DISASTER PLAN FOR NEW COLLECTIONS Contents

1.-INTRODUCTION 2.-PREVENTION 2.2.-Evaluation of possible risks 2.3.-Reduction of risks 2.3.1.-Routine control and follow-up 2.3.2.-Parallel preservation of identical samples using different preservation methods 2.3.3.-Preservation of mirror collections in different localities 2.3.4.-Obligation for knowledge of possible personal risks and training on protection 3.-PREPARATION 3.1- Collection priorities 3.1.1.- Type specimens 3.1.2.- Unique samples 3.1.3- Biological hazard 3.2.- Team responsible in case of emergency 3.2.1- Trained staff with a clear organization previously established 3.2.2- Size, responsibilities and tasks depending on rank 3.3.- Networks of assistance 3.3.1- Containers 3.3.2.-Transport 3.3.3.-Supplies 3.4.-Training 3.4.1.-Training of staff in response procedures 4.-RESPONSE 4.1.- Level estimation 4.1.1.- Locating the disaster 4.1.2.- Protocols and check list 4.1.3.- Procedures and stabilization 4.2.- Level estimation 4.2.1.- Evaluation 4.2.2.- Localization 4.2.3.- Emergency procedures 5.- RECOVERY 5.1.- Specimens or samples recovery plan after a disaster 5.1.1.- Recovery process 5.1.2.- Staff 5.1.3.- Registration and evaluation of the damage (new collections) Random selection of a significant number of samples DNA extraction, quality and quantity control Decision to keep or incinerate damaged samples 5.1.4.- Recovery of materials (not specimens or samples) and equipment 5.1.5.- Stabilizing the environment 5.2.- Recovery of optimal conditions for the collections 6.- REVIEW 6.1.- Plan review 6.2.- Weaknesses 6.2.- Strengths 6.2.- Updating of plan and training courses 6.3.- Publication 7.- APPENDIX 7.1.- Case study: Protocols of the Tissues and DNA Collections of MNCN 8.- BIBLIOGRAPHY 9.- WEBSITES

1.-INTRODUCTION We are aware of the fact that the term disaster is normally applied to large and catastrophic events, but sometimes small alterations or failures can produce important losses and this is particularly true when preserving samples for molecular research. The staff responsible for the preservation of collections should never assume that a disaster will occur only as a result of a large and easy to spot event such as a fire. That said, we can list the general disasters that can affect our collections such as fire, earthquakes, electric failures, plagues, floods, vandalism, robbery, terrorism and others. Writing a common disaster plan for all traditional collections within a European framework makes no sense where each of the partner museums and organisations have their own characteristic levels of organization and management, However it is possible to do so in the case of new collections and this has an influence at the level of preservation, maintenance and curation. New collections such as molecular collections and tissue banks are still collections in the traditional sense, but have specific technologies that place them apart in many important ways. For this reason, rather than the elaboration of a specific disaster plan, we propose a document with procedures that can be considered a best practice working document containing general guidelines,, including any peculiarities or specific legal modifications that are characteristic of each institution or country. This will take into account the risks that result from different collections management strategies operating in the different institutions.. For example in new collections (DNA or tissues) some can have specialized technical staff assigned, or staff from a certain laboratory or department, or even volunteer students without any training in collection management. In this last case, goodwill without proper training should be considered a potential risk kept in mind for a disaster plan. It should be emphasized that a particular feature of molecular collections is that they take up a relatively small amount of space but the loss of just one freezer would be catastrophic as it may contain tens of thousands of specimens. Also whilst some institutions have specialised centralised facilities for these collections, and this policy should be encouraged, all have a proportion of molecular collections distributed throughout the institution, where there are important working links to the traditional collections holding similar taxonomic groups. In spite of the obvious problems incorporating dispersed molecular collections into an integrated disaster plan their dispersion, they must be included wherever possible. All disaster plans depend firstly and fundamentally on underpinning by everyday collections management best practice and risk assessment. Reliable regular service and maintenance of all equipment, not just freezers and other storage units but for detection equipment, alarms etc., (which can give early warning of problems if not prevent them), but also environmental control (air conditioning: temperature and humidity control) by liaison with estates management is essential. Also the importance of policies and procedures and their enforcement is emphasised e.g., if there is no respect for back-up freezers for emergencies being kept empty, then the risk of a minor failure becoming a major disaster is increased.

