Which Museum Artifacts Should Be Saved First in a Crisis? | Strategies for Protecting Treasures

The resilience of museums in emergencies depends not only on building strength or the presence of protective equipment, but also on identifying vulnerable works, setting rescue priorities, training staff, and planning evacuation routes as part of crisis preparedness.

The resilience of museums against emergency situations does not only depend on the strength of the building or the existence of protective equipment, but recognizing vulnerable works, determining rescue priorities, training staff and predicting exit routes are also part of preparing for a crisis.

According to Ambassador Arjan, the specialized workshop "Operational Resilience of Museums in Emergency Situations" was held on Tuesday, 21 Mehr in cooperation with the National Museum of Science and Technology of Iran and the National Committee of Iranian Museums (ICOM Iran).

An expert in the field of protection and restoration and a trainer of the Non-Available Defense Association said in this meeting: Museum works are different in terms of gender, dimensions, weight, preservation status and degree of vulnerability, and the same method of protection cannot be used to save all of them. Paper works and documents are sensitive to environmental conditions, especially humidity, while pottery collections may be damaged by vibration, falling, or bumping into each other. Therefore, the emergency protection plan should be developed according to the characteristics of each collection and include the method of moving, packing and safe transfer of the works.

According to Fatemeh Ali Mirzaei, preparing a list of works with priority protection, recording information and images, specifying the exact storage location and determining a safe destination for the temporary transfer of works are actions that must be taken before an accident occurs. Deciding on moving works should be entrusted to specific and trained people.

In this meeting, the use of Jam system to identify the features and sensitivities of the works and to help their coding in emergency situations was also discussed.

In another part of her speech, Fatemeh Ali Mirzaei said: Creating a clear program for prioritizing works, so that employees know which works are the priority for protection in any situation, can prevent wasting time in critical moments, and this issue should be taken into account by coding in the Jam system.

Referring to the issue of access to objects in times of crisis, Ali Mirzaei added: For example, it is difficult and time-consuming to remove works in an emergency situation in cubic showcases where many small objects are placed, especially if the showcases cannot be opened easily due to their age.

According to him, the accurate and continuous documentation of works, including the recording of images, specifications, property numbers, and the storage location of the works, should be done regularly so that in case of damage, loss or emergency relocation, it is possible to identify and track the status of each work. Maintaining a backup copy of digital information should also be considered in the emergency protection plan.

Priority for visitor safety

In emergency situations, protecting the lives of visitors and staff takes precedence over saving things. For this reason, identifying the main and alternative exit routes, determining safe gathering places, installing visible signs and predicting emergency lighting should be in the operational plan of every museum.

In this regard, Ali Mirzaei said: This program should also have a specific solution for evacuating children, the elderly, and people with limited mobility.

In the end, he reminded: the operational resilience of museums is achieved when the emergency protection plan, beyond an administrative document, becomes a set of ready equipment, trained staff and quick decision-making that both determines the safe exit route for people and enables the protection of artifacts without endangering human lives.