic safety data sheets of chemicals found in the database. Hazard codes of chemicals are also displayed in the chemical page of the system. Pop-up windows are used by the system to remind chemical managers of pending chemical requests or chemicals that need to be replenished (Figure 3). The threshold feature is particularly important in places where the purchase and delivery of chemicals takes several weeks or months. Figure 1. System architecture of the CMIS. Material safety data sheets (MSDS) databank
tem’s built-in backup tool.8 As such, system administrators do not need to go through all the user’s computers for backup. Additionally, extending the capability of the system through additional modules is simple. The new modules, whether in PHP or C# or any other programming language, can access the database for content consumption and generation. In case of system breakdown, CMIS provides for back-up of the database. Chemical management
filling up the required data fields (chemical name, brand name, grade, concentration, amount, storage location). Other useful information may also be added (cost, funding institution, date added and expiration date) (Figure 2). Bottle entries can be updated directly in the computer or using a barcode scanner. The scanner allows the user to update a bottle’s contents and storage location. Data in the scanner are easily synchronized with data in the server through the system’s scanner-server synchronization feature. Searching for a particular chemical in the system can be done using its name (common name or IUPAC name), CAS number, or bottle ID. In addition to chemical information, the system also provides contact details of chemical suppliers and direct
The system is primarily an inventorykeeping software that allows users and administrators to track the availability, location and consumption of chemicals. The system of tracking is container-based wherein each chemical bottle is provided with a tear- and chemical resistant barcode sticker. As new chemicals are delivered, these are entered into the system by
MSDS for chemicals are stored in the system, which provide quick access to chemical information, handling and storage conditions and disposal instructions. Tracking of government-controlled chemicals
The CMIS allows monitoring of chemicals which are controlled by the government. In the Philippines, the responsible agencies include the Environmental Management Bureau, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and Philippine National Police. Each agency requires periodic reports, which can be monthly, quarterly or yearly. With this CMIS feature, reports are conveniently prepared at the prescribed periods using the system’s Reporting Service.
[(Figure_3)TD$IG]
[(Figure_2)TD$IG]
Figure 2. Form for entering a chemical into the system.
16
Figure 3. Pop-up window for: (A) pending chemical requests, and (B) chemicals below the threshold limit.
Journal of Chemical Health & Safety, November/December 2011
[(Figure_4)TD$IG] Exportable reports
Reports (stock-level, consumption, expiration, movement) can be exported as comma-separated (CSV) files which can be opened in Microsoft Excel, Open Office Spreadsheet or any text-capable reader. This includes: a. stock-level reports: a comprehensive list of all the chemicals stored in the CMIS; b. stock-level reports based on location: list of stock-levels based on storage location; c. consumption reports: a log of the consumption of specific chemicals within a period of time; d. threshold reports: list of chemicals which need to be replenished; e. expiration reports: list of chemicals which are expired or near their expiration dates; f. movement reports: a log of when chemicals were moved from one storage location to another; g. price reports: lists purchase prices of chemicals; and h. reports of government controlled chemicals: a log of consumption of all government-controlled chemicals.
User levels and database management
The CMIS is designed with user-level controls and functionality for chemical security purposes (Table 1). It has four user levels with increasing functionality: Level 1: students, who can check chemical stocks in any of the three departments, request for chemicals
Figure 4. Form for entering a chemical waste bottle into the system.
(which requires approval of the mentor), and view chemical and supplier information; Level 2: faculty members and researchers, who can reserve and request for chemicals for their classes and research activities; Level 3: department heads and staff, who have access to the system’s reporting service; and Level 4: the system adminis-
Table 1. Different user-levels of the system: 1: students; 2: faculty members and researchers; 3: staff and department heads; 4: technicians and system administrator.
CMIS feature Access to chemical information Requesting services Access to storage locations Access to stock-levels Password management Setting-up and modification of data Reporting services Access to hazardous waste inventory system Administrative functions
User-level 1 2
Journal of Chemical Health & Safety, November/December 2011
3
4
trator and technicians, who update and manage the inventory system. Hazardous chemical waste management
A hazardous waste inventory system (HWIS) is linked to CMIS. Tracking of chemical waste is also containerbased where each bottle is provided with a barcode sticker. Information and hazard symbols in the system conform to government labeling requirements. Chemical waste bottles can be added to the database in the same way as a new chemical entry as shown in Figure 4. The hazardous waste system is also equipped with its own reporting services (i.e., reports on generated wastes, classification of chemical wastes, waste disposal and movement). These reports can be exported as CSV files which can be opened by any text-capable reader. Moreover, the system can also generate a manifest form for the chemical waste bottles that are to be disposed and monitors the destruction
17
of the chemicals, as required by regulation. System implementation and evaluation
An alpha version of CMIS was introduced to the students, staff and faculty members of the Chemistry department in 2006. A beta version has been deployed in the Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Science departments at our university since 2009. Seminars on chemical safety and waste management which are regularly given include an orientation on the use of the system. Surveys are conducted to solicit suggestions and feedback on the system. Most of the respondents commented on the ease of navigation through the system and the easy access to chemical information, MSDS and supplier information. On the part of stockroom personnel, since chemical requests are made online, they are able to prepare the needed chemicals ahead of time. With the use of the barcode scanner, stockroom personnel were also able to update their inventory more often and more quickly than the annual inventory that they used to do using the paperbased system. Reports regarding chemical stock were also easily prepared with use of the system’s reporting service.
18
The CMIS has vastly improved the management of chemical stocks and chemical wastes. It has also become an effective vehicle for education and reinforcement on chemical safety and chemical waste management among the students, faculty and staff of the university. The web-based architecture also allows for continuous enhancements of the system. In the future, we plan to add a portal where news features and advisories related to chemical safety and chemical waste management can be posted, and to offer this for use by other universities and institutions.
SUMMARY
The CMIS combines a secure webbased inventory system to provide a means for efficient updating and query of chemical stock levels. It also provides an effective means to track and manage chemicals and chemical wastes, and provides useful information for users at various levels. The CMIS has also become an effective vehicle for education and reinforcement on chemical safety and chemical waste management among the stu-
dents, faculty and staff of the university.
REFERENCES 1. Rappaport, J.; Lichtman, J. Ongoing development of a chemical/biological inventory and safety management solution for Temple University. Chem Health Safety, 2005, 12(5), 4–8. 2. Gibbs, L. M. ChemTracker consortium— the higher education collaboration for chemical inventory management and regulatory reporting. Chem Health Safety, 2005, 12(5), 9–14. 3. Cournoyer, M. E.; Maestas, M. M.; Porterfield, D. R.; Spink, P. Chemical inventory management: the key to controlling hazardous materials. Chem Health Safety, 2005, 12(5), 15–20. 4. Foster, B. L. The chemical inventory management system in academia. Chem Health Safety, 2005, 12(5), 21–25. 5. PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor; http:// www.php.net/ [accessed: April 25, 2011]. 6. MySQL; http://www.mysql.com/ [last accessed: April 25, 2011]. 7. The Apache Software Foundation; http://www.apache.org/ [last accessed: April 25, 2011]. 8. MySQL database management system backup tool; http://dev.mysql.com/ doc/refman/5.1/en/mysqldump.html [last accessed: April 25, 2011].
Journal of Chemical Health & Safety, November/December 2011