Developing your project’s risk management and quality control plan. RED FLAGS, Part 2 of 2

There are generally ten primary events that can cause immediate or deferred damage to your collection during a project. You need to constantly monitor these items and include risk management measures to control them in your planning for budget and time. In the course of your quality control tours you will check each of the items below. Red flags are the situations or events that are overlooked or that indicate something more serious could be taking place. This is a basic watch list and there could be specifics to your project or collection that would have you add items to your daily watch list. Look at your site, your plan and your collection and ask yourself “what here has the potential to cause damage either immediately or in the long term.” Then prepare measures to control the problem and add your measures to a list of items or events to monitor.

1. Deviations in temperature and humidity.

• Damage can be caused by dramatic fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Slow changes in temperature and humidity will allow the object to adapt to the conditions. Objects with a surface adhered to a subsurface, paintings for example, will have two or more layers of materials that will react differently to temperature and humidity. Rapid changes can cause cracks and splits to the objects surface.
• Your storerooms and work areas should be climate controlled to 70/50, 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 50% humidity, with a deviation of +- 3-5%.
  • This is for a general collection move. Specific collections such as photographs or film may require much colder conditions.
• Your vehicles should be climate controlled.
  • The vehicles conditions should match the storeroom and work area conditions.
• RED FLAG: The areas you need to assess and monitor are the conditions of your hallways and the loading dock area. Chances are that these areas are not conditioned so it is your responsibility to insulate your packaging and limit the packed objects exposure to these areas. Objects for shipment should be moved out and into the vehicles at the last minute and only when the vehicle is already on the dock and prepared to receive the load or timed so that the shipment arrives to the dock when the truck is ready. This requires communication and planning between job captains and the vehicle.

2. Vibration.

• Vibration can create separations between the substrate and the veneer or painted surfaces of an object. It can loosen hardware and split adhesives. It can cause flakes of paint, metal leaf or plaster to loosen and fall. Vibration can loosen furniture and stretcher bar miters. There are many actions that can cause vibration near artwork. Not all can be anticipated or prevented but there are several typical situations that you can anticipate. For example, if your project requires that your staff use power tools then explaining to them what procedures to follow, such as the use of anti-vibration pads, the use of hand tools or the distancing of all objects from the immediate area in order to limit the effects of vibration should be part of your pre-project training. As you develop your daily punch-list you should know which days power tools need to be used and when objects need to be moved. Monitoring vibration and the use of preventative methods then becomes part of your quality control walk-throughs and part of your daily risk assessment.
• RED FLAG: Working with power tools near objects staged in storage on screens or shelving will cause vibration. Vibration is transferred along metal and wood so any object that is in contact with the storage surface should be moved when working with power tools and equipment.
  • Power tools should never be used to remove hardware from a framed painting. Attaching d-rings for example with a power tool will create vibration that can loosen miters and paint surfaces. Non-mechanical hand tools should be used instead. Power tools can be used to close a crate lid as there should be 4” of Etha-foam and Esther-foam in some combination to mitigate the vibration. You would not use a power hand tool to attach an Oz-clip to the back of a travel-frame if the Oz-clip is attached to the back of a painting. You would mark the place where you need to drill on the back of the travel frame with the painting in place then you would remove the painting.
• RED FLAG: Another cause of vibration during projects is that caused by rolling carts or dollies moving over uneven or pitted flooring. You should note the floors along your passage routes looking for cracks, bumps, edges or lips at doorways and diamond plate or pebbled surfaces. The softer the wheel composition the more the vibration will be dampened. If your casters are hard rubber or steel and you have textured or cracked surfaces over which you need to move fragile objects you might consider switching out your casters with soft cushioned rubber, air-filled or semi-pneumatic casters though these may not work as well with heavier loads as they could flatten the wheels. An option to switching out all your casters is to lay a surface along your path with sheets of smooth aluminum or Masonite. If you are using rolling carts to move very fragile objects like pottery or glassware you can dampen vibration by layering the top of the cart with anti-vibration pads, layers of soft padding or Esther-foam covered with soft Tyvek.
• Vibration will also occur during the transportation of your objects. You will have asked for vehicles with air-ride suspension which will help during transit, but you should take extra precautions to damper vibration. You would do this by adding layers of Esther-foam to the bottom of your commercial bins. If the objects in the bins are not plastic wrapped and this is often the case, you should cover the foam with Tyvek or plastic. The Tyvek or plastic would be tucked in around all sides in order to seal the foam. For large slip-cased objects you should have 4Wx4H” blocks of 4lb to 6lb Etha-foam underneath the object and spaced about every eighteen inches. Any lighter than 4lbs and the foam will compress and any heavier than 6lb and the foam will be too dense to dampen vibration. I like these to be cut to about 18” in length or 18L x 4W x 4H”, so that there is always at least 4” of foam in front of a stack of slipcases. Crated objects would have their own internal vibration dampening and smaller packed boxes should be staged on skids or palettes on the truck and each should also have its own internal vibration dampening. This is usually foam or tissue padding rolls.
• There is little you can do to control vibration caused by the infrastructure or construction work that may have caused you to have to relocate the collection and which initiated the project. Usually the art objects are moved and then construction begins but this is not always the case. You can do your best to control dust and isolate the collection from non-art sensitive labor but the best risk management you can do to prevent construction vibration from damaging your collection is to move your collection as rapidly as possible starting with the objects that are the most impacted by the vibration. This could be the closest objects or the most fragile objects.
  • RED FLAG: If in your planning, you know that construction will begin before the art objects are removed the sequencing of the move in order to limit damage needs to be a discussion priority.

