[NHCOLL-L:4604] Re: alcohol collections - state of the art?

[CAHawks at aol.com]

I concur with John. This is a complicated topic. You should not design  
facilities for fluid collections of any size without input from a fire  
protection engineer who has experience with museum fluid preservation issues. 
 
Some of the factors to consider:
 
    *   wet-pipe, water-based sprinkler systems  (a very aggressive version 
if compactors may be used in the space, assuming  compact storage is 
acceptable to any authorities having  jurisdiction) 
    *   good closures for specimen containers to  limit alcohol vapor loss 
    *   small rooms to limit the amount of  alcohol in a given area, with 
actual room sizes based on the maximum capacity  of the sprinkler system and 
the water supply 
    *   passive features such as fire walls,  rated floors and fire 
barriers between storage  areas 
    *   aggressive ventilation to remove alcohol  vapor and prevent a 
flammable mixture from occurring in the room  air 
    *   hydrocarbon gas detectors rather than  smoke detectors in the 
storage rooms (no smoke-generating combustibles should  be stored in the space 
with the collections) 
    *   smoke detectors in return and supply  ducts for the ventilation 
system 
    *   moderate temperatures (a steady  temperature between 65 and 75ºF, 
preferably at the low end) with an RH below  65%, but as high as can be 
reasonably achieved at the temperature set point  (allow RH to drift to maintain 
the steady  temperature) 
    *   coordination with local  authorities-having-jurisdiction (AHJ) on 
all aspects of the design and  construction of the facility 
    *   restrictions on use of the space for  anything other than storage 
of the collections (this is NOT where you do  research - you need a separate 
workroom for that).
As noted above, the  critical factor is finding the appropriate expertise. 
Let me know if you need  suggestions about qualified fire protection  
specialists.
 
Cathy
Catharine Hawks
Conservator
2419 Barbour Road
Falls Church  VA 22043-3026 USA
t/f 703.876.9272
mobile 703.200.4370  

 
In a message dated 11/9/2009 11:45:12 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
simmons.johne at gmail.com writes:

Fire  codes do not directly address the storage of museum specimens in 
standard  museum preservatives.  As a result, what is "best practice" varies 
from  place to place.  For example, some institutions are required to use  
explosion-proof safety cabinets, some are not; most institutions are required  
to have wet pipe sprinkler systems (usually around 0.30 gallons per minute 
per  square foot capacity), but the required output of the system will vary.   
Most fluid specimen storage facilities are required to be above grade and  
well-ventilated using floor vents because alcohol is heavier than air  
(ventilation systems are usually 1 cubic foot per minute per square  foot).

You will have to work with your local fire marshal to get an  
interpretation of the regulations that is reasonable and ensures the safety of  the 
collection and those working with it.  In general, you will probably  need to 
reduce the number of ignition sources in fluid storage areas (e.g.,  limit wall 
sockets, no work activities in fluid storage), reduce the chance of  spills 
(e.g., earthquake bars on shelves), have a good ventilation system to  
prevent the build-up of fumes, restrict access to fluid collection storage,  and 
so forth.

--John

John E. Simmons
Museologica
128 E.  Burnside Street
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 16823-2010
_simmons.johne at gmail.com_ (mailto:simmons.johne at gmail.com) 
303-681-5708
_www.museologica.com_ (http://www.museologica.com/) 
and
Adjunct  Curator of Collections
Earth and Mineral Science Museum & Art  Gallery
Penn State University
19 Deike Building
University Park,  Pennsylvania 16802-2709
_jes67 at psu.edu_ (mailto:jes67 at psu.edu) 

On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 12:02 PM, Stefan Sommer <_Stefan.Sommer at nau.edu_ 
(mailto:Stefan.Sommer at nau.edu) >  wrote:


Dear  All,
 
We are in need of upgrading our  alcohol collections infrastructure. We 
have significant collections in  marine invertebrates, terrestrial arthropods, 
fish, amphibians, and  reptiles. What is the current 'best practice' for 
fire resistant cabinetry  and fire suppression systems?
 
What does your museum  use?
 
Thanks!
 
Stefan
 
 
 
Dr. Stefan Sommer
Director, Colorado Plateau Biodiversity Center, 
_http://www.mpcer.nau.edu/cpbc_ (http://www.mpcer.nau.edu/cpbc)  
Executive Producer, A  River Reborn, _http://www.mpcer.nau.edu/riverreborn_ 
(http://www.mpcer.nau.edu/riverreborn)  
Faculty Advisor,  Grand Canyon SEEDS Chapter, 
_http://www.mpcer.nau.edu/seeds_ (http://www.mpcer.nau.edu/seeds)  
Board of Directors,  Assoc. of College & University Museums & Galleries, 
_http://www.acumg.org_ (http://www.acumg.org/)  
Faculty, Department of Biological  Sciences
Northern Arizona University
Campus Box 5640
Flagstaff,  AZ  86011

O: (928) 523-4463
F: (928) 523-7500
H: (928)  214-6324
C: (928) 607-2028

_Stefan.Sommer at nau.edu_ (mailto:Stefan.Sommer at nau.edu) 











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