Risk and Disaster Planning and Management

Touring exhibitions carry many risks with them: financial, damage to objects, reputation, health and safety etc. Most of us manage these risks without knowing we are doing it. However, many institutions nowadays require evidence that risks have been identified and are being managed. The following is a list of potential risks for a touring exhibition. The list is not exhaustive, but shows the types of risks that might be identified:

• Tour schedule: a venue cancels, the exhibition arrives late
• Content: exhibition does not meet venues’ expectations
• Stakeholders: the projects fails to satisfy major sponsors or grant-aid agencies
• Budgetary: the budget is not managed properly, leading to overspending, late payments, etc.
• Grants/sponsorship: income is not secured for the exhibition and/or the tour
• Buildings failure: damage from leaks from roofs or pipes or flood, electrical or security failure
• Display cases: existing equipment may not be in a suitable condition
• Loans: important loans are not available, or lender pulls out at the last minute or during tour
• Conservation: insufficient time has been allowed
• Handling and movement of objects: standards are not up to the required level
• Insurance: cover is inadequate
• Security: exhibits are damaged or stolen
• Environmental conditions: required levels for light, temperature and humidity are not met; pest or mould infestation
• Installation Schedule: insufficient time allowed for checking condition and/or for installing exhibits, audio-visual equipment, graphics, etc.
• Equipment: failure of technical systems or electrical equipment
• Access: venue or exhibition does not meet legal access requirements
• International: delays at Customs, language difficulties, transport schedules, seizure of objects

Once a risk has been identified, you then need to consider:

• What is the probability of the risk?
• What its impact would be?
• What measures can be taken to reduce the risk?
• Who ?owns? the risk and whose responsibility it is to ensure that the risk is being managed?

A useful way of managing risks is to compile a risk register. The register should list any potential risks associated with a particular project. Many of the same risks could be applied to different projects, so a template could be as useful for a building project as for a touring exhibition. It could then be adapted for each project, e.g. if the exhibition consists of a lot of electrical equipment, is complex to install or is touring overseas.

There are many different types of risk registers and how risks are rated. As far as possible, keep the register simple and clear so that it can be easily understood. The table below illustrates how risks can be recorded. Other columns could be added to show the duration of the risk, to add any comments about the risk, and/or to record when action has been taken.

Probability score: Unlikely = 1, Possible = 2, Quite possible = 3, Likely = 4, Very likely = 5.

Impact score: Negligible = 1, Slight = 2, Moderate = 3, Severe = 4, Very severe = 5.
Risk value = probability x impact: Low risk = 1-5, Medium risk = 6-15, High risk = 16-25.

The risk register should be reviewed regularly throughout the project to ensure that risks already on the register are being managed effectively and that any new risks are added. Once a risk has been resolved, the scoring of that risk should be altered. Successive versions of the risk should be dated, and all previous copies should be retained, as they will act as an audit trail.

An exhibition organiser should be satisfied that the venue has an adequate Contingency or Disaster Plan. The organiser should provide each venue with an Insurance List with values of exhibits clearly stated, so that the venue can establish priorities for the rescue of exhibits in an emergency.

When adapting its Contingency or Disaster Plan for the rescue and recovery of exhibits, the venue should define procedures according to the nature of the catastrophe (fire, flood, etc.) as well as the type of exhibit. The Plan should include:

• Telephone numbers for Floodline, local water board, fire brigade and gas and electricity providers
• A plan of the building, with the location of mains services, gas taps, electricity switches and water stop cocks
• Telephone numbers for summoning at short notice the members of a rescue team who have been trained for emergencies (in smaller organisations with few staff, this may require a team of volunteers)
• Training for each member of the team in priorities and responsibilities. They should be familiar with the layout of the building (emergencies can happen after dark and coincide with power cuts), and know where the stock of materials and equipment is kept
• Training for the rescue team, so that it is aware of basic safety procedures, e.g. to avoid walking through flood water if possible (since as little as 15 cm of moving water can knock a person off his/her feet) and to avoid wearing wellington boots (since they can fill with water in deep flooding). Old shoes and old clothing should be worn
• Provision for equipment for the rescue team: torches/batteries for power cuts after dark; protective clothing such as disposable gloves, masks and overalls and anti-bacterial hand-wash (because flood water may be contaminated by raw sewage/chemical waste)
• Provision of a stock of materials and equipment to be maintained on the premises for wrapping, protecting and recovering exhibits. Materials should include polythene sheeting, tissue, PH neutral blotting and absorbent paper. A vacuum cleaner capable of drawing up water is a useful piece of equipment to have available, and a store of sandbags for preventing further ingress
• Action following the emergency, e.g. ordering of de-humidifiers after a flood, telephone numbers of conservators, location of salvage areas or places of safety, to which damaged exhibits or those at risk can be removed

Where the emergency is confined to the venue, e.g. burst tanks, pipes or other water emergency, the rescue team will have the undivided attention of the emergency services. The fire brigade will pump out water and – if human life is not at risk – will work closely with the venue?s staff to protect valuable exhibits. The guidance of gallery staff will be necessary to ensure that no avoidable damage to exhibits is caused by the rescue operation. It must be borne in mind, however, that the whole locality may be affected and the disaster not confined to the venue, in which case the emergency services will be stretched, and their priorities may well differ from those of curators.

Fire risks and regulations should be carefully considered when complex exhibition installations are planned. As far as fire precautions are concerned, the organiser’s two main tasks are to:

• Design the exhibition to ensure it meets the expected and required standards for fire prevention, so that it is not itself a fire hazard
• Provide sufficient instruction, guidance and information to the venues to enable them to discharge their duties in fire prevention

Materials: Successful fire prevention starts with reducing the risk of fire, by excluding as much easily combustible material as possible. The designer commissioned by the organiser should endeavor to ensure that all materials used in the exhibition conform to class ‘0’ of BS 476. Class ‘0’ is defined as a material of limited combustibility which restricts both the spread of flame across a surface and also the rate at which heat is released from it. Class ‘1’ materials should only be used where there is no alternative. The easiest and most effective method for a designer to meet this requirement is to ask manufacturers or suppliers to provide the relevant information. Suppliers are obliged by the Health & Safety at Work Act to provide this information. All reputable suppliers will have this information readily available and will be happy to provide information on the fire retardancy of their products and in particular whether a product meets the class ‘0’ standard. The organiser should then supply the venues with information on the fire retardancy of all materials within the exhibition.

Electrical equipment: To ensure that ‘off the shelf’ equipment ordered from a manufacturer is satisfactory, the organiser should ensure that the equipment meets the British Standard by checking the supplier’s literature and seeing if the equipment bears a kite mark, or if the equipment is from abroad that it meets the European equivalent. If the equipment is specifically designed and constructed for the exhibition, then the organiser must stipulate to the designer that it meets the correct IEE regulations. In return, the organiser should receive from the designer a statement which stipulates that the equipment does meet the IEE regulations as well as a completed proforma with particulars of the equipment. A similar statement should also be received from the person who constructs the equipment.

As soon as possible, the organiser should supply each venue with the following:

1. A list of all materials used for the exhibition structure, with their fire retardancy classification (hopefully all class ‘0’), and with the suppliers supporting information as necessary
2. A preliminary list of electrical equipment

At or before delivery, the organiser should supply further details of all item of electrical equipment, including a final checklist, full ?Particulars of equipment’ or relevant manufacturer’s information, IEE certificates (where appropriate), PAT certificates and condition reports.

Exhibition layout: There are no definitive guidelines on the layout of an exhibition and the question of means of escape. It is an area which is often left open to the interpretation of the Fire Officer, who will take into consideration the number of fire exits and clear escape routes from the display area, expected numbers of people visiting the exhibition and other factors.

The organiser venue should devise a layout to allow sufficient space between display cases, plinths, screens, etc. for the expected number of visitors and to provide visible and unobstructed exits from the display area. The local Fire Officer can then be invited to give his/her views on the proposed layout, which should then be revised on the basis of any recommendations made.
After installation In addition to checking electrical equipment, the exhibition should be checked after installation to ensure that the layout conforms to the Fire Officer’s requirements for means of escape. The venue can then invite the Fire Officer back, and summarise the preparations carried out since the preliminary visit. All being well, the Fire Officer should give formal approval to allow the exhibition to be opened to the public.

For the whole period that the exhibition is on its premises, the venue must maintain its fire precautions. Once a fire starts, it is essential to have fire-fighting equipment immediately to hand. All staff should be briefed on how to use the various extinguishers to be found in the display area, particularly any new extinguishers brought in as a consequence of the exhibition. Short training sessions should be arranged in-house, to demonstrate how to use the extinguishers and to specify which extinguisher to use on a type of fire (e.g. C02 to combat an electrical fire). Where a venue does not have a member of staff who can carry out this demonstration, it should contact the local fire brigade, many of which run courses on the use and operation of fire extinguishers. It may be helpful to have ‘safety signs’ showing which extinguishers to use on a given type of fire displayed next to the extinguishers in the gallery. These signs are readily available from safety sign suppliers.

