Hello Mandy,

 

                For me it depends on what the danger is. Care and handling recommendations are listed on a MSDS/GHS sheet and you can often find these with from Google-fu. In my current collection I’m come across, so far, radium dials, a mix of mercury and nitric acid in an electrical metre, lead powder, asbestos, and a few other things of varying danger. If it’s suitable I typically use a heavy duty Ziploc style archival bag and label with GHS warnings and then put that in another bag. In some cases, such as the radium dials these also went into a Tupperware style bin with content listings and another set of GHS labels.

 

With regards to handling, the bags each item are in typically provide a good barrier and often negate the need for gloves or other PPE. The bags also have the advantage of containing the substance that you are concerned about meaning a safer storage area for yourself and staff. When it comes to safety, since you and staff will be working with dangerous items for the long term even small amounts of exposure can build up in your system and have negative effects in the long term, I don’t feel there can be any sensible overreaction. If the dangerous items need to be removed from their bags then I would use the appropriate gloves, masks, and other PPE that the MSDS/GHS recommends.

                For researchers I would keep the items in the bags. They would be hard pressed to not be able to fulfill their research goals looking through a clear bag. If something absolutely needs to come out, suit them up and have some sort of release form. I’ve never gotten that far with a researcher but I’ve heard of places that will have a release form if a researcher absolutely wants access to something that is say mouldy. Other institutions may have sample release forms or, being a government museum, you may have access to a lawyer that could draft something for you.

 

Good luck!

 

William Shepherd

Collections Officer

Swift Current Museum

44 Robert Street West

Swift Current, Saskatchewan

S9H 4M9

Phone: 306-778-4815

Fax: 306-778-4818

 

From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mandy Langfald
Sent: Monday, September 26, 2016 11:30 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] artifact handling safety

 

For those of you that have artifacts with arsenic/mercury/asbestos, etc. in your collections what types of safety precautions do you take? Are latex gloves enough, latex gloves and masks, full body hazmat suits? Where do you draw the line between safety and overreaction? I should say I am talking about basic handling not for hardcore cleaning.

 

Also, how do you handle researchers wanting access to these artifacts? Do they have to sign a release? If so what does it say? Do they have to follow the same or stricter precautions than staff, or are they not allowed to access these artifacts at all?

 

Feel free to respond on or off list.

 

Thanks for your perspectives.

 

Mandy Langfald

Curator of Collections

Wyoming State Museum

307-777-7033

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