Regulations on Purchase of Chemicals

  1. All deliveries of chemicals and solvents to the Department of Chemistry must have purchase orders originating from Lab Supplies, Department of Chemistry. For purchases made through external grants, the order form must first be submitted to Lab Supplies for approval before being forwarded to the external body. The LMPRS-LMMS System is used for generating purchase orders to buy chemicals.
  2. You must pass the Chemistry Safety test before you are allowed to login to the LMPRS-LMMS system. If chemicals fall under CWC, you need to apply online to OSHE for the licence to purchase the chemicals (https://wws.nus.edu.sg/rci/default.aspx).
  3. Strictly no Cash-On-Delivery is allowed for purchase of chemicals and solvents.
  4. Irrespective of the source of the grant, purchases involving excessive amounts of solvents and/or chemicals to be stored in the Department of Chemistry will not be approved. Should it be necessary that large amounts of solvents and/or chemicals be purchased, arrangements should be made with the supplier for storage at their site and partial delivery be made on an as-and-when-needed basis. Written verification from the supplier is necessary.
  5. No chemicals/solvents are to be sent directly to any individuals. All chemicals and solvents must be delivered to Lab Supplies, Dept of Chemistry, Science Drive 2, Blk S5 Basement Office, Singapore 117543.
  6. All chemicals and solvents not purchased and delivered in accordance with the above procedures will be considered illegal. When buying chemicals from chemical companies not in Singapore, you must inform them that proper declaration of the chemicals is required. Deliveries made without proper declaration of the contents will be returned to the sender at your cost and a report will be made to customs.
  7. All chemicals and solvents must be properly stored in the appropriate safety cabinets.
  8. All chemicals and solvents must be updated regularly after use using the weighing balance and scanner provided in each lab. Keeping an inventory is required for all regulated chemicals. A softcopy version is allowed.
  9. Lab Supplies sells technical solvents, acids, alkalis and some common lab chemicals. To purchase these, the Letter of Authorisation for Collection of Solvents & Chemicals must be signed by the PI and submitted to Lab Supplies before 11:30 am. The solvents can then be collected at 2:30 pm (on solvent disposal days) or 3:00 pm (on other days) at the Technical Solvents store. For flammable solvents, the maximum volume that you can purchase each time is 60 L (12 x 5L). You MUST return the empty canisters before you can buy new stock. If you do not return the empty canisters, the solvents you bought will remain under your lab’s inventory and your lab may exceed the maximum allowable quantity (MAQ) for flammables. If that happens, your lab will not be allowed to purchase any more PFM-regulated chemicals.

Regulations on Import of Biological Agents/Toxin

An import permit granted by the Ministry of Health is required for the importation of biological agents, toxins including proficiency test items and inactivated agents. If you are the importer, then you must have an Approval to Possess for that item. Refer to Import of Biological Agents/Toxins under Applicable Legislations for more information.