From a logical point of view, the following basic issues need to be considered: What are the risks that threaten our collections? How can we diminish these risks or avoid them completely? How do we prepare for disasters and how do we solve them? To answer the first question we need to define the different types of collections, the characteristics of the elements that make the collection, and the risks that can affect each of these elements. The second question refers to the regulations and mechanisms that can alert us to the different risks or mitigate their threat. In the case of potential disaster, an up to date knowledge of the technological innovations that can be implemented for the security of the collections is strongly advised. Finally, regarding how do we prepare for disasters and how do we solve them, each institution can follow their own rescue procedures, but the efficiency would be greatly enhanced more quickly if we could establish a virtual library where, apart from the existing literature on the topic, we could post learning experiences from the participating institutions, as well as any suggestions or possible solutions that have been successfully applied in emergency situations. The members of NA E decided to interpret the following types of material as new collections (see http://www.bi.ku.dk/synthesys/):
Silica dried material DNA in buffers Liquid (e.g., alcohol) preserved (for molecular use) Frozen Tissues (In Nitrogen) Frozen Tissues (In Freezers) EST libraries Freeze dried material Lyophilised material Dried DNA Genomic libraries

Based on the preservation requirements of the different kinds of collection, it is possible to organize these new collections into three general types of preservation (Table 1):
Table1: Classification of new collections by type of preservation

Preservation method Dried material

Liquid preserved

Frozen

Collection Type Silica dried material Freeze dried material Lyophilised material Dried DNA Liquid (e.g., alcohol) preserved molecular use) DNA in buffers Frozen Tissues (In Nitrogen) Frozen Tissues (In Freezers) EST libraries Genomic libraries Dried DNA DNA in buffers

(for

Following this classification by the type of preservation, we can say that the disaster plans of the traditional collections are perfectly applicable in new collections, namely the two first categories (dried material and liquid preserved). On the other hand, we also see that we have a completely new category, which are the collections that are preserved frozen. The amount of written bibliography on the topic of emergency plans is large and generally all documents divide the work assignments into three parts: before, during and after the disaster. Before is the period where the possible risks are identified and the regulations and working routines to avoid them are established. It is also mandatory to decide the priorities and relative importance of the collections for rescuing them in case a disaster occurs. The specialized teams and the training procedures have to be decided too. During a disaster, the plan must give responses at all technical and human levels. After a disaster, the plan must evaluate the effects and specify the procedures to recover everything that has been affected. Additionally in this period the value of the disaster plan needs to be evaluated. All this procedure has been summarized in Table 2: Table 2: Summery of classification of the working routines and procedures BEFORE Analyze possible risks Prevention Reduce risks Priority collections Preparation Teams responsible in case of disaster Networks of assistance Training DURING Response plan to a disaster Response AFTER Recovery plan after a disaster Recovery Plan review Review Publication

2.- PREVENTION 2.1.-Analysis of the possible risks 2.1.1.-Risks regardless of the type of collection When thinking of risks that are independent from the type of collection, we can talk about natural disasters caused by the weather or the geographic location or about

industrial or technological disaster with anthropogenic causes. If we focus on the damage that these disasters can cause, regardless of their origin, we can build a table as follows (Table 3): Floods (due to location in floodplains, dam breaches, storms, hurricanes, broken pipes, leaks) Movements (due to earthquakes, land slides, mudflows, land sinking, hurricanes, tornadoes, collapsing of shelves caused by structural failures) Fires (with a chemical or electrical origin, natural or intended) Plagues (insects, other arthropods, fungi, rodents) Leaks or hazardous spilling (dumps, chemical industries, research laboratories) Electric failures Equipment failures (freezers, coolers, acclimatization systems, security or monitoring systems) Human (wars, terrorism, robbery, land, air or sea accidents, poor maintenance and management, lack of experience of the assigned staff or other human errors that can lead to the afore mentioned situations)

