ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

William Lowrance wrote in "Of Acceptable Risk" that safety was a judgement  
about the acceptability of risk.
 
The whole area of risk in our lives would make fascinating science museum  
exhibits and perhaps help people to better understand it's nature.
 
What are the professional standards on health, safety, and the environment  
published by science museum associations to guide their members in these  
areas?  
 
Would it be good for each separated museum to be setting their own  standards?
 
What about within a museum?  Is there an environment, health and  safety 
manual outlining in writing the policies and procedures that the museum  expects 
its employees to follow?  Should each employee set his or  her our standard or 
what's a acceptable risk inside his or her science  museum.
 
If the policies are not in writing, you don't have policies .... you have  an 
oral tradition.
If the policies are not enforced, you don't have policies ... you have lip  
service.
 
Does your museum have any EH&S manual?  Where might I get a copy  of the 
professional standards of science museum associations concerning  EH&S? ... Jim
 
   ************************
James A.  Kaufman, Ph.D.
President/CEO
The Laboratory Safety  Institute
Safety in Science and Science Education      
192 Worcester Road,  Natick, MA 01760
508-647-1900  Fax:  508-647-0062  
Cell: 508-574-6264 Res: 781-237-1335
[log in to unmask] www.labsafety.org  

**********************************************

***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]