EMERGENCY PLANS FOR MUSEUM CONSERVATION LABORATORIES

                By Michael McCann, Ph.D., C.I.H.



NEED FOR AN EMERGENCY PLAN

   The need for emergency plans for museum conservation

laboratories - and for the museum itself - is made abundantly

clear by the devastating occurrences of fire in museums that have 

caused loss of life and limb, have damaged the museum property,

and have destroyed irreplaceable collections.  Less apparent but

no less significant is the potential loss of life or the damage

caused by other emergencies such as natural disasters (e.g.

storms and floods), releases of toxic gases or chemical spills,

etc.  Emergency planning strives to lessen the loss of human life

and pain, structural damage, and disruption of services by

attempting to forsee all the types and routes of disasters and

address all potential emergencies which can be expected in the

workplace.

   In addition to the direct injury or damage that can be caused

by an emergency, possible lawsuits and workers compensation

claims could result if the museum does not have an adequate

emergency plan to prevent injury.  Although the museum

conservation laboratory might have the most serious hazards, the

ultimate responsibility for developing an adequate emergency plan 

lies with the museum administration.  ( See CSA's data sheet (A

Health and Safety Program for Conservation Laboratories.)



TYPES OF EMERGENCIES

   Most museums have emergency plans in case of fire because of

the grave threat to both occupants and property - including the

museum's collection.  However there are many other types of

emergencies which can require evacuation or  other emergency

procedures.  These include  natural disasters such as floods and

hurricanes, electrical failure, sprinkler leakage, bomb threats,

chemical contamination, medical emergencies, etc. 

    The modern conservation laboratory contains a wide variety of

toxic and flammable substances.  Emergencies in conservation

laboratories can include accidental release of toxic gases - such

as ethylene oxide used for fumigation, toxic chemical spills -

especially of large amounts of solvents, fires and explosions,

and even personal injuries resulting from physical accidents.   

   Whether the emergency emanates from a conservation laboratory,

or in an unrelated section of the museum, the conservator must be

able to safely shut-down any process, no matter how complex or

intricate, at any point and prepare to evacuate the building. 

Failure to have pre-planned emergency abort procedures for such

processes as fumigation could result in a more serious emergency

than the original one.



WHAT IS AN EMERGENCY PLAN?

   The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

requires that all employers have written emergency action plans

(29 CFR  1910.38 ).  If the museum has fewer than ten employees,

the plan may be communicated orally to employees.

   The emergency action plan must, at a minimum, include the

following elements:

1) Emergency escape procedures and emergency escape route   

assignments;

2) Procedures to be followed by employees who remain to perform 

   (or shut down) critical processes before they evacuate;

3) Procedures to account for all employees after emergency   

evacuation has been completed;

4) Rescue and medical duties for those employees who are to   

perform them;

5) The preferred means for reporting fires and other emergencies;

6) Names or regular job titles of persons or departments to be   

contacted for further information or explanation of duties   

under the plan;

7) Written priorities for artifact vs people safety.



   The plan developed must cover the museum as a whole, as

required by OSHA regulations.  The conservation laboratory,

because of the special hazards found there, needs to  develop its

own emergency procedures which should be incorporated into the

overall museum emergency plan.

   There are three main steps involved in the preparation and

implementation of an emergency plan: planning and documentation

of such, training and periodic drills.  All three of these are

crucial if the emergency plan is going to work as intended.



Planning

   The effectiveness of the emergency plan will depend primarily

on the amount of planning.  The first step of the planning stage

involves  identifying all the potential emergencies that could

develop.  Next, procedures must be developed which will be

followed in case of an emergency.  In particular this involves

establishing a chain of command and assigning particular roles to

employees and developing the following: an adequate emergency

communications system of alarms and notifications;  a detailed

evacuation procedure; shutdown procedures; and procedures for

meeting other types of emergencies.  It is important to involve

all employees in this planning process in order to ensure maximum

effectiveness of the final emergency plan.



Hazard Evaluation

   Obtaining Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) is crucial for

providing information on chemicals to assist in the hazard

evaluation stage of emergency planning.  MSDSs give information

on hazards of the product, handling precautions, decomposition,

emergency and first aid procedures,etc. (See also CSA

conservation hazards data sheets listed at the end of this data

sheet.)

