Diseño de un sistema de gestión de inventario para optimizar el manejo de las sustancias y residuos químicos de los Laboratorios del Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica

Abstract

Costa Rica Institute of Technological has several laboratories focused on research and teaching work, they have various interactions with the environment. Among the most important are those associated with the handling of chemicals and their wastes, due to the various risks for to humans and the environment. Moreover, in the last two years the Institution spent an average of ninety thousand dollars in the purchase of chemicals, which in turn implies a monetary impact on the institution. The organizing and tracking of these substances, is the first step for an optimal control of the mentioned problems; however, a diagnosis made at the laboratories of the institution (2009), showed that they do not have a technological application to solve the problem, this has imply several specific operational and environmental problems, such as the accumulation of hazardous wastes. The fundamentals of Environmental Engineering are aimed primarily at providing scientific and technological solutions in the field of prevention of environmental problems. For that reason, an online Inventory Management System was designed and validated using modern technologies, also compatible with the platform of the Institution, integrating staff involved in all stages of development, promoting teamwork and encouraging acceptance of the system. The implementation and validation of the project allowed us to have a unified inventory system for all involved in the issue, which guarantees the security of information and efficient access. This system meets the requirements set by future users, improving the efficiency of their work, while allowing them to comply with environmental legislation associated. This allows the Institute to fulfill their responsibilities with the country, besides the institutional legal framework. At the end of the development process, training was provided to 15 prospective users of the system, increasing its sensitivity to the problems described, as well as its relations with the Institutional Regency of Chemicals, the future system administrator.