Contact UNLV’s Shipping and Receiving department and have the shipper's bar code number (FedEX, UPS, DHL, etc.) which is used to track the status of your item.

Some chemical shipping containers are marked with Department of Transportation (DOT) labels indicating the hazards of the contents (flammable liquid, oxidizer, toxic, dangerous when wet, corrosive, etc.). Also, well-known chemical suppliers such as Sigma-Aldrich, Fisher Scientific, Alfa Aesar, Strem Chemicals, and others like Bio-Rad, suggest chemical contents.

Some chemical suppliers such as Sigma-Aldrich, Fisher, and VWR also supply non-chemical items such as laboratory equipment and glassware. In some cases, boxes have external markings identifying the contents (such as beakers or pipettes), which alleviate the need for further inspection. Any box transferred to Risk Management & Safety (RMS) by UNLV's Shipping and Receiving will be opened to check for chemicals. Boxes that do not contain chemicals will be immediately re-sealed and delivered on the same day they were received.

Chemical containers will be removed from their packaging to place a UNLV barcode label on each container, then repackaged in the same manner as originally sent by the supplier and in accordance with federal DOT regulations. If the chemical container is enclosed in secondary packaging that cannot be safely or readily accessed during inventory, the packaging will not be opened. Instead, the item will be inventoried and a notification and barcode will be placed on the exterior packaging. The recipient should place the barcode directly on the chemical container once the packaging is opened.

Chemical shipments are typically processed by RMS on the day they are received or by the following business day. If delivery timing is a concern, packages may be picked up directly from Receiving.

You may inventory the chemical yourself using CHIMERA. If you need assistance, contact the Chemical Inventory team at cism-group@unlv.edu or 702-895-4259. UNLV barcode labels can also be provided, along with brief in-person instruction on how to add the chemical to CHIMERA. When contacting us, please provide your name, the building and room where the chemical is used or stored, and a phone number where you can be reached.

The purchaser will be notified and RMS will replace the item.

If a chemical container is found to be broken due to shipping, RMS will notify the person who ordered the chemical so a claim can be filed with the manufacturer to replace the item. The event will be documented, and the contents of broken chemical containers will be moved to the university's hazardous waste accumulation area. Once it is safe to do so, the other items in the package will be delivered to the recipient as soon as possible.

Certain specialized or regulated shipments, including biological samples, animal shipments, perishable or cold-packed materials, cryogenic liquids, and controlled substances are not routinely intercepted by RMS for chemical inventory. These shipments will continue through the applicable delivery process.

Advance notification for the annual chemical inventory is available upon request. If you would like to receive notice before the chemical inventory team enters your area, contact the Chemical Inventory team at cism-group@unlv.edu or 702-895-4259. Once requested, notification information can be retained for future annual inventories. This notification applies specifically to the annual chemical inventory conducted by RMS only.

No. Chemical inventories can be conducted without faculty or lab personnel present. If you would like to be present to monitor the inventory, or assist with sensitive areas, such as refrigerators or freezers, you may request to be present during the inventory. Contact cism-group@unlv.edu or 702-895-4259 to arrange this in advance.