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Toxic Materials in the Academic Laboratory from an Industrial Viewpoint Bryant C. Fischback, Dow Chemical Company, Walnut Creek, California
1 a m a chemist by academic training and a senior gmup leader in new pmduct research for T h e Dow Chemical Company. Along with heing responsible for the management of several research projects, I am also our Western Division's representative to Dow's Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Working Group. This group has the task of thoroughly understanding the Act and also of making recommendations t o the Environmental Pnrtection Agency that will assist the EPA in pnjposing and adopting reasonable and workable regulations and hopefully sees t o it that the Administrator of the EPA will use sound standards in enforcing the law. This working group also keeps Dow's upper management informed of trends in EPA's thinking as the law takes effect and also what Dow must d o t o be in compliance with the law. 1plan t o cover three suhjeets which have a hearing on the academic laboratories as these are the training grounds for w r new people. First, I would like t o describe how we carry out our research a t Dow from a safety and health standpoint. Secondly, I would like to outline the qualities we would like t o see in the professional people we hire. Finally, I would like t o discuss a a,mmon sense approach to government regulations. A professor from Case-Western Reserve University recently remarked t o Dr. Etcyl Blair, the director of Dow's Health and Environmental Research Department, that he felt the two safest places in the world were in the inside of an airplane and in a well-
