Chemical and sample management is important for maintaining good laboratory practices in our research spaces. Storing chemicals and samples takes up a lot of room, so keeping track of what is in the labs can help us store them in the most space-efficient way.
Good chemical and sample management will help you:
- avoid repeating experiments where samples are poorly labelled or managed
- save costs in purchasing new chemicals where University stocks exist
- avoid costly waste disposal of expired chemicals and unlabelled samples and chemicals
- maximise efficient use of your lab space
- minimise carbon emissions created from the manufacture of chemicals
Use clear labelling and systems
Use the ChemInventory system
All labs at Bath are required to use the University's ChemInventory system – if your lab isn’t registered already, please speak to your technical team.
Maintaining an up-to-date inventory system makes it easy to decide if chemicals and samples stored in the lab are still relevant to the research group.
Label chemicals and samples
You should label chemicals and samples with:
- the owner’s name
- date of opening
- any other necessary details like expiry date or hazards
Schedule regular inventories
Conduct an annual inventory of all chemicals and samples in the lab and:
- remove expired chemicals
- share any short-dated or surplus supplies
- remove any samples that are no longer required
Where possible, share chemicals between labs instead of ordering new ones. Use ChemInventory to look up which chemicals other labs have available.
Store chemicals and samples efficiently
Store similar items together
Group similar items together to maximise storage space. For example, you could have a hazardous storage cabinet dedicated to storing acids and a different area dedicated to non-hazardous chemicals. Boxes can be a great way to keep smaller items together.
Do not use fume cupboards for storage
If you’re using fume cupboards, they should not be used for storage. Hazardous items should be stored in ventilated cabinets, which are safer for all lab users and use 99% less energy.
Find out more about reducing the environmental impact of using ventilation.
Return chemicals and samples to their correct storage promptly
Only keep the chemicals and samples you’re using on your work surface. When you've finished with them, return them to their designated storage cupboard to keep the area clean for the next person.
Find out about using cold storage sustainably.
Design your research to minimise chemical requirements
There are many ways you can design your research for sustainability. These include reducing the amount of material needed or substituting for more sustainable alternatives, as set out in: