Trainer Larry Carr will deliver two introductory-level sessions to raise our awareness of the hazards present in museum collections.

Asbestos Awareness for Museums

This awareness-level health and safety training session will cover:

• The properties of asbestos fibres and their effects on health including the negative compounding consequences of smoking and asbestos exposure
• The major types of asbestos found in both the built environment and in object collections
• Visual examples of asbestos containing materials which have been identified in object collections
• The well-established methodology for identifying potential asbestos hazards in object collections, as has been adopted by many national museums
• Methods to avoid the risk of exposure to asbestos fibres
• A brief overview of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and the ‘Duty to Manage’
• Examples of how museums can comply with the legislation
• General procedures to deal with an asbestos emergency.

Please note that attendees will be required to complete a short multiple-choice test covering the key information delivered by the training.

Introduction to Collections Hazards

This introductory-level health and safety training session will cover:

• General principles of health and safety useful for understanding how to work safely with object hazards
• Toxic metals: arsenic, mercury and lead
• Pesticides and preservatives
• Mould
• Radiation
• Other hazardous substances: carbon tetrachloride; poisons; controlled drugs
• Nitrate film
• Explosives and energetic substances
• Physical hazards.

A certificate of attendance will be provided.

This course is for anybody who works or volunteers in a museum, archive or library which is a member of the Rapid Response Network.