Business Continuity and Salvage
The art handling department has a distinct function within the gallery business continuity plan. The role of the department is to lead on any salvage operation and recovery plan directly concerning the welfare of the main collection. As part of this role, the head of department chairs the salvage committee and reports to the keeper of paintings.
The Salvage Committee
The role of the committee is to plan and prepare for salvage operations within the gallery. Representatives from several departments sit on the committee which include registrars, photography and imaging, conservation, security, research centre and building departments. The committee is the forum for dealing with practical issues concerning salvage and recovery. (please see salvage committee remit)
The Collection
The art handling department is directly responsible for the practical issues around handling, protection and transportation of the collection during a salvage operation (specifically any art object within the gallery site). A salvage operation will involve close co-operation with several key departments, but during an incident we will work closely with conservation, registrars and security.
The Salvage Plan
Over time, we have developed an emergency response system to deal with incidents involving the main collection. This includes a 24 hour call-out system that every member of the art handling department belongs to. The system is voluntary but involves calling senior members of the department if an incident is declared, who then raise the team members required to attend to the incident. We also ask the assistance of security personnel to join the team when deemed necessary to deal with an incident. (see training)
Training
As part of our salvage plan, we have developed limited emergency handling courses for our Security team. This enables them to respond initially to an incident involving the collection if necessary as well as to assist an art handling team when required. We also continue to develop table-top exercises involving several different departments, plus digital training that can be used at the induction of new personnel.
Equipment
As for our main activities, we have developed a range of trolleys and picture “bins” that are specifically aimed at salvage work. These are located at various points within the Gallery to allow a quick response to be resourced. In addition, we have also developed emergency grab bags that provide a salvage team with the basic equipment to begin the job of protecting or removing art during a salvage operation. These are also stored with conservation and registrars grab bags at strategic locations within the Gallery.
The Salvage Committee Remit
The salvage committee sits within the structure defined by The National Gallery business continuity plan. The committee chair reports to the keeper of paintings. (head of conservation)
The salvage committee remit is concerned with the practical application and resourcing of any salvage operation related to the collection. The definition of the collection includes, but is not limited to, any art works on display or in storage within the main gallery site; the collection of picture frames held on site (on display or otherwise); the photographic and imaging department archives and the research centre archives.
The main action points of the Salvage Committee remit are as follows:
1. To put in place the means to form a team or teams, equipped and capable of a safe, co-ordinated response in the event of an incident involving the collection that requires action. This may involve any or all of the following depending upon the scale and impact of the event; protection, removal, storage, immediate remedial care of works with due security and documentation procedures in place.
2. To put in place the means to form a team or teams, equipped and capable of a safe, co-ordinated response in the event of an incident involving framing, research centre and photographic archives.
3. To be responsible for implementing relevant aspects of the gallery incident management planning training policy. This will include coordinated programs for the visitor services department in the protection of the collection, individual departmental training as required and identifying and prioritising further staff training requirements in relation to salvage activities.
4. To identify any material, equipment and resource requirements necessary to implement the relevant aspects of the incident management procedure. To procure any resources (as described) and establish budgetary support through the gallery corporate plan.
5. To review and add to the current gallery incident management plan so that it reflects the agreed principles for salvage. This includes updating the salvage guidelines setting out clear principles and procedures for first-line response in any salvage operation of the collection and archives.
6. To disseminate information and principles agreed by the group at departmental level and ensure that the departmental plans of all salvage specialities are written and renewed regularly.
7. To advise and support individual departments in finding training solutions for learning needs arising from their departmental plan.
8. To report on and monitor aviation security procedures with regard to any potential related incident arising. This also includes monitoring of the training program required to implement these procedures.
9. To report all activities and actions of the committee to the incident management planning committee for review.
10.To communicate with and establish possible areas of co-operation with sister institutions such as The National Portrait Gallery, the Courtauld and other similar venues.
Committee composition
• Head of Art Handling (Committee Chairperson)
• Art Handling Administrator
• Senior Art Handler
• Photography and Imaging Manager
• Fire, Health, Safety and Risk Manager
• Head of Security (or Operations)
• Head of Curatorial (or Representative)
• Conservation (Representative)
• Framing (Representative)
• Senior Collections Registrar
• Research Centre manager
• Scientific (Representative)
Patrick O’Sullivan, Head of Art Handling (Committee Chair) 2022