[NHCOLL-L:3488] Natural History Museum, Dublin, Ireland - Bulletin 2007-07-06

[Monaghan, Nigel]

Folks

As some you may have heard by now, we had a major incident in the Natural History Museum building on Merrion Street, Dublin yesterday morning. A section of a limestone staircase collapsed injuring eleven elementary school teachers who were walking up the stairs at the time. Five remain in hospital, two in what has been described as a serious condition. No museum staff were injured in the incident, and all did a marvellous job of dealing with this frightening accident. This staircase is behind the public gallery area and not in daily use by the general public. This is part of the National Museum of Ireland www.museum.ie
 
The Natural History Museum will remain closed for several weeks at least, during which there will be accident investigations and a full audit of safety in this 1857 museum building.

During the next few weeks at least, staff will be based in other museum premises and have no access to offices, files, library, exhibits or stored collections (primarily insects, also spiders, cave excavations and various other collections). Telephones and email will operate as before. You may leave phone messages but will not get an instant reply to your call as the the phones are in a section of the building unavailable to staff who have to access voicemail remotely.
 
On behalf of the staff of our museum we would like to thank all of the people who have contacted us in the first 24 hours since the accident occurred. This has been a considerable help at a difficult and stressful time and is very much appreciated. We will continue to be at work doing what we can within the limitations on access to our offices. Messages to naturalhistory at museum.ie are accessible to all staff of the department if you want to send your good wishes to all.

For those who have offered help, this is also very much appreciated. There is nothing practical that you can do for us at present. There are no issues of collections rescue or recovery as there are no collections in this zone of the building which is simply used for circulation of staff behind the scenes.

What follows is a press release by the museum based on a statement made by our government Minister in the national parliament yesterday. National media coverage is online at www.rte.ie at http://apollo.rte.ie/search.jsp?query=natural%20history%20museum
 
Nigel

Mr Nigel T. Monaghan,
Keeper - Natural History Museum,
Merrion Street,
Dublin 2,
Ireland

+353-1-648-6354
nmonaghan at museum.ie

 
Sent:	05 July 2007 14:49
Subject:	Incident at Natural History Museum

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IRELAND
PREAS RÁITEAS THAR CEANN ARD-MHÚSAEM NA hÉIREANN
5th July 2007

Issued on behalf of Dr. Wallace, Director, National Museum of Ireland

"It is with deep regret that I confirm that there was a serious incident in the Natural History Museum this morning. Our thoughts are with the injured and their families. I will personally ensure a full investigation is carried out. Please see below a full statement on the incident by Seamus Brennan T.D, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism on this incident".
 
Statement by Séamus Brennan T.D., Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism on the incident at the Natural History Museum on 5th July, at 15:30

I would like to make the following statement on the accident at the Natural History Museum on Merrion St this morning. While information is still coming to my Department, I would nonetheless like to provide the House with the information currently available to me.

*	Late this morning part of a limestone stairs in the private part of the Natural History Museum at Merrion St. fractured and collapsed.
*	21 primary teachers, attending a science appreciation course, were in that part of the building at the time.
*	A number of those attending were on and in the vicinity of the stairs at the time.
*	The Museum immediately notified the emergency services, tended to the injured, evacuated and closed the building> 
*	I understand that 11 people were injured. The emergency services, museum safety staff and the Gardai immediately swung into action and I am grateful for their swift response.
*	As soon as I was informed of this tragedy, Minister of State, Noel Ahern and I visited the Museum to see personally the extent of the incident and to offer what help we could.
*	I was briefed by the Director and asked that the building should remain closed and subjected to a rigorous structural and safety audit.
*	The emergency services were on the scene within minutes and the injured were taken to James, Vincents and The Mater hospitals.
*	The public part of the Museum was immediately evacuated and the emergency plan at the Museum fully activated.
*	Pending a full health and safety audit by the Health & Safety Authority and the relevant competent authorities, the Natural History Museum will remain closed to visitors and staff for the foreseeable future.
*	At this juncture, it is hoped that none of the injuries are life threatening. The Director of the Museum, its Board and my Department will continue to monitor developments closely.
*	I want to extend my heartfelt sympathies to those injured and to their families and to wish them a speedy and full recovery.
*	Further information with regard to the incident can be obtained from the Garda Press Office
*	The Museum has also set up its own incident team.

ENDS

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT

Aoife Demel, Marketing Executive 

National Museum of Ireland | Collins Barracks | Benburb Street | Dublin 7
Tel: 01 - 648-64-29 E-Mail:  ademel at museum.ie 
www.museum.ie
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