Dr Carson trained as an organic chemist (PhD) and safety and health expert (MSc). He was formally employed by Unilever as research scientist and Head of Science Support Services at their Research and Development Laboratory, Port Sunlight. Responsibilities included, occupational health, safety and environment; consumer safety; ethics of animal and human testing; Quality Assurance (GCP,GLP, GMP, ISO 14001/17025/OHSAS 18001); Project Risk Management and member of the Management Committee. Current posts include Quality Director (4-Front Research Ltd), a H&S consultant, Chairman of CIREC (a research ethics committee recognised for reviewing Phase 1 studies on healthy human volunteers) and member of a local hospital clinical ethics committees. Since 1983 he has been a member of the Institution of Chemical Engineers 'Loss Prevetion Panel' and is a member of the Association of Reserach Ethics Committee. He is past member of the Chemical Industries Association Health Advisory Group and past Chairman of their Hygiene Working Group. Bewteen 1990-2000 he was visiting lecturer in chemistry at UMIST and was PhD examiner for Aston University Chemical Engineering Department. He has over 60 technical publications including The Safe Handling of Chemicals in Industry (3 volumes), Longman The Hazardous Chemicals Handbook (2 editions), Butterworth Heinemann Good Clinical, Laboratory and Manufacturing Practices (2 editions), Royal Society of Chemistry He is also coauthor of 'Silver Screens of Wirral' (2 volumes), Countyvise Ltd