Asbestos

Carolyn Sirett <carolyn.sirett [at] pc__gc__ca> writes

>I am a student from the Collections Conservation and Management
>Program at Fleming College and currently completing an internship at
>Parks Canada, Western and Northern Services Centre. I am completing
>a research project on the removal of asbestos in artifacts and am
>seeking the opinion of professional conservators in the field who
>may have come across a similar situation.  If you have a moment to
>answer any of the following questions, or provide details of how
>asbestos has been treated in your collection, it would be greatly
>appreciated.
>
>    What kinds of artifacts were encountered that contained
>    asbestos?
>
>    What was the method used to control the asbestos? (i.e. was a
>    sealant applied over the fibres or was it completely removed
>    from the artifact)
>
>    Did asbestos training have to be completed prior to treating the
>    artifact or was a sub-contractor hired to complete the work?
>
>    If a sub-contractor was used, were there any challenges or
>    concerns about the artifact discussed prior to the asbestos
>    removal?

I had found on a WWII-era German Fireman's helmet that the interior
"tabs" separating the headband from the metal helmet were made of
asbestos as confirmed with microscopy. Because of the excellent
condition of the tabs, which were not powdering apart, the curator
and I chose to leave them intact. To protect staff from harm and the
artifact from mishandling, the storage box was labeled extensively
with warning information and a digital photo of the areas of
concern.

The tabs themselves were covered with sleeves of inert plastic,
fabricated to size by the library staff, who use the CoLibri book
cover system. I installed the plastic sleeves with a tweezer while
wearing appropriate PPE in an isolated work area; afterward the work
surface was vacuumed (HEPA) and wiped down, the N95 dust mask and
disposable Tyvek lab coat were contained in a plastic bag, and
disposed of according to local regulations.

Since the hazard with asbestos lies in the airborne particle which
is now contained, it passed our local safety checks and remains in
the collection.

Amber L. Tarnowski, Objects Conservator
U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC)
Carlisle, Pennsylvania


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 25:20
                Distributed: Wednesday, October 19, 2011
                       Message Id: cdl-25-20-007
                                  ***