On Sun, 8 Apr 2018 Vanessa Wiggin asked for conservators to share experience
in dealing with asbestos contamination.
As in Australia, regulations in the UK also require asbestos decontamination
to be carried out by licenced practitioners only. Faced with treating a
significant group of artworks attached to Asbestos Insulation Board our
approach was to go through the training on removing asbestos. I then
developed a methodology and carried out a pilot project. The lessons learnt
were fed back into developing the procedures further. Nobody was compelled
to work with asbestos; it was entirely voluntary as to whether to take part
in this work or not (some conservators went through the training but then
changed their minds). A variety of training techniques were used including
working with a mock up.
Our work with asbestos was then supervised by two very experienced
companies. One took care of building and running the working enclosure,
checking our suiting up and daily work, providing decontamination facilities
and disposal of the contaminated waste. The other firm monitored the air,
carried out personal sampling and checked the artworks were free of asbestos
fibres at the end of each day. Our working procedures were reviewed and
improved as we went along. Our techniques released very little airborne
asbestos; all the monitoring results were either below the limits of
detection or occasionally detectable but well within safe limits.
A publication and lecture on our experiences is being prepared.
Nicholas Burnett
Director
Museum Conservation Services Ltd.
Registered Office: Building 213, Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridge,
England, CB22 4QR
Company registration number 3023774, registered in England and Wales
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