2.2.-Risks that are consequence of the environment of the collection Defective storage systems Heaping Causes: Broken specimens Broken containers Burnt material Equipment overload causing failure Security and acclimatizing systems Fire Causes: Deterioration by water Unknown chemical interactions between the extinguishing agents and the specimens or preservatives Acclimatizing Causes: Freezing of motors Dehydration (ruptures due to desiccation, static electricity) Humidity in excess Defective illumination Causes: Non-desired chemical reactions (oxidations) Types of preservatives Alcohol and other flammable agents Causes: Fire Other chemical products Causes: Different levels of threat to the health of staff

2.3.-Reduction of risks 2.3.1.-Routine control and follow-up We can separate two types of control and follow-up systems: technological (e.g., smoke detectors, temperature raise, floods, robberies) and human. It is necessary to fulfil a number of periodic monitoring protocols for both systems. It is mandatory to make regular reviews of the detectors (e.g. where liquid nitrogen systems are in operation, O2 detectors: low oxygen levels due to nitrogen escape) to make sure they are functioning correctly. On the other hand, any electrical equipment that is used in the new collections such as freezers, coolers or acclimatizing systems, must be monitored daily and their own security systems checked periodically. These monitors should all be set up so that they can remotely alert out of hours staff to problems, which can be then be remedied as soon as possible by pre-planned continually up-dated contingency strategies (including a list of up to date contacts on call 24 hour a day). Out of hours staff and Security (all shifts) should be fully trained to be able to deal with these emergency situations. Routine control should be supported by adequate staffing levels, or risk of disaster increases. 2.3.2.-Parallel preservation of identical samples using different preservation methods In new collections it is strongly advisable to keep the same sample in different preserved states (dried, in solution and frozen) to ensure that if one form is compromised, we can still access another. Ideally duplicate samples should also be held in different geographical locations (this is only possible if the specimen is large enough to allow for multiple samples) 2.3.3.-Preservation of mirror collections in different localities This is a similar situation to the last one, but it implies cooperation between two different institutions to ensure that if a major disaster occurs, a percentage of the collection can still be kept safe in the other institution (once again this is only possible if the specimen is large enough to allow for multiple samples). 2.3.4.-Knowledge of the possible personal risks and training on appropriate protection is obligatory. The staff working with the collection must know the risks that can affect the collections, as well as their own health, and report on any incidents they observe. 2.3.5 Sample curation: awareness of new innovations to protect samples long term from degradation from e.g. oxidation, acidification (transfer from ethanol at 20 and +4 to -80 to liquid nitrogen) and light. This should include the possibility that new molecular collections will be used for other purposes in the future, e.g., measurement of environmental toxins etc. 3.-PREPARATION 6

3.1- Collection priorities 3.1.1.- Type specimens 3.1.2.- Unique samples (of extinct species or difficult to collect (endangered species, permit problems, collecting from politically unstable countries, dangerous locations e.g. deep sea. ) 3.1.3.- Biological hazard (e.g. general zoonoses, Ebola in bush meat: recommendation is not to accept known hazardous specimens). 3.2.- Team responsible in case of emergency 3.2.1.- Trained staff with a clear organization previously established 3.2.2.- Size, responsibilities and tasks depending on rank 3.3.-Networks of assistance A reliable list of addresses and phone numbers from providers is essential so that delivery to the institution the following items are guaranteed: 3.3.1.- Containers When a disaster occurs it is important to know where we can deposit specimens that may have been affected, such as bags, boxes or plastic containers. 3.3.2.-Transport and deposits When a disaster occurs it is important to know how we can transport the affected specimens to the temporary evacuation holding depots where they will be kept safe until the disaster has abated and where the damage can be evaluated. Carts, trucks or vans, and storage rooms (temperature controlled) or freezers at the institution, inside or outside. Unless existing back up systems at institutions e.g. electrical generators can be relied upon in an emergency, arrangement by payment of a retainer to a company that can provide appropriate rapid emergency back up (e.g. by provision of freezer lorries) is strongly advised. 3.3.3.-Supplies This should include all types of materials that can be useful in the case of a disaster such as desiccant paper, plastic bags, brooms, mops, water pumps, silica gel, heat sealers, sealing tape, markers, pencils, electric tools and plumbing tools, work clothes and security clothes. 3.4.-Training 3.4.1.-Training of the staff in response procedures 7

The protocols following a disaster must be written down and the teams responsible during a disaster must be fully trained to be familiar with the routines and routes to follow, as well as the order of priorities. The teams responsible need to be organized in three levels: security, maintenance and collections, each having different specific protocols to follow in a coordinated way. The best performance will therefore only be achieved if their duties are thoroughly practiced during regular drills throughout the year.. For molecular collections emergency procedures will include specific health and safety issues including low oxygen levels in the case of liquid nitrogen facilities, and the risk of infection from thawed samples by zoonoses etc. Specialised training must be given to all salvage teams to deal with these specific issues. Training of out of hours staff to pass on information to subsequent shifts etc, including Security, is essential with specific instructions to follow e.g., in the event of freezers losing power; an action point and contacts at each critical temperature step observed. 4.-RESPONSE 4.1.-Level estimation 4.1.1.-Locating the disaster Locating the disaster physically, with the aid of detection systems, is essential as the sooner the disaster is located the sooner it can be remedied. 4.1.2.- Protocols and check list Written protocols (see annex case study) 4.1.3.-Procedures and stabilization Measurement systems and controlling the speed at which the disaster is taking place 4.2.- Response procedures based on the level of disaster 4.2.1.-Evacuation Evacuation following a disaster must be as fast and controlled as possible. This requires appropriate modifications to existing infrastructure and equipment in the early stage of preparing the disaster plan, e.g. in new collections the freezers should have racks that will allow many boxes, thus many samples, to be moved at the same time, and widening of door frames and provision of ramps if necessary for efficient evacuation of cold storage units should be put in place first. 4.2.2.- Localization of the samples evacuated It is essential to have the evacuated samples correctly located in their new location to avoid the extra disaster that the loss of the samples would mean 8

4.2.3.- Emergency procedures The emergency procedures must be written down and be unique so they can be distributed to all the services and staff that are responsible in an emergency. It is mandatory to make sure that all the people involved have the same version of the document. This document must contain instructions ranging from how to work in the initial stages of a disaster through to follow-up, including the procedures that should be followed during the emergency. Before an evacuation it is necessary to check that the emergency containers, protective clothing and any other security mechanisms that will be needed are available. The evacuation procedure must follow the priority procedures set in advance and it must be coordinated and controlled, carefully recording the new locations of the evacuated samples. 5.- RECOVERY 5.1.- Specimens or samples recovery plan after a disaster 5.1.1.- Recovery process Once a disaster has occurred such as a major freezer failure, then a triage system is needed to decide which specimens are recoverable and which should be disposed of. This will be based on factors such as biohazard rating and value of specimen. The following procedures should be followed: Preparation of the necessary material and workspace Check the locations where the evacuated material was deposited after the emergency Proceed with the return of the material after its recovery 5.1.2.- Staff (personnel) Trained staff with an organization clearly established in advance 5.1.3.- Registration and evaluation of the damage (new collections) In order to evaluate the possible damage, it is necessary to follow a protocol previously established. In the case of new collections there should be procedures such as: Random selection and testing of a significant number of samples (PrediCtoR technology may help here) DNA extraction Quality and quantity control Decision to keep or incinerate damaged samples

5.1.4.- Recovery of materials (not specimens or samples) and equipment Liaison with security, estates management, technicians and engineers to repair damaged equipment and check the remaining functional equipment and security systems. 5.1.5.- Stabilizing the environment Routine controls to make sure everything is back to normal 5.2.- Re-establish pre disaster optimal conditions for the collections Return the evacuated simples to their original location Random tests of the location starting from the base 6.- REVIEW 6.1.- Plan review 6.1.- Weaknesses Where there have been failures or the reaction time has been too long, and what were the reasons for this. 6.2.- Strengths Where there have been improvements compared to the original plan and what were the reasons. 6.2.- Updating of plan and training courses Once lessons learnt have been identified, update current disaster plan, schemes of work and risk assessments and implement in future training courses. 6.3.- Publication Very often, we will face situations that others have already encountered, so it is recommended that we make all this information publicly available as soon as possible for others to use.