   Two of the greatest potential hazards in the museum

conservation laboratory are chemical spills - particularly of

solvents, and leaks of fumigants due to a faulty gas cylinder,

malfunctioning exhaust system or similar accident. More detailed

information on possible emergency procedures for these types of

accidents will be found later in this data sheet.  Each

laboratory will have to examine its activities and materials to

determine other potential hazards which could result in emergency

situations including the above mentioned natural disasters,

failure of electrical systems and possible personal injuries

(accidents, heart attacks, etc.). 

      

Role of Museum Staff

   The emergency plan, when formulated, will rely on various

staff members to form Emergency Teams and carry out the various

emergency procedures developed.  An Emergency Coordinator should

be appointed to coordinate the work of the Emergency Teams. The

duties of this  coordinator include 1) assessing possible

emergencies to determine the response needed , 2) directing the

emergency response effort, 3) calling in outside emergency

services such as  the fire department and medical aid as needed,

4) directing the shutdown of the museum when necessary, and 5)

directing/determining safe re-entry or other post-emergency

procedures. 

   Since the role of the Emergency Coordinator is so crucial,  it

is essential that a back-up coordinator be appointed.  In

addition there must be adequate trained personnel for the

Emergency Teams themselves so that trained teams are always

available.

   Depending on the size of the museum there may be more than one

team trained for various types of emergencies.  Possible areas in

which teams have to be trained include:

-  use of various types of fire extinguishers

- first aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

- shutdown procedures

- evacuation procedures

- chemical spill control procedures

- use of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)

- search and emergency rescue procedures

- protection or removal of valuable collections

      OSHA has detailed regulations concerning fire-fighting

procedures and the use of fire extinguishers. These regulations

allow for  three situations: l) total evacuation in case of fire

alarm; 2) partial evacuation with some employees allowed to use

fire extinguishers; and 3) all employees allowed to use fire

extinguishers.  If any employees are allowed to use fire

extinguishers, then OSHA specifies training and other

requirements.  Each museum must make its own decision as to who

is allowed to use fire extinguishers.

    Some types of emergency responses such as responding to leaks

of fumigant gases, chemical spill control and use of SCBA gear

would probably involve staff members involved with the

conservation laboratory or fumigation equipment since they would

have the most expertise in these areas.

   First aid and evacuation procedures are often assigned to

security staff since they are well-acquainted with the building

and all its exits.  In addition they are usually readily

available in case of emergency.  In some instances, security

guards might also be trained in emergency search and rescue

procedures, although this is often left to police or

fire-fighters.  This might be particularly important when

disabled visitors or staff ( e.g. people in wheelchairs or with

disabling diseases such as severe emphysema) need to be

evacuated.  Of course, if security guards are going to have

expanded roles beyond their original guard duties, then the

increased responsibility must be accompanied by more careful

recruiting, more training and even higher pay scales.

   In all these situations, it is important that members of

Emergency Teams  be able to determine when not to intervene. 

They must be trained to recognize when a fire or other emergency

is beyond their capability to handle. If there is a chance that

team members might receive fatal or disabling injuries, they

should wait for professional fire-fighters or emergency response

teams.



Communications

   There are three groups of people who need alerting in case of

an emergency: employees and others in the museum; Emergency

Teams; and special groups of people outside the museum.

   First, an alarm system is needed to alert people inside the

building as to the emergency and the need for evacuation.  OSHA

regulations (29 CFR 1910.165) requires that  alarm boxes be

available within a travel distance of 200 feet.  Recommended

alarm systems include supervised telephone, manual fire alarm, or

pull box stations with paging systems to transmit messages

throughout the building.  Special alarm systems connected to

smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, ventilation systems or the

like can also be part of the overall alarm system.  In addition,

special alarms to alert visually or hearing impaired individuals

should be considered.  Note that these alarm systems should have

an independent power supply in case the emergency affects the

electrical system.

   The alarm system must be distinctive so that employees will

easily recognize it and respond quickly.  In addition, each

employee should be informed as to the proper procedures for

reporting emergencies.

   Second, there must be an emergency communications system for

the Emergency Teams. Portable radio units are the best for this. 

The office of the Emergency Coordinator should serve as the

headquarters for coordinating emergency efforts.  In case of

evacuations, the reporting area for evacuees might be the best

location for an alternate headquarters for quickness of

communications.

