DISASTER PREVENTION AND PLANNING: PART II

By Miriam Kahn, Preservation Consultant, MBK Consulting

Local History Notebook, March / April 1995

In addition to a comprehensive disaster plan, integral to disaster prevention and planning are relatively easy measures that help prevent damaging situations from ever occurring. Once these measures are in place, your organization can focus on the implementation of your disaster plan. This stage of the planning process forces you to prepare in advance for the possible aftermath of a disaster. And, finally, no good planning document is complete without a list of resources and sources for additional reading to help personalize and further define your cultural institution's disaster plan.

Fix Problems Before They Escalate

Part of the prevention process is to identify potential hazards and to rectify them before they become disastrous. Examples of some potential hazards are faulty plumbing, mold, and peeling paint on the inside of buildings, and damaging water that may accumulate in storage areas under stairs and in attics and basements. Previous leaks, mold, or peeling paint are all warning signs of water. If there have been leaks in the past and the water source has not been identified and stopped, there may be problems in the future. Avoid storing collections under previous leaks or be prepared to cover them with plastic sheeting should water appear. Mold and peeling paint are signs of water trapped inside walls and under paint. If the source of the water leak was identified and fixed, water may still be trapped inside and eventually the wall will rot and need to be replaced. Scrape the paint off the wall and remove ceiling tiles and loose floor tiles to allow the trapped water to escape from the walls. At the same time, dehumidify the area and be prepared to allow several months for the walls to dry completely. Remove the moldy items and have them dried and cleaned, and disinfect all moldy areas. When all is dry and stabilized, the walls can be painted and the ceiling tiles replaced. These areas are candidates for additional mold infections and need to be monitored when environmental changes occur or if there is a rise in humidity.

Fire hazards are another important consideration. These include overloaded electrical circuits and storage in inappropriate areas, such as boiler and mechanical rooms, under stairs, and in stairwells. Besides these problems, other potential hot spots might include indoor gardens and fountains and underground storage facilities. The prevention evaluation of your site should include a regularly-scheduled visit by your local fire chief to inspect your facilities to ensure that proper fire prevention measures are in place and in working order.

Create a Safe Environment

The best storage conditions offer dry and cool temperatures combined with filtered ultraviolet light and a minimum of pollutants. Materials should not be stored directly on the ground or against outside walls. This is especially important if collections are stored below ground. Attics are not suitable for storage because of their extremes of heat and cold and because undetected roof leaks are possible. Rodents and birds can gain access through holes and nest in collections. Basements tend to be damp and attract insects and rodents that like to eat paper and cloth.

Monitor the environment. The temperature and relative humidity should stay as stable as possible. The ideal temperature for public areas of museums and historical societies is 65-70 degrees Fahenheit with 35%-50% relative humidity. Storage areas should be cooler and drier, depending upon what is stored there. In every area of the building, the less fluctuation in the environment, the longer the material will last. Fluctuations allow internal chemical reactions to speed up, increasing the deterioration of paper, film and photographs, and artifacts. Increases in relative humidity, furthermore, can encourage mold growth.

Another step in maintaining a safe environment for your collection is to filter all sources of ultraviolet (UV) light. Damaging ultraviolet light originates from fluorescent bulbs and sunlight and can cause fibers to become brittle and fade paper and photographs as well as art work and furniture. All of this deterioration can occur in a relatively short period. To prevent this fast-acting damage, fit fluorescent bulbs with UV inhibiting sleeves, and reduce sunlight with UV inhibiting shades, and, if your budget permits, glass impregnated with UV inhibitors.

When Disaster Strikes

It is imperative to start on the recovery effort as soon as a disaster occurs. It is not necessary to wait for the insurance adjuster before hiring disaster recovery firms and contracting other services, as long as the insurance would cover the damage. Inform the insurance agency of the disaster, take photographs of the damage, inventory any items that are removed or discarded, and begin the recovery operation.

Water or high relative humidity can come from leaks in the roof, flooding from the sewer and underground water, broken pipes, and a poorly calibrated heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and cooling (HVAC) system. Signs of excess water or relative humidity are warping, mold, stains, and discoloration. Water attracts insects and rodents, and can damage the physical structure of a building thereby attracting termites and increasing the chances of a mold infection in a building.

