Hurricane Katrina

Colleagues be careful out there! As a long time painting conservator
and in another part of my life a Licensed Mental Health Counselor
and trained DAT Team member with the Red Cross Disaster Unit:
*Please be careful and beware*: stability has not been established.
There are areas that have not been cleared, by whoever is the
current authority, for even the Red Cross Teams.

Molds, bacteria and diseases are everywhere and structures are
unsafe to breathe in, let alone work in. Be aware and let's save as
much of our cultural property as we can but be responsible and keep
ourselves safe. Make sure *all* inoculations are up to date
including Hepatitis A and B, if possible, Paper conservators may
also find cholera shots wise. Universal precautions: gloves, masks
etc. are necessary when working with damp or rewetted items. As
these items move to other areas of the country for conservation
treatment medical facilities may not be alert to what you have been
exposed to and therefore be slow to initiate appropriate treatment
if necessary.

    **** Moderator's comments:
    See also The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
    "Hurricane Information for Response and Cleanup Workers:
    <URL:http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/workers.asp>

Barbara Beardsley Art Conservation Laboratory, Inc


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 19:15
               Distributed: Thursday, September 15, 2005
                       Message Id: cdl-19-15-002
                                  ***