PLANNING AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT DOON HERITAGE CROSSROADS Artifact Cleaning Procedures Title: Biological Hazards Risk Control Procedure Applies to: All Employees and Volunteers Revision Date: June 1996 Operating Bird and animal droppings contain biological hazards which can be Principle: harmful to people. This procedure is intended to provide assistance to employees and volunteers in reducing that risk. Details: Mandatory Work Procedures Where exposure to biological hazards is expected, workers and volunteers are required to wear respiratory protective equipment equipped with high efficiency particulate (HEPA) filters. Disposable HEPA filter dust masks will be provided by Doon. Training on maintenance and fit-testing of the masks will be part of the program. Workers and volunteers must also wear disposable latex or vinyl gloves which will be provided by Doon. If the level of contamination of the artifact is significant, goggles are mandatory. In other situations goggles are a recommended piece of personal protective equipment. Several pairs of goggles will be provided for staff and volunteers to use when needed. Proper cleaning of the equipment before and after use is imperative and disinfectant wipes will be provided for this purpose. Proper personal hygiene is also very important, and workers and volunteers should wash thoroughly after handling artifacts and prior to eating or drinking. Recommended Work Practices During general handling and cleaning activities where heavy accumulations of droppings are NOT present, goggles are a recommended piece of personal protective equipment. Heavy accumulations of droppings require goggles at all times. It is recommended that you bring a set of work clothes with you to change into while you work and that you change back to your street clothes before leaving Doon. Work clothes should be washed in hot soapy water with no other clothing. You may wish to clean them on site or if you chose to take them home, please launder them right away. Work Processes Hard Surfaces (wood & metal) 1. Remove heaviest contamination with mechanical means, for example shovels or scrapers. 2. Vacuum using a HEPA vacuum. 3. Final process is to decontaminate the artifact with a disinfectant solution*. This can be done through various means, which includes, but is not limited to wiping with a damp cloth, misting, sponging, etc. The supervisor on site can assist you in deciding the correct technique. Soft Surfaces (leather and textile items) 1. Gently remove heavy contamination. 2. Vacuum with a HEPA filtered vacuum and brush lightly. 3. Spray with a disinfectant solution* and let air dry. *Disinfectant solutions include: dilute hypochlorite solutions (bleach & water) detergents ethyl alcohol, 70% General purpose household disinfects PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT DOON HERITAGE CROSSROADS STAFF IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).