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Chemical & Gas Ordering Process

The College of Engineering has a policy that all chemicals and compressed gas orders be placed using specific order forms, and that the orders be approved by the COEN Safety Liaison before they are placed.  There are several benefits to this centralized approach to ordering chemicals versus individual labs ordering directly from chemical suppliers. These include:

  • the ability to ensure certain chemicals/gases are not brought into the College
  • the ability to review SDS to assess hazards so that any new protocols in the use, storage, and disposal of the compounds/gases are in place before they arrive.

Once the form is completed, the requestor sends it to the person who orders chemicals/gases for their group (often the dept. admin) and to the COEN safety liaison. The next step is for the safety liaison to review and approve the requests. If the chemical or gas is already being used in a lab where there are adequate protocols and other measures needed to use the chemical safely, the order is usually approved within a few hours.

For chemicals and gases that have not yet been used in the lab, or where there may not be adequate protocols or other safety measures in place for the use, storage and disposal of the item, the liaison will contact the requester and discuss the steps necessary before the chemical or gas can be ordered.

Once the order is approved, it can be placed. Chemicals are normally shipped to the department office of the requestor.

Chemical and Gas Ordering Forms

COEN uses the following forms for chemical and compressed gas orders:

Chemical Order Form

Compressed Gas Order Form

More detailed information is included in the form on how to complete the chemical or gas order. Contact the COEN Safety Liaison if you have any questions about making a chemical or gas purchase.

What Chemical Orders Can Be Placed Directly By The User?

The short answer is “very few”. Currently, only orders for chemicals and gases for the Idaho Microfabrication lab are allowed to be placed directly by IML personnel. All other orders must go through the process described above.