   Third, there are a number of people outside the museum who

should be notified in case of emergency.  In some instances

museums choose to connect alarm systems to a central facility

such as the guard station and whoever is on duty there has the

responsibility to notify the appropriate outside people.   An

up-to-date, written list of key personnel to be notified in order

of priority must be easily accessible. 

   One such group consists of local authorities such as the fire

department, police department, Health Department, OSHA, and other

emergency services.  Where appropriate, alarm systems should be

directly connected to appropriate authorities.   The other group

that might need notifying would include the museum director,

staff physician, and other off-duty essential personnel.  



EVACUATION PROCEDURE

   Emergency evacuations should be considered even as the

building is planned and built.  At this time, the proper number

of exits and routes should be incorporated into the building. 

The Life Safety Code and OSHA regulations specify building

construction, numbers, locations and sizes of exits, access to

exits,  marking of exits,etc. ( 29 CFR 1910.36 and 1910.37).

   The essence of the regulations are that repetitive and

well-marked exit routes be provided for each and every building

occupant.  OSHA regulations do not cover museum visitors; they

must be considered an additional dimension in the evacuation

problem.

   Evacuation routes should be clearly identified for each

working location and for each location where museum visitors

might be.  Floor plans showing evacuation routes and any safe

areas should be included in the plan and also located in visible

spots throughout the museum.

   The crucial factor in planning evacuation routes and

procedures is getting everyone out of the building in the

shortest time possible.     

   The plan should include descriptions of particular duties

assigned to employees including those needed to:   

1.  maintain essential services

2.  assist evacuation

3.  check for total evacuation

4.  count staff

5.  attend to any first aid needs   

   Special attention has to be given to the problem of evacuating

disabled persons.  This not only includes the obvious examples of

disabilities such as people in wheelchairs, and visually and

hearing impaired persons, but also people with less obvious

mobility impairments such as  severe emphysema, heart problems,

or advanced age.   Such people might not be able to move fast

enough on their own to leave the building in a short enough

period of time.  Procedures for evacuation of disabled persons

might include training of security guards in moving people in

wheelchairs, provision of safe areas to wait for evacuation

assistance, etc.  The emergency coordinator should have knowledge

of the locations of disabled employees, and even of visitors, to

the extent possible.  Special procedures should be prepared if

groups of disabled individuals are visiting the museum.



Chemical Spill Procedures

   Spills of flammable or toxic chemicals can pose a major risk

to people in the area and even the entire museum, especially if a

fire results.  Even minor spills, for example of a few cubic

centimeters of mercury, can be a hazard to those in the area and

must be cleaned up quickly.  A spill of a pint of a solvent like

toluene could be a major problem.

   The emergency procedures that are developed for spill control

must specify when and how an individual can clean up a spill by

him or herself, and when the spill control team must be called

in.  Even if the spill is cleaned up on the spot, the Emergency

Coordinator must be notified and a report filed.

   For major spills, the Emergency Coordinator or the senior

member of the spill control team on the spot must evaluate the

degree of seriousness of the spill in order to determine whether

only the immediate area or the entire museum must be evacuated. 

   Then the clean-up procedure can start.  It is essential that

the spill control team have adequate personal protective

equipment.  This usually means impermeable suits, gloves, goggles

and respiratory protection.  Although air-purifying respirators

with chemical cartridges may be sufficient in many instances, 

self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) with full face mask

provides the best protection for all possible spills.  Proper

spill control materials should be available near all chemical use

areas, but the spill control team should also have a portable kit

of spill control materials.  Once the spill is cleaned up and any

fire hazard eliminated, and the all clear given, then workers can

be let back into the area.



Fumigation Emergency Procedures

   Fumigant gases like ethylene oxide, methyl bromide and

sulfuryl fluoride (Vikane) are extremely toxic. If accidental

release of these fumigants occurs during a fumigation process,

there is the potential for a major disaster that could not only

affect people working in the museum, but possibly the community

also.  Because of the potential for such disasters, very

stringent procedures need to be developed for the fumigation

process which will minimize the chance of an accident, and if one

occurs, allow for a quick response.

   First, fumigation should only be done at a time when the

museum is not open to the public and when only essential

personnel are in the museum.  Appropriate authorities such as the

Health Department and the Fire Department should be notified so

they have advance warning of a possible accident.  In some cities

and states, this is a legal requirement.  If a large scale

fumigation is going to take place - for example, fumigating the

entire building- and the museum is located in a residential

neighborhood, then the community should be informed well in

advance of this occurrence and told of procedures that will be

taken to protect them.

   The area in which the fumigation will take place should be

posted with signs (if inside the museum), and roped off if

outside the museum.  Guards should be posted during the entire

time of the fumigation to ensure that no one enters the area by

accident.  This can be of particular concern when fumigation

occurs outside in an area like the museum parking lot.  SCBA gear

and other personal protective equipment  should be available in

case of a leak or other emergency.  

   There should be a detailed checklist for each step in the

fumigation process.  Exhaust systems used for fumigation chambers

should have an emergency power supply in case of electrical

failure.  In addition the room in which the fumigation chamber is

located should be on a separate ventilation system which vents

directly to the outside.  Air sampling equipment is mandatory to

be able to tell when the fumigant is gone and to detect possible

leaks.

   In case of an actual emergency involving a fumigant leak, then

emergency procedures similar to those used for chemical spills

should be followed.



Shutdown Procedures

   If an emergency occurs requiring a partial or total evacuation

of the museum, then any hazardous activities occurring in the

areas to be evacuated must be shut down.  This could include

on-going fumigation, spray painting in the exhibits shop, solvent

cleaning in the conservation laboratory, etc.  The purpose of

these shutdowns is to minimize the risk of these materials

catching fire or otherwise increasing the scale of the

emergency.  

   The emergency procedures developed for this shut-down must

emphasize speed and safety.  Solvents and solvent-containing

materials must be quickly placed in flammable storage cabinets,

solvent waste disposal cans and the like.  Fireproof document

boxes or other suitable containers should be readily available

for protection of valuable artwork.  The valves on fumigant gas

cylinders such as ethylene oxide should be closed.   Once these

are done, then get out quickly.



TRAINING

   Without proper training of all employees about emergency

procedures,  the museum's emergency plan remains just a piece of

paper.  There are several levels of training required.  All

employees should receive training in how to report an emergency,

how to recognize emergency communications, and how to escape from

their worksite.  Depending upon the nature of the emergency plan,

all, some or no employees will receive training in how to use

fire extinguishers and how to give emergency first aid.

   Emergency Teams will receive specialized training depending

upon the nature of their assignment. In particular, personnel

responsible for responding to chemical spill and leak emergencies

will require specialized training in the proper selection and use

of such personal protective equipment as face and eye protection,

gloves, whole body suits, and self-contained breathing apparatus

(SCBA).   Insufficient training in the use of personal protective

equipment could result in severe injuries or even fatalities to

Emergency Team personnel in actual emergencies. ( See CSA data

sheet on Respiratory Protection for Museum Conservation

Laboratories for more information.)

   Training needs to be done 1) when the emergency plan is first

developed; 2) when it is updated; 3) when new equipment,

materials or processes are introduced; 4) for all new employees

or if an employee gets new duties; 5) if drills indicate the need

for further training; and 6) at least on an annual basis.

   While some of the above mentioned training can be provided by

museum supervisory staff (e.g. drill procedures),  certain areas

require outside personnel to properly and effectively carry out

training programs (e.g. use of SCBA gear). 



Drills

   Rather than wait for an actual emergency to test the

effectiveness of an emergency plan, regular drills should be

instituted.  Fire drills are the classic form of emergency

drill.  These should be carried out semi-annually and only a few

crucial individuals such as the Emergency Coordinator, the chief

of Security and the Museum Director should know about the drill

in advance.  The fire drill should also be held in conjunction

with your local fire department.   It is essential that all

museum personnel participate in the drill and this should be

enforced by museum administrators.  If the museum conservation

laboratory, for example, has certain activities that go on that

should not be disrupted except in an actual emergency, then

possibly advance warning could be given that an emergency drill

will be held during a certain period (e.g. a week).  During this

period no crucial activities should take place that could not be

interrupted so as to ensure that all personnel participate in the

drill.  Note that special drills might be necessary to practice

shutting down these special activities in case of an actual

emergency.

