Chemical substances management system at the University of Tokyo

Abstract

Chemical substances pose various health and environmental hazards, and must be handled safely. To that end, we must collect sufficient information about the chemical substances and conduct proper storage, handling, and disposal procedures based on appropriate management, in addition to following public laws and local rules. At the University of Tokyo (UTokyo), chemical substances management is handled by three systems. The first one is an online purchasing system for commercial chemical substance products. The second one is an online chemical registration system for laboratory chemical inventories. The third one is a disposal system for chemically hazardous waste tracking the status of the waste throughout the disposal process. In addition, all university personnel who handle chemical substances may attend an environment and safety course; those who are involved in the disposal of chemically hazardous waste are required to take and pass the course. We believe this is an ideal way to consolidate chemical substances handling via the internal network from initial storage to disposal while focusing on individual usage, education, and the working environment.