The Newfoundland Government is in the early stages of planning a new
provincial museum facility.
 
This facility is to contain exhibits, public programming areas,
fabrication workshops, curatorial workrooms and labs, collections storage,
etc., etc. ---- the standard stuff for a full-featured provincial, state, or
national museum.
 
The curatorial areas which will be represented are natural history,
archaeology, and "human" history.
 
However, a serious concern of the present museum staff is that the
architects seem to be leaning toward a "sealed" building with primarily a
recirculating air ventilation system [of course, there WOULD be direct,
one-way exhaust of noxious fumes from fume hoods, etc.!!!!]
 
But, considering the nature of museum collections, and considering some of
the more mysterious specimen/artifact/exhibition preparation techniques that
are still sometimes employed in museums [hopefully less often these days!],
the potential for the buildup of any number of nasty substances in a
recirculating system seems great.
 
>From our point of view, a well-designed one-way, climate-controlled,
flow-through ventilation system would seem to be an absolute REQUIREMENT in
a NEW museum facility.
 
We would greatly appreciate any and all comments on this important
matter. In fact, the more comments, the merrier.
 
Accounts of personal experiences would be particularly valuable.
 
 
PS.   Does anyone know whether there is SPECIFIC legislation governing
      RECIRCULATING VENTILATION SYSTEMS, in relation to workplace health and
      safety. Keep in mind that this is CANADA, and not the U.S.
 
 
Thanks for all of your responses, in advance.
 
 
 
 
John E. Maunder
Curator of Natural History
Newfoundland Museum
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation
Historic Resources Division
Box 8700, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada  A1B 4J6
 
E-mail:  [log in to unmask]
 
Phone:   (709) 729-5077
FAX:     (709) 729-2179