RE: Experience with consolidating safety groups?

["RAD CAPT JERRY A. THOMAS" <THOMAS@usuhs.usuhs.mil>]

	We have had the Radiation Safety, Chemical and Environmental Safety
offices under the same directorate/office for the past thirteen years.  I have
found that the three operations are very complementary.  The department is
"Envirnmental Health and Safety".  It also includes an Occupational Medicine
Physician and Occupational Medicine Nurse.  The responsibilities of the office
include the full gamut of Occupational Medicine and Safety.  A ABR and/or
CHP physicist is the director.

	The office is staffed by military techinicians and officers from all
3 branches of service -- Army, Navy, Air Force.  We have been quite lucky in
that our positions have been filled by some of the best qualified persons I
have had the pleasure of working with.

	Some pitfalls to this organization may be the depth and quality of
person that can be hired to do the professional and technical work.  Our
professionals include:  an Industrial Hygenist (AF), a Radiation Safety Officer
(A), program director (N) -- background in Radiation physics, Occupational
physician and occupational nurse.  The technial support personnel are divided
into two groups -- radiation safety technologists and biomedical enviornmental
health technologists.  (Total:  10?).

	I feel that the program director must have a detailed working knowledge
of radiation and environmental health issues.  He/she should also be a very capable administrator.  Otherwise, I don't know of any problems in running a 
combined program.


	If I remember correctly, U of Texas...Galvaston. was one of the first
Universities to have a combined safety program.  Leo Wade was the program
director for many years.


JERRY  THOMAS