The venue must ensure a good state of housekeeping and vigilance is carried out for the exhibition area. This is often achieved by effective invigilation. The most common causes of fire are electrical installation or equipment, cigarette smoking and heating installations, so regular inspection and maintenance of equipment and systems, together with rigorous enforcement of smoking rules will pay dividends.

Venues should adopt a daily checking routine at opening and closing times:

• Electrical equipment: is it on or off; is it working properly with no warning lights illuminated; is the flex worn?
• Heating system: is it on or off; is it working properly; are there combustibles in close proximity?
• Smoking: are no smoking notices displayed?
• Waste, flammable liquids and stores: are they properly stowed away and clear of sources of ignition?
• Contractors elsewhere on the premises: is ‘hot’ work being safely carried out; are work areas checked before closing; are hazardous materials correctly and safely stored in the agreed location?
• Means of escape: are they unlocked and unobstructed on opening; are they locked on closing?

There are two main causes for the incursion of water into buildings and resultant water damage: chronic neglect and catastrophe. The first can be avoided by diligent maintenance, and the effects of the second can be mitigated by appropriate preventive measures and by damage limitation. It should also be remembered that water damage can result from the emergency rescue measures themselves, e.g. from sprinklers and fire hoses in the event of a fire. The organiser should be satisfied that each venue in a tour is in good physical condition, and that a Disaster Plan for the rescue of exhibits in an emergency is in place.

Maintenance: A routine programme of maintenance for buildings and good housekeeping inspections of equipment used in the display and storage of exhibitions will ensure that rain-water is effectively and harmlessly carried away and that water-storage tanks and central-heating pipes and boilers are in good order. The problems caused by leaking roofs, blocked or damaged guttering and down-pipes, failed damp proof course and neglected plumbing and heating systems will be obviated.

Flood-prone areas: Some buildings are particularly vulnerable, being located in low-lying land near rivers or the sea, and flooding emergencies can arise with the conjunction of unfavourable conditions, e.g. heavy rainfall and exceptionally high tides combining to prevent natural drainage and resulting in a rapidly rising water table and widespread flooding. Climate changes due to global warming have meant that flooding is increasingly common at all times of the year. It will be possible to identify such risks from known history and the topography of the site and to take intelligent preventive measures.

Precautionary measures: Water damage can be instant and irreversible. In the event of flood or other incursions of water, any delay in allowing the water into contact with exhibits will be invaluable.

The organiser should ensure that all exhibits are wrapped in a water-proof material when they are being transported in and out of buildings and when they are in transit, to prevent accidental water damage.

Other measures should also be considered, e.g. paintings fitted with a hardboard (preferably oil-tempered) back-board sealed with archival tape not only preserves the exhibit by insulating it from changes in relative humidity (RH), but also protects it from direct contact with water, providing valuable breathing space.

It should be remembered that condensation/high RH is as damaging to certain materials as sudden wetting. Unstable media or the inherent vice of some materials will obviously make some pieces extremely vulnerable once environmental controls have been disabled, so a Disaster Plan should include measures to adopt in the event of failure, notably the provision of alternative sources of heating and ventilation.

On display, exhibits placed on plinths will give an extra margin of safety. In storage, exhibits must be stacked at least 15 cm off the floor on pallets or strips of wood, and polythene sheeting should be placed above stored exhibits, between them and any plumbing.

After the flood: Where there is leaking from above, polythene sheeting can be fixed between the leak and the affected exhibit(s), to channel the water to a less damaging area. Wherever possible, exhibits should be removed to a salvage area away from the disaster zone.

Even if exhibits are not submerged or soaked, the RH is greatly increased and damage can occur (mould and mildew will appear on paper within 72 hours when above 65% RH). The venue?s Contingency or Disaster Plan should include the immediate ordering of de-humidifiers from local hire shops. If there is a local catastrophe, there will be a shortage of the pieces of equipment which will be vital in the recovery operation. Hot-air blowers are not suitable because of the excessive heat they create, and the use of liquid propane gas or paraffin heaters should be avoided because they emit moisture in operation. The use of de-humidifiers to extract water from the air and the ventilation of the space by means of fans on medium heat settings is recommended. Increased air circulation will discourage mould growth, which can spread by direct contact or airborne spores.

The Contingency or Disaster plan should also list the names and addresses of several conservators, so that a conservator can be called without delay.

As soon as practicable, the venue should inform the organiser about the emergency and the action taken, together with an assessment of the situation. The organiser will inform lenders (individuals and institutions), owners and insurers and indemnifiers. The organiser may also arrange for conservators to visit the venue and assess the damage and recommend action to the lenders, whose permissions must be given before any remedial work is undertaken.

