Recovery plan

The recovery plan takes over from the initial response once the building has been made safe and secure.

The main goals of the recovery plan are to minimise long term damage to the building and collection, recover as much of the collection as possible, record any damage that has occurred, conduct any restoration and conservation work required, and return the building to normal use (if possible) or decide what should be done.

The salvage operation should begin as soon as possible. If any part of the premises is safely accessible, valuable objects can be removed from the vicinity immediately. As soon as the affected areas have been made safe and secure, then removal, sorting, protection and treatment can begin.

The work of removing precious objects to secure, pre-designated salvage areas should be carried out by trained personnel at the earliest opportunity. The sooner any essential restoration work can begin, the greater the chances of limiting the damage and any potential losses.

The first objective will be the immediate rescue of as many items as possible. When this has been achieved, a wider and systematic salvage operation can commence. Every item should be photographed and referenced against the existing inventory of collection items, in order to catalogue how much has been retrieved.

At the same time, all unaffected areas should be protected with polythene sheeting to prevent further damage. If there is any likelihood of the disaster spreading, then valuable items should be removed from harm’s way.

Assessing the damage

Set aside a large secured and covered area for sorting and assessing objects into the following categories:

• Undamaged objects (these should be catalogued, removed and stored as soon as possible)
• Wet objects (to be frozen for their protection and restoration)
• Wet objects (not to be frozen for their protection and restoration)
• Minor water damage
• Fire and smoke damage
• Mould damage.

Arranging treatment

In larger locations that require a team response, one member of the team should be placed in overall charge of the operation. They should have the knowledge necessary to make an initial appraisal of the condition of each object and whether or not further advice should be sought. They should also hold the details of who to contact in the event of any item needing specialist care.

While much salvage work can be carried out by suitably briefed non-professionals, it cannot be stressed too highly that the treatment of damaged objects is a matter for trained professionals only. If you are in any doubt about the condition of a damaged work, then secure the item and seek the advice of a conservator as quickly as possible.

In as much as it is practical, all members of the disaster response team should receive some instruction in the correct procedures for handling fine art and antiques, as part of their overall training.

Salvage procedure overview

The following guidelines are provided to give you an indication of the handling procedures you should take in respect of specific types of item. The risk levels 1 (highest priority) to 4 (lowest priority) relate to the order of priority with which items should be assessed and treated.

These are provided as guidelines only, not necessarily as
recommended courses of action. Handle all items with care and if in any doubt consult a conservator.

Below are a few other examples of materials that also require immediate attention after an emergency.

Textiles – level 1: Support carefully whilst moving. Do not unfold if wet and do not stack on top of other wet textiles. Rinse off any dirt then drain and blot to remove surplus water. If possible, shape and pad out the textile to its original form. Gently blot textiles to remove excess water, then air-dry indoors using fans or air conditioning. Textiles can be separated with waxed paper and frozen.

Leather – level 1: Support carefully as fragile when wet. Rinse surfaces or sponge to remove any dirt. Remove surplus water by draining then blotting. Reshape, and, if necessary pad to retain shape. Air-dry.

Bone, ivory and shells – level 1: Handle with care as breakage possible. Rinse to remove any dirt, then drain and blot very gently. Slowly air-dry on absorbent paper.

Animal skins and taxidermy – level 1: Handle carefully using gloves and mask as may contain hazardous substances. Blot surfaces to remove any excess water then air-dry on a towel or plastic sheet. These items can be frozen.

Dried botanic specimens – level 1: Handle carefully as very fragile. Lay out on absorbent paper and air-dry quickly to prevent mould growth or germination.

Woven material (baskets etc.) – level 1: Handle very carefully. Rinse to remove any dirt or mud. Remove any surplus water by draining and blotting. If necessary, reshape and pad for support during the drying process. Air-dry slowly, changing the padding material if necessary.

Furniture – level 2: Inspect painted surfaces. If paint is flaking then air-dry slowly without removing dirt or moisture. If paint is intact or there is no paint then surfaces should be rinsed or sponged gently to clean. They should then be blotted and allowed to air-dry slowly. Furniture may need to be covered in order to slow the drying rate and prevent warping or splitting. Veneer should be held in place whilst drying with padded weights or clamps. A white haze may develop on the finish which does not require immediate attention.

Audio and video tape – level 2: Handle carefully using gloves to avoid scratches. Rinse wet tapes in clean water then air-dry.

CDs and CD-ROMs – level 2: Do not rub or scratch surfaces. Rinse off dirt with clean water. Air-dry on absorbent paper.

Vinyl discs – level 2: Hold by the edges and do not scratch surfaces. Air-dry on absorbent paper.

Geological specimens – level 3: Wet specimens may be fragile. Rinse and air-dry on absorbent paper.

Wooden items – level 3: Rinse surfaces to remove any dirt and gently blot. Air-dry slowly, possibly using sheeting to cover the object and lengthen the drying process to prevent splitting or warping.

Ceramics – level 4: Handle with care as breakage possible. Unfired ceramics may become soft or dissolve if wet. Sponge the surface of the object gently to remove dirt etc. If it is broken, wrap in paper and seal in a zip-lock bag.

Different ceramic types require different procedures: for example, terracotta is quite vulnerable and needs to be air dried using fans. High-fired ceramics are the most stable and simply need to be blotted then air-dried using fans.

Stone – level 4: If the stone object has a smooth surface then blot it gently before air-drying. If rough-surfaced do not blot but air-dry on a towel or plastic sheet.

Glass – level 4: Handle with care as breakage possible. Gently blot dry without rubbing then air-dry using fans.

Metal – level 4: Handle carefully using gloves. Rinse to remove any dirt etc. then blot gently. Do not clean if any applied finish is in danger of flaking. Air-dry.

All damaged items should be documented and photographed for insurance purposes. Try to assess the extent and nature of the damage to each object. 

Note down the circumstances and any other relevant information, such as material composition, priority status, present fragility (e.g. might moving the piece result in further damage) and treatment required. 

Be sure to document the location of each piece – it is very easy to lose track when items are being relocated to different destinations. Even when apparently fully dry, some air-dried objects – such as books and fabrics – can still be susceptible to mould.  These therefore should be stored individually (not shelved, rolled or stacked) in a dry and well-aired environment. 

Before everything returns to normal, it’s important to address all the contributory causes of the disaster to minimise the possibility of anything similar happening again. Also, everyone in the team should meet to give their views on how the plan worked (or didn’t) and discuss any improvements that might possibly be made.

As part of this process, any preventative measures and assessments should be revisited. Your plan should be reviewed and refreshed and all records and important information updated.

Record keeping

It is vital to keep a record of your plans and associated information, including actions taken to mitigate consequences, the situation report, associated costs, receipts, times and dates.

These records will help to support any insurance claim you need to make and will help you to improve processes in the future, further mitigating the chance of an incident occurring and the extent of damage.

Further advice

For further information please visit the risk management hub on the Ecclesiastical website.

For specific risk advice about topics including health and safety, fire and security, Ecclesiastical customers can contact our risk experts on: 0345 600 7531 or email risk.advice@ecclesiastical.com. Lines are open 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Preferred suppliers

Ecclesiastical customers can also benefit from preferential rates on a range of specialist risk improvement products and services through our list of market-leading preferred suppliers.