Chemical inventory and COSHH register templates

The chemical inventory sheet

There is one row per container. A row per chemical hides the things that matter most: two bottles of the same substance can have different ages and be in different places.

The columns are these:

• Chemical name. Use the full name, and keep abbreviations out of it where you can.
• CAS number. This is useful when a chemical goes by several names.
• Concentration. Include this for solutions, as a hazard can change with strength.
• Quantity and unit. How much is in the container now.
• Container type and size. For example, 2.5 litre glass Winchester.
• Location. Building, room, store, cabinet, shelf, in that order.
• Storage class. Flammable, oxidiser, acid, alkali, toxic, corrosive or general. Our storage classes guide explains these.
• Received date. When it arrived.
• Opened date. Essential for peroxide formers.
• Expiry or review date. When someone should look at it again.
• Supplier and batch. Useful if a question arises about the product.
• Owner. The person or department responsible.
• Status. In use, low, expired, awaiting disposal or disposed.
• Notes. Anything else, such as "label failing".

The COSHH register sheet

This sheet has one row per substance or task and points to the assessment that covers it:

• Substance. As it appears in your inventory.
• Where it is used. Rooms and tasks, not only the store.
• Hazards. Signal word and H statements from the label or data sheet.
• Safety data sheet. Where your copy can be found.
• Assessment reference. The name or number of the risk assessment that covers this use.
• Assessed by and date.
• Review due.

A register tells you what you have and whether it has been assessed. Writing the assessment itself is a separate job. HSE sets out five stages: identify the hazards, assess the risks, control them, record your findings and review. It says a safety data sheet does not substitute for an assessment, and a line in a register does not either. Our COSHH guide covers how to write an assessment that people will use.

How to get a useful list quickly

Start with one location. Pick the store you know best, and fill in a row for each container in shelf order, without stopping to research anything. A short list that is right beats a long one that is half guessed.

Work from what is on the label. Use the supplier's name for the chemical, and copy the dates. If a bottle has no date, leave the cell blank, because a blank tells you something useful. Do not guess an opened date.

Record problems as you find them. Write "label failing", "cap corroded" or "no label". If you come across something that looks wrong, such as a bottle of ether with crystals around the cap or a bottle you suspect is dried picric acid, do not handle it. Note its location and get advice before going further.

Look beyond the science store. Art, design and technology, and caretaking cupboards often contain hazardous products too.

Keeping it up to date

A spreadsheet has no way of telling you it is wrong. So set your own routine. Decide who owns the file, and keep one copy. Update it when stock comes in or goes out. Walk the store at least once a year and correct it, as the DfE guidance asks for a regular audit. Keep a current printout where you could reach it in an emergency, since the fire service may need it.

Most stock lists fail because of what happens after the first version: a second copy is made, a new starter does not know about the file, and the list quietly stops being true.

If you outgrow the spreadsheet

The template's columns match the fields in the Chemical Register, so it can be imported when you are ready, with no rework. The Chemical Register adds matched hazard data, alerts for expiry and incompatible storage, a stock check you can do on a phone and a history of each container. The pricing page shows what each plan includes. Starter is free for up to 150 line items. Moving is optional, and the template is yours to use for as long as it suits you.

Using this template responsibly

The template contains no hazard data. You fill that in from labels and safety data sheets, and it is your responsibility to keep it correct. It has been written for general use and does not replace advice from your employer, your competent person or a body such as CLEAPSS or SSERC. Check your own risk assessment and your supplier's safety data sheet.