Purchasing Hazardous or Dangerous Items

Follow the requisition and delivery procedure outlined by the MIT EHS Radiation Protection Program.

1. Before purchasing drugs or chemicals, review the Controlled Substances page on the EHS website. Have required forms and permissions ready before starting your requisition.
2. Create a freeform requisition in B2P using Commodity Code Chemicals - Schedule I-V Controlled Substances (G/L 420157). Indicate your DEA Registration Number on the requisition. Scan and attach required forms and certification documents to your B2P requisition for review by EHS.

Should be purchased from MIT's Preferred Scientific Supplier. When making your first purchase of Ethyl alcohol, attach a Purchase of Ethyl Alcohol Approval Form to the requisition, signed by a member of the Institute community with the title Department Head, Laboratory Director, Professor, M.D., or Pharmacist. Once authorized, you will be able to make additional purchases without attaching the authorization form.

Includes: abrin, botulinum, neurotoxins, clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin, conotoxins, deacetoxyscirpenol, ricin, saxitoxin, shigatoxin, shiga-like ribosome inactivating proteins, staphylococcal enerotoxins, tetrodotoxin, T-t toxin               

Must be purchased by the MIT EHS Biosafety Program.

Includes: arsenic trioxide, chlorine, hydrogen cyanide, nitrous oxide, phosgene, potassium cyanide (analytical reagent and purified), sodium arseate (analytical reagent), sodium cyanide (analytical reagent)   

1. Requests for the chemicals above must be approved by a member of the Institute community with the title Department Head, Laboratory Director, Professor, M.D., or Pharmacist. These individuals can designate approved purchasers for the above chemicals using the Purchase of Highly Toxic & Restricted Chemicals Approval Form.
2. Create a requisition in Buy-to-Pay.
   • For Commodity, choose Chemicals - MIT Restricted Poisons
   • Under Attachments, upload a completed copy of the Purchase of Highly Toxic & Restricted Chemicals Approval Form
3. The requisition will route for the necessary approvals. Once approved, the order will be sent to the supplier.

Must be purchased from Airgas, MIT’s Preferred Supplier.

Requisition must be made by a member of the MIT community who meets the all of the following criteria:

• holds a valid permit from the Massachusetts State Fire Marshall and the local fire department for use, storage, and handling;
• has cleared a background check by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF);
• holds a valid ATF permit.

For Class A and Class B explosives: The community member must also hold a valid Certificate of Competency from the Massachusetts State Fire Marshall

Requisition must be made by a member of the MIT community who holds a valid permit from the local fire department.

Prior approval must be given by MIT Division of Comparative Medicine (DCM) to purchase live animals. Purchasing animal tissues requires approval from the Committee on Animal Care (CAC).

Precious metals include silver, gold, platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, osmium, ruthenium, scraps bearing precious metals, and items containing recoverable quantities of precious metals.

Requisition must assign G/L 420296 (Precious Metals) and must state either "Precious Metal Required for Federal Contract or Grant" and include contract or grant number or "Precious Metal Required for Institute Purposes."

Please consult the policies and procedures for human blood and tissue orders maintained by the Committee on the Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects (COUHES).