Health and Safety News
From AIC News, November 2001

There has been recent concern from conservators about appropriate respirator use and filter choice in light of potential treatment needs of collections affected by the September 11 disaster in New York and Washington. As always, choice of an appropriate respirator and filter is dependent upon medical fitness, ambient oxygen levels, and composition and concentration of the contaminants.

Conservators should work with local health and safety experts to assess the risk associated with specific projects and select appropriate respirators, personal protective equipment, and cleaning equipment/techniques based on a case-by-case basis. The New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) has issued guidance for personnel working in the vicinity of the terrorist attacks, which can be found at its website, www.nycosh.org.

In addition, The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), in response to a request from OSHA, has established a hotline for New York City businesses and residents, to refer them to industrial hygienists who (working on a pro bono basis) can advise them on indoor air-quality issues. The hotline number is (703) 849–8888. The full press release, and details of other AIHA volunteer relief efforts, can be found at www.aiha.org/GovernmentAffairs-PR/html/prnycassist.htm.


We encourage you to refer to the following articles published in AIC News for further guidance:

Colton, Craig E., “A Conservator’s Guide to Respiratory Protection,” March 1995, Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 1–6.

Makos, Kathryn A., “Selection of Personal Protective Equipment,” March 1996, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 1–4.


Also please refer to the technical guide for further sources of information:

“Health and Safety Technical Resources for the Conservator,” Health and Safety Guides 1/1, July 1998 s, Vol. 23, No. 4.

Also see http://aic.stanford.edu/disaster/index.html for more information.

— Compiled by Members of the AIC Health and Safety Committee