Health and Safety

Health and Safety Policy

The daily activities of the art handling team require us to operate machinery and mechanical lifting devices, as well as an array of wheeled equipment of varying sizes and Mobile Elevating Work Platforms, (MEWP), required for access at high level. Training and certification to nationally set standards is required to operate the latter.

These processes place us at an increased risk of accidental injury, compared to many of our other colleagues working at the gallery. We train our technicians to be their own best safety monitors and advocates for safety in the workplace. The handling operations we undertake are covered by written method statements which have evolved along with equipment as it’s been adopted for use by the department.

We’re not just concerned with our personal safety but also the safety of the collection. As stewards of the gallery’s paintings and objects we require our technicians to operate at the highest standard whilst working with the collection and loans to the gallery.

There is the potential for serious reputational harm should art objects be damaged in any way whilst in our care. This is especially the case for loans, whether they be to the collection or for special exhibitions hosted by the gallery.

Along with all the teams working across the gallery, the art handling department has a representative on the health and safety committee. This committee meets quarterly to discuss matters broadly concerned with health and safety, which affect operations at the gallery. Each representative may raise agenda items or at the meeting through the chair for discussion.

Installation of NG1 Sebastiano del Piombo's The Raising of Lazarus in Gallery 32