How to Build a Chemical Inventory From Scratch

Short answer: build a chemical inventory by walking every area and photographing each product, recording its name, manufacturer, and location, pulling the current SDS for each, noting hazards and incompatibilities, then keeping the list updated as products change. A current inventory is the backbone of HazCom — it drives which SDSs you need, what to label, what to train on, and whether you trip Tier II thresholds. Per-location software like SDSentry ($24 per location per month) builds the list from your SDS files and keeps it current. Here's how to do it in an afternoon.

Free, no signup: the SDS binder builder at sdsentry.0xpi.com/sds-binder.html turns a pasted list of the products you keep on site into one printable index of their current safety data sheets.

Step 1 — Walk every area

Go room by room with a phone camera. Don't skip the easy-to-forget spots: storage closets, under sinks, laundry, surgery and treatment rooms, intake, maintenance/janitorial areas, sheds, and vehicles. If it's a product with a hazard label, it goes on the list.

Step 2 — Capture each product's identity

For every container, record:

• Product name (exactly as on the label)
• Manufacturer
• UPC barcode and/or EPA registration number if present
• Where it's stored (which location/room)
• Approximate quantity and container size

A quick photo of each label captures most of this without writing it all down by hand.

Step 3 — Pull the current SDS for each

Match every product to its current Safety Data Sheet (not an old MSDS). SDSentry looks sheets up automatically from the product name or UPC — which is the slowest part of doing this manually.

Step 4 — Note hazards and incompatibilities

Flag the high-risk items and what they can't be stored or used near — the classic example being bleach away from ammonia and acids. A by-location inventory makes these risks visible instead of hidden in a binder.

Step 5 — Label, train, and write it down

For anything you decant, generate a secondary-container label. Create a training record per product, and fold the inventory into your written HazCom program (see the compliance checklist).

Step 6 — Keep it current

An inventory is only useful if it's maintained. Add new products at purchase, remove (archive) discontinued ones, and review periodically. Tie updates to your purchasing process so nothing enters the building untracked.

Make it a living list, not a one-time chore

SDSentry turns this into an ongoing system: scan or search to add items, attach the SDS automatically, track quantity and location, flag over-threshold and no-SDS items, and search the full text of your sheets ("which products contain isopropyl alcohol?"). Archived items are retained, so your inventory doubles as your historical record.

Build your inventory free for 7 days

Educational information only, not legal or compliance advice. Verify current requirements at osha.gov/hazcom or with a qualified safety professional.