Beat CERS Reporting Challenges Via Chemical Inventory Managment

California businesses handling hazardous materials face a variety of rigid rules, including strict reporting requirements. Errors and missed deadlines often arise—fortunately, an organization with a chemical inventory management solution can maintain reporting compliance with relative ease.

The statewide hazardous materials data reporting platform is called the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS). For many end users, interactions with CERS are complex and challenging. Even experienced managers or professionals aren’t always sure what to submit or when. 

So, in this blog (the second in a series about California regulations), we’ll provide an overview of what to track in CERS. And, if you don’t have an adequate chemical inventory management system, we’ll offer some tips on procuring and implementing one. We’ll begin by discussing what sorts of information enter CERS. 

What CERS Tracks

One: Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP)

HMBP submissions flow through CERS. Businesses must update these submissions within 30 days of any major changes—such as when they add new chemicals, or alter a facility in a way that might affect and emergency response.  

In an HMBP, a business must provide: 

• Facility information, including an operational analysis and a hazardous materials management description 
• A hazardous materials inventory, which lists all onsite hazardous chemicals and other substances. This must include: 
  • Precise quantities 
  • Physical state of each material 
  • Storage methods 
• A detailed site map, identifying all: 
  • Hazardous materials storage locations 
  • Emergency equipment 
  • Evacuation routes 
• An emergency response plan (ERP) that details hazardous material incident response procedures. This assists first responders in creating effective remediation plans if there’s an incident.
• Employee training documentation that will usually cover the following topics: 
  • Hazardous material handling 
  • Storage practices 
  • Emergency response 

Organizations must annually ensure their HMBPs are accurate and complete, even if there were no changes to them. This ensures continued compliance—and highlights just how important a reliable inventory management program is for Californian businesses’ data needs.

Two: Hazardous Waste Reports

Facilities must report the following waste metrics and plans in CERS: 

• Generation totals 
• Storage strategies and locations 
• Disposal practices 

Three: Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA) plans

Businesses with storage capacities exceeding 1,320 gallons must create plans for spill prevention, control, and countermeasure (SPCC). Then, organizations must track these in CERS.  

Four: Underground Storage Tank (UST) compliance

There are strict monitoring, testing, and reporting requirements for USTs containing hazardous materials. Affected businesses track their compliance via CERS. 

Accurate Chemical Inventories = Easy Reporting 

Given all the various types of data needed, harvesting, prepping, and submitting reports into CERS is frequently a difficult task for managers and staff. For those who rely on disparate spreadsheets or paper documents, the process is even more difficult. And without a centralized data system, organizations often must cope with chemical drift, or the unrecorded change in lab inventory over time.  

On the other hand, a centralized, professional chemical inventory management program that uses cloud-based software can streamline data collection for CERS. It ensures the ability to quickly and seamlessly track:  

• Substance quantities 
• Storage locations 
• Usage 
• Chemical properties 

A strong chemical inventory program with digital capabilities will also enable California businesses to automate inventory tracking, reducing human error and ensuring data accuracy. It also supports a key best practice: establishing a routine for regular inventory checks to maintain accurate CERS data and hold annual certifications.

With a reliable system, businesses can easily update CERS when inventory changes occur, facilitating consistent compliance. This is important, as CERS compliance is good business. Minimizing reporting violations helps organizations avoid the heavy labor costs caused by materials resubmission; it also prevents noncompliance fines.  

There are also many operational benefits to a proactive chemical inventory program, and they include: 

• Risk Reduction: Centralizing key data, such as the location of hazardous chemicals, enables staff to avoid errors. These include such potentially disastrous mistakes as placing incompatible chemicals in proximity to one another. 
• Improved Safety Culture: Informed decisions reduce the likelihood of incidents and potential disasters. For instance, in addition to reducing worksite hazards, a strong chemical inventory management program also supports emergency response planning.
• Audit Preparedness: By running routine internal chemical inventory audits, managers detect discrepancies early and ensure that data in CERS is current. Quick access to chemical info also accelerates regulatory inspections (it also demonstrates facility and staff efficiency to auditors).  
• Employee Education: It’s crucial to educate employees on all compliance-related requirements and best practices, including inventory procedures and emergency protocols. Such a program reduces even the possibility of errors. 

Chemical Inventory Management for CERS Success 

As we’ve seen, proactive chemical inventory management capabilities can make complying with CERS reporting a streamlined, efficient process. And, by systematically managing inventory, an organization can more easily meet California safety rules, reduce risks, and foster a safer work environment. 

Don’t wait until compliance issues arise to streamline your CERS processes—take control of your chemical inventory today. Contact us to learn how we can help you implement a robust compliance strategy, tailored to your needs.