posh masters project - eh850a presentation – 15 th may 2004

POSH Masters Project - EH850A

Presentation – 15th May 2004

Supervisor Name: Patrick S K POON

Student Name: C K WONG

Content Definitions Background Fire Safety Problem Questions??? Aim of Study Objectives of Study Literature Review Possible Benefits Methodology Limitation of Study Work Schedule Present Progress

Postgraduate Scheme in Occupational Safety and Health (POSH) 2002

Project Title

Risk Assessment for

Improving Fire Safety in Museums


Definitions Risk Assessment

The overall process of risk analysis and risk evaluation (AS/NZ 4360:1999)

Risk Analysis: a systematic use of available information to determine how often specified events may occur and the magnitude of their consequences

Risk Evaluation: the process used to determine risk management priorities by comparing the level of risk against per-determined standards, target risk levels or other criteria


Definitions

MuseumA museum is a non-profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, and open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of people and their environment (ICOM, 2001).

"museum" (博物館 ) means a building, or part of a building, or area designated under section 105G as a museum; (HKSAR, Cap. 132, Section 2, 2001)


Definitions

Fire Safety


Environment

- Exit

- Smoke Control

- Layout

Occupants

- Visitors

- Work-persons

Settings

- FS Installations

- Materials

- Exhibits

FSI + FRC

MoE MoA

FS

Fire Safety Framework

Background

There are 22 museums and exhibition venues of different exhibition gallery sizes and themes of exhibits on display in Hong Kong that are operated by Hong Kong SAR Government (LCSD, 2003)

Currently, active systems employed in these museums and exhibition halls under the Code of Practice for Minimum Fire Service Installations and Equipment and Inspection (FSI) (FSD, 1998)

Four major museums in Hong Kong attract more than 2.5 million visitors in year 2002 (LCSD, 2003)


Fire Safety Problem

Slade (1987) states the approach to fire safety is twofold: - to prevent fire occurring

- to protect the building, its content and inhabitants if fire does occur

Museum collections are valuable and intangible heritage

On 16 September 2003 that ruined 650 out of the 900 unit collection of classical motor-bikes at the National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham. The damage was not merely confined to a face value loss of GBP $8m; but that most of the machines are irreplaceable


Questions????

What are the fire hazards, safety objectives and standard applicable to museums?

What are the criteria of fire risk assessment for museums?

How effective does the developed assessment plan?


Aim of Study

To identify the fire hazards and fire safety objectives in museums of Hong Kong

To evaluate the framework of fire risk assessment to improve the fire safety in museums


Objectives of Study

To identify the fire hazards in museums of Hong Kong To review the legislations of fire safety, installations and equipments

and in Hong Kong and identify the applicable safety performance standards

To review the legislations of fire safety, installations and equipments and in Hong Kong and identify the applicable safety performance standards

Based on the model to develop the risk assessment plan in the organization.


Literature Review

A literature review is a systematic, explicit, and reproducible method for identifying, evaluating, and interpreting the existing body of recorded work produced by researchers, scholars, and practitioners (Fink, 1998).

Fire Services Department (FSD), 1998, Code of practice for minimum fire service installations and equipment and inspection and testing and maintenance of installations and equipment, Government Printer, Hong Kong. (FSI)

Building Department (BD), 1995, Code of practice for provision of means of access for firefighting and rescue, Government Printer, Hong Kong. (MoA)


Literature Review Building Department (BD), 1995, Code of practice for provision of means of escape in case

of fire, Government Printer, Hong Kong. (MoE)

Building Department (BD), 1996, Code of practice for fire resisting construction, Government Printer, Hong Kong. (FRC)

HSE, 1999, Fire safety: an employer’s guide, Health & Safety Executive, London.

NFPA, 2001, NFPA 909: Code for the Protection of Cultural Resources, 2001 Edition, NFPA, USA.

Hancock, D. C., 2000, Fire Risk Assessment: a practical guide, Chubb Fire Limited, London.

Santos-Reyes, J., and Beard, A.N., 2001, "A systemic approach to fire safety management", in Fire Safety Journal, v. 36, no. 4, p. 359-390.


Possible Benefits

In-depth understanding of the fire hazards, fire safety performance standards and fire safety objectives for museums

The criteria for evaluating fire risk assessment

A fire risk assessment model will provide a battery for assessing fire safety and for the development of contingency plan

The well being of visitors, staff and the valuable collections can be enhanced and maintained in a high standard of safety


Methodology

Reviewing of relevant literature, journal, fire safety ordinances and their subsidiary regulations to consolidate a list of hazard in the museums and their safety standards

Conducting a “Gap Analysis” to identify the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement

Identify the criteria for the evaluation of fire risk assessment model


Methodology

Using the select criteria and through literature review to evaluate the effectiveness of the fire risk assessment model

Carry out the fire risk assessment in the museums

Conducting “Qualitative” survey by inviting all building management staff to fill up a questionnaire for testifying the applicability and practicability of the fire risk assessment plan being developed.


Population in Study

Total No. of Museums: 22Selected Museums: 4Selection Criteria: Themes in art, history, heritage and

science; and scale; breadth of collections; and annual audience volume

Approach: Qualitative SurveyTechnique: QuestionnaireParticipant: 12 staff who responsible for the building

management of the museums


Limitation of Study

The study covers primary the fire safety in settings (FS installations, materials and exhibits) of museums

Focus on the performance standards and the analysis on legislature in fire safety for museums


Work Schedule

Before Jul: Completion of literature and legislation review Jul: Identify the criteria for fire safety risk

assessment Aug: Literature review and development of fire risk

assessment plan Early Sep: Conduct fire risk assessment on selected

museums and finalize the findings. Late Sep: Conduct questionnaire survey and evaluate the

result Oct: Finalize the findings, recommendation


Present Progress

HRE Panel of UWS approved the project proposal (2004/019)

Review of literature, legislations and code of practice Consent letter has sent to museums and pending to their

reply Questionnaire under review and refinement


End of Presentation

Question & Answer


posh masters project - eh850a presentation – 15 th may 2004

Documents

occupational safety

safety objectives

health posh

safety problemslade

museums postgraduate

criteria postgraduate

museums of hong kong

major museums