Minimize loss by stabilizing the collection after water, fire, and mold damage. Paper items can be frozen to buy time to make decisions or to raise money for treatment. Modern photographs and film that have little monetary or intrinsic value can be frozen and treated later. Microfilm and negatives should be sent to an appropriate institution for reprocessing. Contact a conservator to help with stabilization plans for works of art on paper and canvas, furniture, and three-dimensional objects. Most artifacts should be removed to a stable, environmentally controlled area and inventoried before being taken for treatment. Do not remove water from any water-damaged materials without instructions from a conservator.

A lack of structured planning for potential disasters can cost a historical society or museum its collection, exhibits, office equipment, and all documentation. Not planning in advance means that crucial decisions must be made during a chaotic and stressful time. Disaster prevention and planning provides the time and necessary tools to quickly and efficiently make appropriate decisions about what to do and how to spend time, energy, and resources when an emergency strikes. When a disaster or crisis occurs:

DRS, INC. (Disaster Recovery Services)
414 Blue Smoke Court West
Ft. Worth, Texas 76105
1-800-856-3333, (817) 535-6793, Fax (817) 536-1167
www.drs.net

For local drying or recovery firms check the Yellow Pages under: "Fire and Water Damage Restoration"

American Association of Museums. Selected Source List on Disaster Recovery. Washington, D.C.: AAM, Technical Information Service, 1993.

Canadian Conservation Institute. CCI Notes. "Technical information about conservation, disaster response and preservation, and treatment." CCI 1030 Innes Road, Ottawa, Ontario KlA OC8 613-998-3721. (free publication)

Federal Emergency Management Agency. Disaster Assistance Program.A Guide to Federal Aid in Disasters. Washington, D.C.: Federal Emergency Management Agency, 1990.

Fortson, Judith. Disaster Planning and Recovery: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians and Archivists. How-to-do-it Manuals for Libraries, no. 11. Edited by Bill Katz. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc., 1992.

Francis, Kathy. Disaster Prevention, Preparedness and Recovery. Troy, NY. Federation of Historical Services, 1990.

Kahn, Miriam. First Steps for Handling & Dryng Water Damaged Materials. Columbus: MBK Consulting, 1994.

Lindbloom, Beth C. and Karen Motylewski. "Disaster Planning for Cultural Institutions." AASLH Technical Leaflet 183. Nashville: American Association for State and Local History, 1993.

Murray, Toby. Bibliography on Disasters, Disaster Preparedness, and Disaster Recovery. Tulsa: University of Tulsa, March 1994.

New York State Program for the Conservation and Preservation of Library Research Materials. Disaster Preparedness: Planning Resource Packet. Albany, NY. The University of the State of New York, The State Education Department, The New York State Library Division of Library Development, 1988.

Northeast Document Conservation Center. Preservation of Library and Archival Materials: A Manual. Edited by Sherelyn Ogden. NEDCC, 1992.

Price, Lois Olcott. Mold. Conservation Center for Arts and Historical Artifacts, 264 S. 23rd St. Philadelphia, PA 19103; (215) 545-0613 ($3.50 each), 1994.

"A Primer on Disaster Preparedness, Management, and Response. Paper-Based Materials." Selected reprints issued by Smithsonian Institution, National Archives and Records Administration, Library of Congress, and National Park Service, October 1993. A facsimile of the original edition is available on the "National Archives Fax-On-Demand System." To receive a copy, call the system, (301) 713-6905, through a fax machine then request item #7080. There is no charge for this service except for any long distance telephone charges you may incur. The publication is thirty-seven pages long. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about the Fax-On-Demand System, contact Debora Wall (301) 713-7060.

The Local History Notebook is edited and published by the Ohio Historical Society's Local History Office in order to bring useful information to people worldwide in the local history field. The selection of subjects and authors is based on the OAHSM Editorial Board's and the Local History Office's determination of issues which are timely in nature and lasting in scope. The reference inserts are copyrighted 1995 by the Ohio Historical Society. Reprints are available individually or as complete sets. For further information, contact:

Go to Part I