3. Moisture.

• Moisture can be on the floor or in the air or it can be the bottle of water that one of your staff has brought on the project site in their backpack
• To protect your objects from moisture on the floor all objects should be kept at least 4” off the floor. Packed boxes should be kept on skids or palettes and packing should take place on tables. If slip-cased paintings need to be staged they should be on 4” Etha-foam blocks as described above. Commercial bins should be staged with two dollies underneath.
• Plastic covers should be used over objects if there is concern that moisture could drip on them or if there is dust from construction. For dust your covers should ideally be muslin or Tyvek as they are breathable and will not cause condensation between their underside and the object.
  • Plastic covers over unpacked furniture should be vented and removed as quickly as possible as condensation can damage surfaces. Plastic should never come in direct contact with a paintings surface but can be used to wrap a painting protected with a slip-case as long as the plastic is outside of the slip-case.
• RED FLAG: The area in the front of the truck where the climate control HVAC is located should be an area of concern during hot and humid days as the unit can perspire and drip on the objects underneath. The objects underneath this unit on the truck should have additional plastic draped over them.
• RED FLAG: Food and drink should never be allowed near your art objects. This includes the storeroom, the packing and the staging areas.

4. Light.

• All art objects should be protected from light. The lights in a storage unit should be turned off so that the objects sit in total darkness except for the short periods that work done in the space. During a project the time the lights are on will be extended so the objects need to be protected.
• If you are working for an extended period of time on a collection that is particularly light sensitive you should consider draping racks and screens with black out vented plastic, fabric or sheets of archival board or foam core in front of the objects.
  • It is also advisable to turn off the lights in areas that you are not working. Never leave lights on when work is not taking place. This means turning the lights off during lunch and breaks and at the end of the day.
• RED FLAG: Objects that are particularly sensitive to light are works on paper, photographs, books, polychrome wood, clay, pottery, furniture, fabrics or costumes and fugitive art materials like foams, industrial materials used in art-making and household paints. Since many modern and contemporary paintings are made with household paints and fugitive materials they should be considered light sensitive.

5. Violent or sudden movement.

• Art in transit should be moved slowly and smoothly so that the object doesn’t move inside its packaging and strike the walls of the container. Newton’s first law of motion tells us that an object will remain at rest or in a uniform motion unless acted on by an external force. The art-handlers moving the objects are the external force that can create sudden or violent motion. Violent or sudden movements are usually caused by rushing. Your responsibility as project manager is to make sure they understand there is no rushing, no hurrying, no shortcuts when moving the objects. An object should never get jerked inside its packaging. Think of it as being in the passenger seat of a vehicle, seatbelt in place and the driver slams on the brakes. Even with the seatbelt it is jarring, it hurts, and you could get bruised. It’s the same for your art object in its packaging.
• When moving objects by hand the art-handlers should first be sure their path is clear of obstacles. Doors should be held open with blocks or kick-stands or someone who is not handling the art should hold the doors open.
  • RED FLAG: No one should walk backwards when carrying or moving art objects. Whenever two or more art-handlers are moving an object one person must be in charge of movement and direction.
• Dollies should be used for moving crates and commercial bins. A-frames or painting side-trucks should be used for moving paintings. Handcarts and trucks should be used for moving smaller objects.
  • RED FLAG: Two dollies should be used for crates or bins over 36” in length. Care should be taken with commercial bins as even heavily taped bottoms can buckle from the weight of your objects. For bins that will be rotated and may be used to move objects of varying weights a sheet of ½” to ¾” MDO should be used to reinforce the bottom. Loads should always be evenly balanced on the dollies. Paintings should be moved on A-frames, glass carts or painting side carts. Paintings should be blocked so they are not sitting on their edge and tied to the cart with cotton strapping, twill tape or rope so that the paintings stay with the cart during movement. The strapping or twill tape should be padded and wrapped where it comes in contact with the painting. If multiple paintings are strapped to an A-frame there should be foam core or archival board dividers between paintings.
• Throughout your project you will probably need to use some type of mechanical lifting equipment. This could be pallet jacks, a hydraulic lift, gantries or a fork-lift. A fork-lift requires a certified driver, but all the other equipment can be used by any art-handler. You want to be sure that whoever is using the equipment is experienced and that the equipment itself operates smoothly. Test your pallet jack and hydraulic lift to make sure it doesn’t unexpectedly drop when lifting heavy weight. Test your gantry to make sure it is oiled and running smoothly. Make sure there are hands on the object when it is being moved and that there is a scout in front that is reviewing the movement and passage and that is not involved in handling the artwork.

