The Ad Hoc Hazardous Materials Committee provides resources and guidelines for working with hazardous materials in archives, libraries, and museums.
General Description
By the 2023 annual meeting (May 10, 2023), this ad hoc committee will have compiled and made available via the LAMPHHS website best practices for handling hazardous materials in archives, libraries, and museums.
This committee will consist of six members, plus the Vice President/President-Elect, all serving a one-year term. One of the six members will also be a member of the Society of American Archivists’ Science, Technology, and Health Care Section.
Responsibilities
1. Identifies and compiles existing resources.
2. Creates guidelines or manuals.
3. Collaborates with the LAMPHHS webmaster in creating, maintaining, and updating a webpage of resources.
4. Additional duties as needed.
Resources for Working With Hazardous Materials
American Institute for Conservation – Health & Safety Network
AIC’s Health & Safety Network is an active group of conservators and health & safety professionals who study health and safety trends, collaborate on health and safety resources, and educate AIC members and other cultural professionals on best practices for health and safety issues.
— Health & Safety Wiki
Connecting to Collections Care
Connecting to Collections Care provides resources, professional development opportunities, and support for caring for collections to all types of small to mid-sized cultural institutions.
Arsenic and Old Lace: Controlling Hazardous Collection Materials
This webinar (originally held May 3, 2016) will help you identify hazardous collection items, the safety risks they pose to you and your visitors, and how to control those risks in practical ways.
— Youtube video, Webinar Recording
Identifying and Managing Hazardous Materials in Museum Collections
This webinar reviews what makes a material hazardous, how to survey collections for hazardous materials and what to do after locating these materials.
— Webinar materials
— Youtube video, Webinar Recording
Washington Conservation Guild
The Washington Conservation Guild (WCG) is a nonprofit organization of conservation professionals dedicated to preserving art and historic materials. For several years, the WCG held an annual (no dates for 2022 or 2023) Safety and Cultural Heritage Summit along with the American Industrial Hygiene Association Potomac Section, and the Smithsonian Institution’s Lunder Conservation Center, National Collections Program, and Office of Safety, Health, and Environmental Management.
— Information on the 2021 meeting
Museums and Galleries of New South Wales
Hazardous materials in museum collections
A downloadable fact sheet presented as a list of the sorts of materials in general museum collections that may present a danger, either to museum workers and visitors, or to other objects in the collection.
Occupational Health and Safety
Mercury Resources
A list of resources that covers specific topics like thermometers containing mercury and exposure to exposure to mercury. It provides standards as well as possible solutions.
Sources to Search for a Chemical by Name
NJ Health Right To Know Hazardous Substances
A searchable A-Z list of hazardous substances fact sheets. Viewers can search by DOT No, CAS No, Chemical Name or RTK Substance No. The fact sheets highly detailed. They include information on cleaning spills, specific PPE requirements, first aid, exposure limits, etc. The sheets are downloadable and available in English and Spanish.
International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
A searchable A-Z list of hazardous substances fact sheets. The sheets cross-reference the international hazardous number codes UN No, EC Numbers and ICSC Numbers. These sheets include international transportation and labeling information.
National Library of Medicine PubChem
This site includes information on millions of compounds and substances. It is a useful site to look up ingredients and chemical names when reviewing collections for hazardous materials.
NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards
Available as an App or a downloadable version. The guide includes A-Z list of chemicals, their potential hazards and protection methods. The downloadable version is useful when working offline.
Other Resources
Hazardous Materials Table: Postal Service Mailability Guide
Arsenic, Metals, Fibres, and Dusts: A review of human carcinogens (World Health Organization)
Disposal of Cellulose Nitrate Film
Fact Sheet: Hazardous Materials – Written Reference List
Please Read the Warning Label: Care of Historic Pharmacy Collections
Identifying and Handling Nitrate Film
State Historical Society of Iowa Hazardous Materials Fact Sheet