performed the sampling for micro-organisms in hospitals and their so- 
called "clean rooms". And all these systems would fail on occassion. 
No exceptions. 
When technologists have been asked to self regulate, the track 
record is poor. 
Science News reports in its September 9, 1978 issue that a new case 
of smallpox has been contracted by a photographer in the Birmingham 
University Hospital Medical School in England. The virus was being 
stored one floor above his work area. I don't know what safeguards were 
being taken. However, I am sure that the laboratory involved presumed 
them adequate. This is one example. 
And NIH is proposing to relax safeguards and limit the decision- 
making of exemptions to a group that lacks a general public policy 
perspective. 
This is not acceptable. 
I have touched on a small fraction of the problems with the guidelines. 
I have spoken of the problems with the exemptions and with the basic 
decision-making structure of the guidelines. 
I ask that you re-draft the guidelines to reflect these concerns. 
[ 361 ] 
