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> > Inspections are really good at picking up conditions... What they > aren't good at ...are evaluating behaviors and a person's > understanding of chemical safety I would add to Kim's observation that we've tried to use inspection results as a measure of safety program effectiveness; it's been less successful in the Chemistry Department than elsewhere on campus. I agree with Kim that a more in depth discussion of risks (and benefits) associated with novel procedures is necessary to get buy in from the chemists. Unfortunately, this requires a high level of specialized chemistry expertise, which is difficult for the safety department to provide because of the mixture of disciplines found in a general chemistry department. Persistence has proven to be our most effective tool in dealing with chemists, as with other laboratory workers and the number of inspection visits addresses this issue most directly. - Ralph Ralph Stuart, CIH Environmental Safety Manager University of Vermont Environmental Safety Facility 667 Spear St. Burlington, VT 05405 rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**uvm.edu fax: (802)656-5407