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7.- APPENDIX 7.1.- Case study: Protocols of the Tissues and DNA Collections of MNCN
7.1.1.- General description 7.1.2.- Preservation and maintenance of the ultra freezers 7.1.3.- General recommendations for the use of the freezers with collections from researchers not belonging to the tissue and DNA collection. 7.1.4.- Emergency procedure for freezers and coolers outside the labour schedule 7.1.5.- Security systems in ultra freezers 7.1.1.- GENERAL DESCRIPTION There are two acclimatized rooms with freezers (ultra freezers of -80 and -40, freezers of -20 and coolers of 4 are all generically referred as freezers). The freezer ROOM 1 is assigned to the vice direction of research, while the freezer ROOM 2 is assigned to the vice direction of collections. Additionally there is a -20 chamber of large dimension that is also assigned to the vice direction of collections. Both rooms are acclimatized and the electric supply is connected to an autonomous energy system that continues feeding electricity to the equipments in case there is a power failure with the origin outside the Museum. In each room the freezers are numbered starting from 1 (the closest to the door) and these numbers are represented in the remote alarm panel. The chest freezers of -20 and the coolers are NOT connected to the remote alarm panel and their security systems only give indications by local light indicators. The ultra freezers, freezers and coolers have lists on the doors containing the phone extensions of the working groups and persons responsible of the materials contained in each of them. DURING THE LABOUR SCHEDULE, in case there is a malfunctioning detected, the working group that is assigned to the freezer must be contacted to check if the incidence is due to an excessive amount of time elapsed with the door open working with the samples, or else to another reason. In case it is impossible to contact with a responsible person of the working group, the security service should be contacted so they will contact themselves with the necessary responsible persons (maintenance service and persons responsible of the freezers). When manipulating the samples from inside the ultra freezers it is mandatory to use the files and records (in paper sheets) found over the doors for writing down the time the door remains open and the final temperature reached after the manipulation. The goal of this procedure is to clearly differentiate occasional temperature rises due to normal manipulations, from real malfunctioning when an alarm activate.

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The Security Service of the Museum has a protocol of procedures to follow in case of emergencies that could occur outside of the labour schedule (annex I). If any user of the freezers detects any kind of malfunctioning outside the labour schedule, they must inform the Security Service. The Security Service will be trained with courses on how to proceed in case of emergency. This training course will be held at least once a year or every time there are changes in either the protocol of the staff.

7.1.2.-PRESERVATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE ULTRA FREEZERS The maintenance and monitoring of the freezer rooms will do in a coordinated way between the Maintenance Service of the MNCN and the persons responsible of the collections deposited in the freezers. 7.1.2.1.-Temperature monitoring The temperatures will be written down every Monday morning and on Friday at the end of the day, as well as the days before and after holidays or vacations. During summertime, or due to any other special conditions (e.g., constructions or remodelling of the institution), it could be necessary to take note of the temperatures more often. The temperatures will be registered by the security personnel or by any other person specifically assigned to this task. Any incidence, like the periods in which the freezers remain open to manipulate samples, have to be annotated in the sheets so in case an alarm activates, the security service can see if there is a real problem or if the temperature raise is only due to an extended period in which the freezer has remained open. 7.1.2.2.-Defrosting for cleaning It is convenient to defrost the freezers at least once a year. For this task it will be possible to use the security freezer (Room 2, Freezer 1). If the capacity of the freezer that is going to be defrosted is larger that the space available in the security freezer, it will be necessary to request the rest of the users to lend space in their freezers by informing them in advance. The defrost operations should always be done in the minimum amount of time possible. Once the freezer has been cleaned and connected again, before returning the samples, it will be kept working to allow to monitor the temperature for a whole night and day to make sure it reaches its normal parameters. We should avoid defrosting any freezers on Fridays, on the days before holidays and in summer months. The day that the defrosting will take place will have to be written down on the paper sheets over the freezers. 7.1.2.3.-Periodical cleaning of filters and motors 12

The filters will be cleaned every two months. This task will be done by the person responsible of the equipment or by any other person specifically assigned to it. A technical service will be hired every year to do the general cleaning of the motors as well as to review of the security systems of the freezers. 7.1.2.4.-Forecast of urgency The periodic monitoring of the temperatures of the freezers can give indications of an imminent failure allowing notification of the technical services in advance. Additionally, this will allow for a preventive evacuation of samples to other freezers in a programmed way within labour schedule. Within the period of valid guarantee of the ultra freezers, there will be a specialized technical service available offered by the company to whom the ultra freezer was purchased. It is advisable to use these official technical services, and sometimes, they are the only ones who have the necessary spare parts and refilling gases available. The large chamber of -20C and the cooler of 5 have their own repairing service, but before they are contacted it is necessary to inform the MNCN Maintenance Service to see if they can repair it themselves, and if this is not possible, then the exterior technical service will be contacted. 7.1.2.5.-Periodical review of the freezers security systems The security systems are explained in detail in Annex II. There will be periodic reviews by the persons responsible of the equipments of the cylinders containing CO2 and of the emergency switchboard. The remote alarms (connection between the freezers and the alarm panel in the switchboard) will be reviewed by the Maintenance Service at least twice a year. On a yearly basis a special technical service will be hired to review all the security systems of the freezers. 7.1.2.6.-Periodical reviews of the acclimatizing systems and gas level control in the freezer rooms. The acclimatizing systems of the freezer rooms will be clearly identified in both, the fuse box and the motor room. The Maintenance Service and the Security Service of the MNCN must know them perfectly. The Maintenance Service of the MNCN will carry on the periodic revision and filter cleaning of the acclimatizing system. 7.1.2.7.- Periodical reviews of the protocols Once a year, or after special situations (e.g., constructions or remodelling of the institution), it will be necessary to review of the security protocols to check that they still are valid. Any changes made to the protocols must be informed to the Security Service, to the persons responsible of the freezers and to the persons in charge in case of emergency.

7.1.3.- GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RESEARCHERS FROM OUTSIDE THE TISSUE AND DNA COLLECTION WITH COLLECTIONS IN THE FREEZERS

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A temperature of -80C can cause cold burns in the skin so the manipulation of the metal containers (rack) and boxes must be done with protection gloves. Never touch the internal surfaces of the freezers with your hands wet and without any protection. The ultra freezers should never be used to store white polyurethane boxes, portable coolers, ice boxes or dry ice (except for a short time in very) to allow to have the maximum space available in case there is an emergency and space is needed to store evacuated samples from other freezers. It is worth reminding that even though we have an emergency freezer empty, the volume of samples stored is much larger that the space available, so in case more than one freezer breaks down there would be space problems. It is convenient to save the maximum amount of space possible inside the ultra freezers, as this system of storage is quite limited and very expensive. Additionally, there is no space available in the Museum to install any new ultra freezers. This type of preservation should be reserved only for long-term conservation. For an everyday manipulation of samples the models of -20 should be used as these are much cheaper to maintain, fix and substitute. You should also consider that drastic changes of temperature on a regular basis will ruin DNA quality. A more efficient use of space is achieved with a correct organization of tubes and samples inside boxes, with these boxes placed in racks or shelves. It is advisable to use the boxes for 81 or 100 tubes at full capacity, and avoid keeping half empty boxes for long periods of time. Making use of these rules will allow for three benefits: - Easy location of the samples. This leads to a drastic reduction of the time the freezer remains open, thus reduces the effort of the compressors and reduces the accumulation of ice in the internal surfaces. - Reduction of the time of evacuation of samples in case of emergency. - There is more space available for more samples and more users. It is necessary to have al containers and samples perfectly identified to avoid any loss of information.

7.1.4.- EMERGENCY PROCEDURE FOR FREEZERS AND COOLERS OUTSIDE THE LABOUR SCHEDULE The aim of this document is to establish in a clear and simple way the procedures to follow by the security service of the MNCN in case there is an emergency with the freezers. 7.1.4.1. Staff responsible in case of emergency If the security service detects an emergency, which requires the presence of the staff responsible from the MNCN to correct the situation, the following persons should be contacted: Responsible of maintenance Mr/Ms XXXXXX If there is a general power failure or a failure in the acclimatizing systems or in

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Responsible collections

of

frozen

Mr/Ms XXXXXX

the environmental control systems of the freezer rooms If the samples are endangered

During holidays, or if the person responsible is not going to be available, the head of the security services must be informed of the substituting person.

