[NHCOLL-L:4118] Re: Flammability of Plastic Crates in Alcohol Storage

[John E Simmons]

If you are referring to boxes or crates used in storage, the answer is going
to depend on how your local fire marshal chooses to interpret the fire code
that the museum falls under.  When I worked at the University of Kansas
Natural History Museum, we designed and constructed a purpose-built fluid
collections storage facility and the same question came up.  We were not
allowed to use cardboard boxes or plastic crates.  We used stainless steel
shelving, with the containers on the shelves without boxes.  I know of
several museums that have been allowed to use plastic crates or tubs.

If you are referring to how to move the specimens from the old storage area
into the new, I recommend a pneumatic-wheeled metal cart with sideboards.

>From a management point of view, you might want to evaluate why you would
use crates or boxes in storagel.  Such containers are handy for keeping
taxonomic units separate, but they waste space.  Most retrieval of specimens
is jar-by-jar, not by the entire taxon.  Take a close look at how the
collections are used, and how many containers are removed from storage at a
time.  The convenience of having specimens separated into crates or boxes
may not be cost effective when you look at the space that is lost in that
configuration.  Another issue to consider is the safety of handling these
containers--a box or crate full of containers of alcohol is heavy, and if it
drops, all the containers are likely to break.  It may be better for the
staff to have them remove one container (jar) at a time from the shelf,
rather than a crate or box full of jars.

There is a section on the storage of fluid preserved specimens in my 2002
publication, "Herpetological Collecting and Collections Management" that you
might want to take a look at.

--John

John E. Simmons
Museologica
128 E. Burnside Street
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 16823-2010
simmons.johne at gmail.com
303-681-5708
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

On Wed, Dec 10, 2008 at 10:35 AM, Del Re, Christine <delre at mpm.edu> wrote:

>  Some day our alcohol specimens will be re-housed in a purpose built room
> (many rooms actually to reduce volume) on open static shelving. Rather than
> cardboard, we'd like to use rigid plastic milk crates which I know others of
> you have used for move projects.  Between these choices, that is paper or
> plastic boxes/containers, which will present the lowest flammability problem
> for fire safety? We'd like to use some type of container to aid in future
> specimen retrieval. I know that many of you have dealt with this type of
> question in recent years.   If there is a publication that covers this, can
> you please remind me what it is?
>
>
>
> With thanks for any help, Chris
>
>
>
> Christine Del Re                      Voice:  (414) 278-2780
> Senior Conservator                 Fax:    (414) 278-6100
> Milwaukee Public Museum    e-mail:* delre at mpm.edu*
> 800 W. Wells St.
> Milwaukee, WI  53233-1478
>
>
>



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