Other considerations

1. Security: security may need to be enhanced if doors and windows which are normally closed are opened to improve air circulation
2. Health & Safety: exposure to moulds can have serious health consequences and lead to respiratory, skin and eye and other infections. If the presence of mould is suspected, rescue personnel should wear a respirator with a particulate filter, gloves, masks, goggles or protective eyewear

Limiting the damage: Water damage affects materials differently, and appropriate remedial action will be required. Treatment should be carried out by a conservator, but specific emergency procedures may need to be carried out by personnel untrained in conservation. Emergency treatment/damage limitation should be carried out on-site, first, on the most valuable, then on the least visibly damaged, and finally on the slightly damaged.

Mirror plates should be loosened to allow for free circulation of air behind wall-mounted exhibits. Damp rabbit-skin glue in painting size is a feast for bacterial growth. Increase ventilation and heating to dispel moist air.

Paintings which are not visibly damaged should be laid face down on blotting pads. The frame should be removed; canvases can shrink so forcefully that they can tear away from the stretcher, but this should not be removed. Protect the front of the exhibit with a layer of Japanese paper or tissue on a pad large enough for the work, ensuring that there are no wrinkles or ridges in the pad or tissue which could imprint on the paint surface, then sheets of blotting paper cut to fit inside the stretcher and the whole covered with a piece of thin ply or card, lightly weighted down. The blotting paper should be changed until it comes away nearly dry, then leave with fresh blotting paper, turn the painting face up in a well-ventilated and gently-heated atmosphere and allow to air dry. The simple expedient of leaving electric lights switched on can be a useful way of gently raising the temperature.

Water-damaged paintings are highly vulnerable. Exhibits should be removed from the water, drained of surface water by tilting to one corner and laid flat, face-up in a place of safety.(Such a place should have been identified in the Contingency/Disaster plan). No attempt should be made to treat an exhibit showing signs of flaking, lifting or curling, softened or dissolved paint. Such a painting should be laid flat, face up in a place of safety.

Textiles and other natural materials will be in danger of fungal attack, so air circulation should be increased, but care should be taken not to expose the exhibits to heat stress. Wood should be allowed to dry slowly in cool air. Sunlight and heat may dry certain materials too quickly causing splits, warping and buckling.

If the flood-water is contaminated by salt or sewage, stone should be washed with a mild phenolic/anti-bacterial solution (avoid splashing it about as it can damage textiles or paper) rinsed with plain warm water and allowed to dry in cool air.

Metal should be washed in de-ionised water, avoiding heat stress and dried with a clean soft cloth.

Rinse mud or silt off wet photos with clean water but do not touch the surface.

Sodden books and paper may be put in a fridge or freezer till they can be treated by a conservator.

Mould: This is the woolly-like growth on organic materials such as cheese, leather bindings etc., and it is the visible sign of fungal growth. Fungi are biological organisms that are associated with the biodeterioration of organic materials, especially in damp or humid conditions. The starting point of the life cycle are spores which are microscopic, seed-like objects that are ubiquitous in the air. In still conditions, the spores will settle on surfaces and, if the conditions are humid enough and there is sufficient organic-based food, they will ‘germinate’ by growing hyphae, both into the material to feed and grow, and also into the air. A mass of hyphae is seen as the woolly fluffy mycelium, and this eventually transforms into sporophores (cf mushrooms, toadstools) which release spores into the atmosphere to restart the life cycle.

Moulds are an indicator of high humidities (usually over 70%RH) and damp materials. They damage cultural material in a number of ways:

• Growing mycelium degenerate and weaken material.
• They cause aesthetic damage to surfaces from the mycelia and also colour changes from waste products and the colour of the moulds themselves.

They are also respiratory sensitizers and can cause health problems in susceptible people.
Moulds are visible as white or coloured furry spots on organic materials such as wood, leather and oil paintings. They are always associated with damp conditions from high RHs caused by condensation on or near cold surfaces, flood damage or nearness to high humidity areas such as washrooms, kitchens etc.

Take the following precautionary measures:

• Keep objects as dry and well ventilated as possible by keeping them away from cold north-facing walls, cold van sides and floors and damp areas.
• Do not let objects stay in vehicles or unheated storage areas overnight in cold weather when condensation may occurs.
• Keep objects off floors and walls with good ventilation around them.
• Do not let the relative humidities around objects rise above 70%.

If mould is suspected, the risks it poses should be assessed under Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002. Handlers of potentially or actually mouldy material must be trained in the correct use of protective equipment (respirators etc).

Authors: Kathrin Bisgood (2005), updated by Charlotte Dew (2015)