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7.1.4.2. Description of the room and the freezers ROOM 2 NUMBER

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

DESCRIPTION
Ultra freezer -80 Ultra freezer -80 Freezer -20 Freezer -20 Ultra freezer -80 Cooler 5 Freezer -20

USAGE
Tissues and DNA collection Tissues and DNA collection Collections lab Collections lab Tissues and DNA collection Tissues and DNA collection Tissues and DNA collection

Fig. 1 Scheme of the freezer ROOM 2 (storage of Tissues and DNA collection)

ROOM 1 NUMBER
1 2 3 4 5 6 Not numbered 8 9 20 21

DESCRIPTION
Ultra freezer -80 Ultra freezer -80 Ultra freezer -80 Ultra freezer -80 Ultra freezer -80 Ultra freezer -40 Freezer -20 Ultra freezer -40 Ultra freezer -40 Freezer -20 Freezer -20

USAGE
Mr./Ms. Physiology lab Dr. Dr. Molecular systematics lab Dr. Dr. Mr/Ms. Dr. Department of Biodiversity Department of Biodiversity

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Fig. 2. Scheme of the freezer ROOM 1 (assigned to the vice direction of research). The room as an L shape, so the back of the room can be seen in detail in figure 3.

Fig. 3. Scheme of the freezer ROOM 1. Detail of the back of the room

7.1.4.3. Emergency detections Ultra freezers of -80 ROOM 1 ROOM 2 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 1, 2, 5

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These equipments normally work on temperatures ranging from -85 to -70. If an irregular functioning is observed, the procedures will be: From -70 to -40: If one of the ultra freezers reaches this range of temperatures, the security personnel will have to monitor every 2 hours the equipment until it is clearly observed if there is a trend to increase, decrease or maintain the temperature. Systematically take notes of the temperatures observed and the rate at which they change. Over -39 the security personnel will phone the person responsible informing of the temperature that the ultra freezer has reached and the trend observed. The person responsible will give further instructions to the security personnel as needed. In case of an extreme emergency in which the person responsible cannot be reached, the security personnel will proceed to evacuate the samples from the damaged ultra freezer to another one were there is space available. The transport of the samples from one ultra freezer to another must be made in a organized way, always using protection gloves to avoid cold burns (following the instructions received in the training courses). Ultra freezers of -40 ROOM 1 6

The normal range of temperature for these equipments goes from -40 to -30. From -15 to -5. If one of these freezers reaches this range of temperatures, the security personnel will have to monitor every 2 hours the equipment until it is clearly observed if there is a trend to increase, decrease or maintain the temperature. Systematically take notes of the temperatures observed and the rate at which they change. Over -5 the security personnel will phone the person responsible informing of the temperature that the ultra freezer has reached and the trend observed. The person responsible will give further instructions to the security personnel as needed. In case of an extreme emergency in which the person responsible cannot be reached, the security personnel will proceed to evacuate the samples from the damaged ultra freezer to another one were there is space available. The transport of the samples from one ultra freezer to another must be made in a organized way, always using protection gloves to avoid cold burns (following the instructions received in the training courses)

Chest freezers (not connected to the alarm panel of the switchboard) ROOM 1 ROOM 2 Not numbered, 20, 21 3, 4, 7

The normal range of temperature for these equipments goes from -20 to -5. If a failure is detected, or one of the coolers turns of: The security personnel will have to contact the person responsible immediately by phone. The person responsible will give further instructions as needed.

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Large chamber of -20 (with the door in outside of the building) Currently, the normal range of temperature of this chamber ranges from -20 to -18. This is a chamber that is programmed to have two periods with a temperature rise that avoid the accumulation of ice. During these two periods the temperature raises to 16 and maybe causes an alarm to go off in the alarm panel. This alarm is assumed to be normal within these two periods. By security have 2 motors works alternatively, but when one is broken he other work every time. In the case there is a detection of the temperature rising over -5, or alternatively an irregular functioning is observed the procedures will be: The security personnel will have to monitor every 2 hours the equipment until it is clearly observed if there is a trend to increase, decrease or maintain the temperature. Systematically take notes of the temperatures observed and the rate at which they change. If the mal-functioning is confirmed the security personnel will have to phone immediately responsible of frozen collections as well as the maintenance service, indicating what temperature the chamber has and what the observed trend is. The person responsible will give further instructions to the security personnel as needed.

