ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Hi everyone-
It's good to see some interest in this topic.
A group of us organized a safety session for the ASTC conference in 2004
(San Jose); it was on Monday morning and only about 20 people attended.
We were hoping to start an ongoing dialogue about safety that might
lead to some industry guidelines, so I'm happy to see this thread come
up here on the listserve. I"d be happy to help nudge this process along.
Presenters incluced Margie Marino (then Manager of Exhibition Services
for ASTC), myself (Sciencenter, Ithaca, NY-- small museum), Laura
Selicara (Franklin Institute) and Tom Rockwell (now at the
Exploratorium, but a certified Playground safety inspector amongst other
experiences).
Playgrounds have several saftey standards which includes standards for
protrusions and head entrapment as well as surfaces and ...
(CPSC is free, and there's also ASTM whose standards cost money to
purchase) based in part on hospital accident records. Otherwise we
didn't know of any museum industry guidelines.
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/playpubs.html
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/325.pdf
We shared some specific examples about safety (including general
practices, inspections and record-keeping, electrical including UL,
shop, museum emergency manuals and safety manuals, etc.), and
information about playground safety
Kathy Krafft
Exhibit Projects Director
Sciencenter
Ithaca, NY
607-272-0600 ext 25
Subject:
Re: Liability and the Reasonable Person
From:
Jim Kaufman <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 22 Sep 2006 19:39:06 EDT
ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************
William Lowrance wrote in "Of Acceptable Risk" that safety was a judgement
about the acceptability of risk.
The whole area of risk in our lives would make fascinating science museum
exhibits and perhaps help people to better understand it's nature.
What are the professional standards on health, safety, and the environment
published by science museum associations to guide their members in these
areas?
Would it be good for each separated museum to be setting their own standards?
What about within a museum? Is there an environment, health and safety
manual outlining in writing the policies and procedures that the museum expects
its employees to follow? Should each employee set his or her our standard or
what's a acceptable risk inside his or her science museum.
If the policies are not in writing, you don't have policies .... you have an
oral tradition.
If the policies are not enforced, you don't have policies ... you have lip
service.
Does your museum have any EH&S manual? Where might I get a copy of the
professional standards of science museum associations concerning EH&S? ... Jim
************************
James A. Kaufman, Ph.D.
President/CEO
The Laboratory Safety Institute
Safety in Science and Science Education
192 Worcester Road, Natick, MA 01760
508-647-1900 Fax: 508-647-0062
Cell: 508-574-6264 Res: 781-237-1335
[log in to unmask] www.labsafety.org
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