It depends a lot on the University - they are not all the same. Some are highly technical and are pushing back the frontiers of science. This requires a safety bod who understands the nature of research and can work from first principles where necessary, including helping the researchers to try to quantify the 'what if's. You have to be pragmatic. You have to be able to spot something that is outright illegal and find a way to make it legal. Research is very expensive and very competitive. Management systems vary a lot from University to University - some are very devolved, and a challenge is that the head of a department may have very little management experience, lots of research experience, and be a world leader in something - but have little idea of the nuts and bolts of a safety management system. Some are campus universities, so compact. Others are scattered over entire cities. Most will have many occasions in a year when they welcome in the public - for instance science festival can bring 2000 + visitors to a science department in a single afternoon. Hands on experiments are really important in inspiring the next generation, but how do you set the boundaries? The last thing they want is a child being whisked off to hospital! Find out what the University does. Look at their website. Jane

There is a Universities Safety and Health Association (USHA), but most resources are for members. There is some punblicvly available guidance:- http://www.usha.org.uk/m...urces/guidance-documents