Cooler of 5 (not connected to the alarm panel of the switchboard) ROOM 2 6

The range of temperatures at which this cooler normally works goes from 5 to 8. If any changes in the temperature outside the normal range are observed, the security personnel will have to monitor every 2 hours the equipment until it is clearly observed if there is a trend to increase, decrease or maintain the temperature. Systematically take notes of the temperatures observed and the rate at which they change. If the temperature raises over 15, the cooler must be disconnected and the failure will be notified in a report. Power failure with the origin outside the Museum When there is a power failure, the autonomous energy system starts functioning, but the air conditioning units (acclimatizing system) remain inactive. The security personnel will have to inform the person responsible when the power failure has occurred and the duration. Once the power is restored, it is necessary to turn on manually the acclimatizing systems of the storage rooms, as well as verifying all equipment and writing down all the temperatures. It will also be necessary to monitor their state for the next few hours. Power failure in the storage rooms due to an internal breakdown When there is a power failure due to an internal breakdown, the autonomous energy systems do not function, so in this case, neither the air conditioning units nor the freezers work. If this happens the security personnel must immediately inform the maintenance service or follow the instructions given by them. 19

The security personnel will also inform the responsible person the moment the power failure occurred and the duration it had. Once the power is restored, it is necessary to turn on manually the acclimatizing systems of the storage rooms, as well as verifying all equipment and writing down all the temperatures. It will also be necessary to monitor their state for the next few hours. Failures of the acclimatizing systems in the freezer rooms If the air conditionings of the freezer rooms 1 and 2 have any malfunctioning, the security personnel will inform the person responsible in case of emergency. If the malfunctioning has to do with occasional power failures, the time and duration at which these occur will have to be written down to inform the responsible person. Failures of the gas-level control systems in the freezer rooms When the gas-level control systems (oxygen reduction due to leaks from CO2 cylinders or liquid nitrogen from the freezer rooms 1 and 2) show any malfunctioning, it will be necessary to inform the person responsible in case of emergencies. Observations The persons responsible in case of emergency must be informed of any reports prepared by the security service containing information concerning the freezers.

7.1.5.-SECURITY SYSTEMS OF THE ULTRA FREEZERS 7.1.5.1.-Autonomous external energy system This system only works when there is an external power failure; if the lack of power is caused by an internal failure, this system does not function. 7.1.5.2.-Light and sound alarms in each ultra freezer. These systems work with an independent battery 7.1.5.3.-Remote alarm system connected to the light and sound alarm panel in the Museums switchboard 7.1.5.4.-Remote alarm system connected to the emergency telephone With an automatic dialling system that gives an alarm message when the temperature raises over a certain threshold. 7.1.5.5.- CO2 System The CO2 systems are prepared to maintain the temperature below -35 during breakdowns or power failures. These security systems begin releasing CO2 when the temperature of the freezer rises over -40C (depending on the commercial model and its programme).

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During the process of evacuating samples or during a prolonged period of time with the doors open, the CO2 cylinders should be sealed to avoid the unnecessary waste of gas and any potential accidents (anyhow, these CO2 back up temperature stabilizing systems have a security system of their own that deactivates the release of gas once the door of the freezer is open). Remember to open the gas cylinders after finishing the work. If the ultra freezer turns off, it is not necessary to keep the doors open. 7.1.5.6.- Ultra freezer of -80 An ultra freezer that remains empty to use in case of a failure in one of the other ultra freezers. It is also used in the process of defrosting and cleaning. 7.1.5.7.- Protocol with emergency procedures for freezers and coolers outside the labour schedule

8.- BIBLIOGRAPHY 2000. Guidelines for Small Museums for Writing a Disaster Preparedness Plan. A Heritage Collections Council Project http://www.collectionsaustralia.net/sector_info_item/2 Newey, A., Lepschi B., Croft J.. 2008 A Disaster Recovery Plan for the Australian National Herbarium Canberra http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/disaster-plan/ Dorge v., Jones S. L. 1999. Building an Emergency Plan A Guide for Museums and Other Cultural Institutions. The Getty Conservation Institute. Los Angeles. http://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications/pdf_publications/emergency_plan.pdf

9.- WEBSITES http://www.fema.gov/index.shtm Federal Emergency Management Agency http://cool-palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/disasters/ Conservation OnLine. Resources for Conservation Professionals http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/publications/primer/primintro.html Primer on Disaster Preparedness and Response. National Park Service http://library.nyu.edu/preservation/disaster/toc.htm Disaster Plan Workbook http://www.carnegiemnh.org/library/disaster_manual.htm

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