Hazards in Collections

Hazards in your collection may not be obvious, or may not have been recorded by previous staff. The building may have been constructed when asbestos was a popular building material, DDT may have been used as pest control, and the objects themselves may contain arsenic or mercury. The danger level for any of these situations varies. As always, knowledge is the best tool to navigate the situation. 

 

Collections Trust, "Hazards in Museum Collections": https://collectionstrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/SHARE-Museums-East-How-To-Guide-to-Hazards-in-Museum-Collections.pdf

 

Department of the Interior, "FAQ About Contaminated Museum Collections": https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/migrated/museum/upload/Contaminated_Collections_FAQs.pdf

 

The Progressive Magazine, "Museums Deal with Toxins from the Past": https://progressive.org/latest/museums-deal-with-toxins-from-past-anderson-220402/