<At the risk of starting the biggest flame war on the alt-photo list, I would
like to get some opinions from list members on sales of potentially
hazardous materials to photographers.>
It seems there are two problems to solve:
1) How to protect B&S
2) How to adequately warn your customer.
On the first, I would think you need to consult at length with a good product
liability attorney. You may find there is no way to achieve absolute
protection, but there a number of precautions that will go a long way.
There are some chemicals you should not ship under any circumstance. These
would be the obvious lethal compounds such as sodium cyanide, salts of thallium,
ricin, etc.
One other suggestion here would be that while you can't require a written
purchase order in all cases, you could require one for the 1/2 dozen bad actors
used by the Alt-Photo-processes. When a customer calls and requests one of
these, You could send him an order form containing the necessary cautions and
disclaimers. Always send a MSD.
A source I have used for years is Tri-Ess in Pasadena Ca.
there are some things they will not ship. They also are very careful to meet all
the shipping requirements (and there are many). As a last suggestion, you might
consider including some cautionary (lawyer approved) material in your
forthcoming catalog.
Regards, John
E-mail from: JOHN L. DIXON, 14-Dec-1996