dk nkf - Nordisk Konservatorforbund Danmark

adioactive materials since 1995, and we currently
have a Geiger counter and personal dosimeters for
monitoring staff exposure.
The Aviation Museum has radiation in the form of
radium luminous devices, as well as in depleted
uranium ballasts and in tritium emergency exit
signs. The dials were the subject of a major project
in 2008 to re-locate all of the devices to a secure
storage location. The project began with a Health
Canada inspection of the Bomarc Missile currently
on display at the Aviation Museum. This was in
response to documentation published in 2007 about
the missile, and the likely presence of radioactive
ballast. Health Canada personnel completed an
inspection of the display area and also undertook
an assessment of the storage rooms: taking both
radiation and radon gas measurements. Their
findings related to radon gas were sufficiently
worrying to prompt a relocation of a staff member
working in the room, and a plan to relocate all of the
devices to a secure storage area.
Radiation is one of the most worrying hazards in the
collection, as it is not something easily identified or
avoided. There can also be resistance from staff to
working with radioactive materials. This, of course,
is entirely valid unless precautions are taken to
minimise risk and to monitor exposure at all times.
The planning stage of the project at the Aviation
Museum was undertaken in consultation with Health
Canada and the Nuclear Safety Board of Canada;
reports were generated and circulated to staff, however
the information gathered was not disseminated in
a way that staff was able to understand; and they
therefore felt pressured to work in an environment
that was harmful. It is important to remember that not
everyone has the knowledge or physics background
to understand the numerous terms used by radiation
specialists, and some interpretation was in fact
necessary to reassure staff. Personal dosimeters were
acquired for all staff working with the materials, and
in-house training in personal protection and safe
handling of radioactive objects was also provided.
Despite the fact that locating a number of luminous
devices together increases the intensity of radioactivity
in that one location, it was decided that this was the best
method of restricting access and therefore decreasing
the risk of exposure. It also meant that radon gas could
be better monitored and safely vented.
All dials were stored in compartmented corrugated
polypropylene copolymer boxes, with the cracked
or broken ones being placed in sealed polyethylene
bags to contain any loose paint or fragments. This, in
itself, presents an increased risk if further handling
of the broken dials is required, since contamination
can build up inside the bags and increase the harmful
dose if the bags are opened.
The boxes were then placed in storage cabinets
in the secure, vented room. The space is regularly
monitored for radiation levels, though not currently
for radon gas.
Other hazards identified
1. Physical and Mechanical:
These are the most obvious type of hazard in any
technological collection, and in many ways the
easiest to deal with and avoid. At times, the sheer size
and weight of artifacts can pose a hazard for moving,
treating and displaying. Large agricultural, mining, or
forestry artifacts often have cutting or sharp edges.
Stored energy can be present in any size and in
many ways: springs in clocks and music boxes, high
capacity springs (e.g. aircraft propeller nuts), satellite
stem antennas, and some medical implements such
as scarificators, which may be inadvertently released.
Stored energy is also present in examples of pressure:
high pressure hydraulic systems (3000-5000 psi) in
aircraft, high pressure steam in operating locomotives.
Pneumatic tires of aircraft, particularly modern ones,
require very high pressure. More mundane items
which can pose physical threats include light bulbs
and vacuum tubes.
Explosives occur in such things as safety flares,
ammunition, firearms, explosive charges for fire
extinguisher systems, ejector seats or canopies and
jettison tanks in aircraft. Most explosive charges in
aircraft are identified by warning signs or labels;
however many are hidden such as in extinguishers or
in wartime aircraft radios such as in the Mosquito.
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