Overview

This Standard is about applying preventive conservation measures to cultural heritage. Preventive conservation prevents deterioration or damage to cultural heritage in everyday situations and in disasters or emergencies. Cultural heritage can refer to objects that are on display or in storage or to historic buildings, structures, sites or settings.

It includes assessing the suitability of the environment, use and protection of cultural heritage, agreeing changes and making modifications if required, putting contingency measures in place to deal with disasters and emergencies and keeping records.

This standard is for anyone who applies preventive conservation measures to cultural heritage.

 

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

  1. monitor and assess the suitability of the current environment for cultural heritage on a regular basis
  2. identify any threats posed to the preservation of cultural heritage through display, use or storage
  3. recommend and agree any changes that are needed to the environment, practice or protection of cultural heritage with appropriate people
  4. modify relevant environmental factors and protection to conserve cultural heritage
  5. review potential threats from disasters and emergencies and update emergency plans on a regular basis
  6. ensure that measures are in place that will protect or warn against potential disasters
  7. make accurate and clear records of actions taken in organisational information systems

 

Knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand:                       

  1. the effect of environment factors including humidity, temperature, and pests on culturage heritage
  2. the professional and organisational context in which you are working
  3. the details of policies, practices, standards and emergency plans
  4. the physical and chemical characteristics of materials, the causes and characteristics of decay of heritage, and the effects of preventative measures on long-term condition and use of the heritage
  5. how to apply appropriate environmental conditions and how to monitor and control these conditions
  6. how to identify signs of deterioration in the cultural heritage in your care that could be avoided through preventive measures, and how to monitor and control them
  7. the appropriate range of preventive conservation methods and materials for routine and emergency use
  8. organisation's procedures for recording your actions, the types of documentation system used, how to operate them, the main differences between digital and manual systems and possible problems with them
  9. the limitations of standard practice and when further advice is needed
  10. who to consult if further action needs to be taken that is outside of your knowledge, understanding and experience