   Many museums are reluctant to hold a drill when museum

visitors are present.  The experience of some museums that do

hold fire drills during museum visiting hours is that people

respond favorably.  If the public is not participating in the

drill, there is no way to be sure that the emergency plan will

work in an actual emergency.  

   A fire drill is the most common type of emergency practice. 

However drills for other types of emergencies, such as a medical

emergency, chemical spill or leak of toxic gas should also be

instituted.  In many cases these would not involve evacuation so

that there would be minimal disruption of museum activities.



Evaluation

   Once the drill is completed, an evaluation of its

effectiveness must be carried out.  Critical areas for evaluation

include number of people evacuated, number of people left inside

the building and unaware of the drill, and people "late" in

leaving the building ( i.e. past the evacuation time goal). 

Comparisons of average and slow evacuation times are useful for

re-planning evacuation routes.  



SOURCES OF  ASSISTANCE

   The actual development of an emergency plan by a museum will

require expert help.  There are a large number of public and

private agencies that can provide special assistance in

particular areas free or at minimal cost.  These include:



1. Center for Safety in the Arts

2. OSHA State Consultative services 

3. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

   - 10 regional offices.

4. National Fire Protection Association. 470 Batterymarch Park, 

   Quincy,MA 02269. 

5. American National Red Cross. National Headquarters, Safety   

Programs, 18th and E Streets NW, Washington, DC 20006. 

6. Your insurance carrier.

7. Industrial hygiene, public health, medical and other relevant

   departments of local universities.

8. Professional societies such as:

   American Society of Safety Engineers, 850 Busse Highway,   

Park  Ridge, IL 60068.

   American Industrial Hygiene Association, 475 Wolf Ledges      

 Parkway, Akron, OH   44311.

   National Safety Council, 444 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago IL   

60611

9. Private consultants.



REFERENCES 



Center for Safety in the Arts, New York (1985)  *

   A Health and Safety Program for Conservation Laboratories 

   Fire Prevention in the Conservation Laboratory

   Safe Pest Control Procedures for Museum Collections

   Solvents in Conservation Laboratories

   Storage and Disposal of Conservation Chemicals

     Thymol and o-Phenyl Phenol: SAfe Work Practices

   Ventilation for Conservation Laboratories

McCann, Michael.  Artist Beware: The Hazards and Precautions in  

 Working with Art and Craft Materials. Watson-Guptill, New   

York (1979).  *

National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA

   NFPA 101-1985. Life Safety Code

   NFPA 911-1980. Protection of Museums and Museum Collections

   NFPA 57-1973.  Standard on Fumigation

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.       

Respiratory  Protection ... An Employer's Manual.       

DHHS(NIOSH) Publication No. 78-198A, Cincinnati(1978).

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. A Guide to

   Industrial Respiratory Protection. DHHS(NIOSH) Publication   

No. 76-189, Cincinnati (1976).

National Safety Council. Accident Prevention Manual for       

Industrial Operations. 8th edition, Chicago, pp.439-471       

(1981).

Occupational SAfety and Health Administration. How To Prepare for

   Workplace Emergencies (OSHA 3088 Rev.), U.S. Government   

Printing Office, Washington DC ( 1985).

Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Occupational   

Safety and Health Standards 29 CFR 1910

   Subpart E - Means of Egress

      1910.37 Means of Egress

      1910.38 Employee emergency plans and fire prevention      

plans

      Appendix to Subpart E - Means of Egress

   Subpart I - Personal Protective Equipment

      1910.132  General requirements - personnel protection

      1910.133  Eye and face protection

      1910.134  Respiratory protection

      1910.135  Occupational head protection

      1910.136  Occupational foot protection

   Subpart K - Medical and First Aid

      1910.151  Medical services and first aid

   Subpart L - Fire Protection

      1910.155-156  Fire protection and fire brigades

      1910.157-163  Fire suppression equipment

      1910.164      Fire detection systems

      1910.165      Employee alarm  systems

      Appendices A-E of subpart L





CSA also has prepared conservation hazards data sheets on

respiratory protection, medical surveillance, x-rays, and dyes

and pigments.  



   This data sheet has been made possible with the assistance of

public funding from the National Museum Act and the Museum Aid

Program of the New York State Council on the Arts.  



c Copyright Center for Safety in the Arts 1986