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Occupational Health & Safety

This webpage aims to provide general Occupational Health and Safety information that will help you develop your own guidelines on handling cellulose acetate materials.

The Arizona State Museum has undertaken research into the hazards related to collections of photographic negatives. Results have been compiled into the following paper on their website - Deteriorating Negatives: A Health Hazard in Collection Management

The following publication from the Kodak website contains information about handling cellulose nitrate materials. Storage & Handling of Processed Nitrate Film

The Australian safety and Compensation Council (ASCC) sets out requirements for ensuring that workplaces are safe and healthy. They also have a links page to other occupational health and safety websites.

Material Safety Data Sheets for acetic acid are available here.

'Vinegar Syndrome' in the Technical Glossary of Common Audiovisual Terms on the ScreenSound Australia website contains some good handling advice for cellulose acetate.

Overexposure: Health Hazards in Photography, by Susan D. Shaw & Monona Rossol.

Guidelines for Care & Identification of Film-Base Photographic Materials, Fisher, M., Robb, A., Art Conservation Program, University of Delaware, Winterthur Museum. 1993.

Preserving Your Collection of Film-Based Photographic Negatives, Paul Messier, Conservators of Fine Arts and Material Culture Rocky Mountain Conservation Center.


Disclaimer: While the information contained on this website has been prepared with due care and skill, findings and best practices in relation to Cellulose Acetate are likely to change over time. Accordingly, the information contained on this website is for general information only and should not be treated as a substitute for advice of a qualified conservator. While every effort has been made to present information which is accurate, the National Library accepts no responsibility for any damage or liability whatsoever for any damage or loss that is incurred as a result of the information presented on this website.

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