Australia's Science Forum

I have just been told that we are going to be Chem audited-whole school.My Sam had told me about two years ago it wasn't my job to do the stocktake.
My Head Teacher has enough to do with out trying to entered all the chemicals on chemwatch.I have done it any way.All faculties stocktake and then give it to me to entered on chemwatch.I stocktake all Science.
What does everyone else do?Had a headache all night and still have it!
Debbie

we do a stock take on our STOCK, not on going chemicals. Once every year, term 4 is a good time to do it, No yr 12 lessons, so a little more time. I print out each dept stock take from last year, and give to each head teacher. When they return it to me I put it all on chem watch. I of course do sciences stock take.

Hi Debbie
I co-ordinate the chemical audit in the school. I give each faculty/area a copy of the previous year's register. I ask them to delete anything they no longer have and to add any new items. They also have to record the maximum amount kept e.g. if it is a 1L container that is half full, it is still recorded as 1L. They give me back the list and their folder which contains their safety data sheets. I check through these, updating any that are five years old and adding missing ones.

Of course, for science, I do the audit myself, but follow the same process I expect the others to do. If anyone complains about having to do their own stocktake, I tell them I'll do it for them if they come and do mine. Then point out that their's is one page long and mine is about 12! They are soon happy to do their own. I will never do another faculty's stock take. If someone refused to do it, I would take it up with the principal.

After this, I then update the master set of SDSs we keep in the front office.

I know some school use to do every thing, made up HCL or iodine, that is classed as Consumable materials, like dish washing liquid. You only need to do the STOCK, that has not been opened yet. Merilyn1 put that all so well.

Thanks for all the infor but do you know if we have it in writing that it's the Lab Assistants job to entered everything on ChemWatch?
So hard when you are told that the Head Teacher has to do it!

I do not think it is written down any where, But perhaps some one may know, do try the CSIS Vol 1 page 39. For the 18 years as a labbie, I have always done it, Not just at this school. So I think it is our job, how on earth would a SAM know. We know our chemicals and what we have, what we may be low on etc.

Thanks so much

I have even been told that it is not my job to do the whole school, but when the info came in - guess whose desk it was passed to? When I queried that, I was told that "no one" else had the time, 'someone' had to do it, 'no one ' knew how, and 'everyone' knew I had the skills, then it all pointed to me.
I did bristle at the inference that I had time... I completed most of the school and the Hazard register, but now I am plodding through Scinece updating all documents. Funny though, the maintenance guy, who has everyone scared, has been 'asked' to do a stock-take so I can do that area, but he has defied even the big boss and won't do it... wonder if that attitude would work for me??? reckon I won't try it.

It would be nice Sunray18 to have it in writing.I really think we should be on a higher pay than Office Staff!!!!!!!!!!!

sunray18 wrote:I have even been told that it is not my job to do the whole school, but when the info came in - guess whose desk it was passed to? When I queried that, I was told that "no one" else had the time, 'someone' had to do it, 'no one ' knew how, and 'everyone' knew I had the skills, then it all pointed to me.
I did bristle at the inference that I had time... I completed most of the school and the Hazard register, but now I am plodding through Scinece updating all documents. Funny though, the maintenance guy, who has everyone scared, has been 'asked' to do a stock-take so I can do that area, but he has defied even the big boss and won't do it... wonder if that attitude would work for me??? reckon I won't try it.

A couple of years ago, it took our maintenance guy SEVEN MONTHS to get his in, even then it looked dodgy, and despite my many appeals to several people "higher up". The canteen lady still hasn't done hers from last year, but everyone is just scared of her. I sent several emails to the authorities, but nothing was done.

Our Canteen do not do it, or our Cleaners. The GA does his once a year. I was only told teaching staff and SAO's. So interesting.

Our Canteen and Cleaners do not do it here either.

That's interesting, as they have some pretty dangerous chemicals

Our canteen does it (or at least I do it for them), but as the cleaners are contracted workers, I'm told they don't have to.
Doesn't make sense to me - their chemicals are still on our school grounds. But if I kick up too much of a fuss I'll end up having to do it.

If the chemical or product is on site then it has to be on a chemical stocktake list. If there was a fire the fire department needs to know what is on site - contractor or not.

I agree, but then again, Local schools, Local rulers. Not all the the NSW Fire bridage have been showen how to use Chemwatch, yet.

I will ask when I have a meeting in two weeks about the cleaners

ISS do the school cleaning here. When I asked that question a few years back I was told that they maintain their own chemical registers, but they were happy to supply MSDS for us.

Labbie wrote:I know some school use to do every thing, made up HCL or iodine, that is classed as Consumable materials, like dish washing liquid. You only need to do the STOCK, that has not been opened yet. Merilyn1 put that all so well.

Hi Labbie,

I just read this old thread and wanted to clarify. So we only need to count the stock of 'unopeded' chemicals? I don't have to count any opened chemicals of diluted solutions, dropper bottles, etc? Do you know where I can I can read up on that? (Just so I can tell my HT!)

Many thanks in advance!
Kris

You are so Correct Chocolatepot Only your unopened ones, or as they say the stock. Yes the CSIS book vol1 I think.