6. Hits or strikes.

1. Hits or strikes to an object or its packaging are cause by a lack of attentiveness or physical failure which includes equipment failure. If an object gets bumped or walked into it is usually by someone that shouldn’t be close to the objects or an art-handler whose focus is somewhere else. If you’re managing a project that has contractors that are not art sensitive, you will want to meet with their project manager or foreman prior to work to educate them on the rules for working around artwork. Whenever a new person enters your work area regardless of their familiarity with art or the collection you will want to alert them to any areas that they need to be cautious walking through. You should post signage throughout the space letting everyone know that “art is exposed, proceed cautiously” and you should add signage to every stack or art area that clearly warns “caution, art behind”.
   • RED FLAG: I also suggest that your art-handlers turn their cell phones off when handling artwork and that they only use their cell phones outside of the art packing and staging areas.

7. Dirt and vermin.

1. Construction does two things you need to be concerned about, it kicks up dirt and it stirs up vermin. All shelved and screened objects should have a dust cover during any project involving construction. This can be loose, vented plastic. The sheets should overlap, and they should drape to the floor. Packed artwork and crates should also be draped with plastic. The plastic should be removed as they leave the location. During long projects wiping surfaces down with clean cotton rags and vacuuming regularly will keep dust to a minimum. Don’t brush as it kicks up dust. Temporary walls can be placed between the art and the construction or around the art isolating the artwork from the dirt of the construction. These can be full walls or plastic zip walls which can be easily moved and reused. You want your artwork off the floor at all times and you want packed artwork 4” off the floor to protect it from water but also so you can vacuum underneath if necessary. If you are concerned about vermin you should have a professional exterminator set traps and inspect them regularly throughout the project.
   • RED FLAG: Trash should be removed regularly, and no food or drink should be allowed on the same floor as the project.

8. Improper packing materials.

1. You will have already planned for the materials you need for the majority of works on your project and you will have identified any special packing requirements. You will need to regularly monitor two things; that you have sufficient materials and that the materials are being used properly. Art objects can be damaged by the use of improper, non-archival or abrasive materials against their surface, but damage can also be caused by the improper use of proper materials. If #6 Etha-foam is required for an object based on its weight and #2 is used because that was all that was available, or because they look similar and your art-handler wasn’t properly trained, then you will have compression which can lead to damage. Part of your project plan is to identify and provide the materials necessary and to label them on-site so that you and your staff knows not only what the material is but when they are running short. Damage caused by your staff is damage caused by you.
   • RED FLAG: Monitoring the proper use of packing materials should be part of your daily routine.

9. Improper storage equipment.

1. All screens and racks are not the same. You should be sure that they are weighted appropriately for the art objects you intend to store. They will have similar characteristics, primarily they should be made from powder-coated metal. This is usually steel or aluminum. For shelving the difference will be in the gauge of the metal, the type of cleats that hold the shelves to the racks structure and the base of the shelves. Your shelving should be appropriate for the materials to be stored. You don’t want light weight wire shelving for heavy objects, but you don’t need heavy-duty industrial steel shelving for light objects. Your rule of thumb should be to identify what is appropriate, but always defer to stronger shelving as you don’t know what future use it may be required to fulfill. Overloaded shelving can collapse. The same can be said for screens. Screens, either wall or sliding screens, can all look the same, but they are also weighted. Light-weight screens are made from over-lapping wire and heavy-duty screens are either welded at the join or die-cut.
   • RED FLAG: A heavy painting on a cross-wire screen can bend the wires and drop the painting. Again, the sturdier the storage equipment is the safer you will be both in the short-term and for future use.

10. Improper handling.

• Improper handling of artwork is not an accident. It is damage caused by improper handling techniques. Simply said, it is damage caused by handling art objects where they should not be handled. It is lifting a painting by its stretcher bars or a jug by its handles. It is the lifting of an object by one person that should be lifted by two. It is not using gloves to handle paper or using cotton gloves to handle polychrome wood. It is handling ornate gilt plaster frames by their scalloped edge and then sitting the frame without the proper blocks. As the project manager your job is to make sure your captains and every art-handler on your crew knows the proper methods for handling the art objects they are required to handle.
  • RED FLAG: Nothing is too basic to review. On the contrary reviewing the basics is like coaching your team. If they know you expect no shortcuts they won’t take shortcuts.