The University of Ottawa, with Concordia University, Queen’s University and the Royal Military College, have collectively received $3.8 million from the federal government’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) Research Technology Initiative to develop a hazardous materials inventory software for the Canadian university environment.
The partnership, known as the Higher Education Cooperative for Hazardous Materials and Equipment Tracking, was established in response to increasing requests from federal and provincial government regulators for inventories of select hazardous materials on university campuses. For example, a recent request from Environment Canada responds to the federal government’s Chemical Management Plan, which will require all universities to submit a total of 12 inventories over the next two years.
Typically, Canadian universities have older inventory systems, mostly homemade, that are often challenged by the increasing demands being made of them. Universities consequently have to rely on paper or e-mail systems that take time away from research, and whose accuracy cannot always be relied upon. This also creates challenges for first responders like fire departments or police services who would like to have a more accurate overview of what materials exist in the facilities before they enter the buildings.
After an extensive review process, the cooperative hired Vertére Inventory Controls Systems to provide the software that will meet the needs of Canadian universities. The University of Ottawa will host the hardware and software at the Faculty of Science on behalf of the cooperative. At the same time, the Office of Risk Management will ensure that all regulatory needs are being met. This five-year project is an exciting collaboration, not only among universities, but also across departments within each of the institutions. It is hoped that this will be a model for all universities across Canada.
For further information, please contact Michael Histed, director of the Office of Risk Management at mhisted@uOttawa.ca.
