How Safe is

YOUR Library?

Tips and Ideas on Creating a Safety Plan for Your Library

Lynette Schurdevin, M.L. S. Thomas Branigan Memorial Library

Las Cruces, New Mexico

Where do we begin?

• Creating a safety committee• Importance of outlining your library’s

needs• Do you have library policies in place?• Are your building procedures current?• What emergency situations need to be

planned for?

• Are your contact names and numbers correct and updated?

• Do you have current maps of your buildings?

• Does your staff know what to do in the event of an emergency?

Creating a Safety Committee

• Committee members should represent all departments A facilitator should be appointed

• Timelines need to be created to determine: How often safety committee should meet How long safety meetings should be How often director should be updated Safety plan completion date

Suggested Content

• Emergency telephone numbers

• Accidents• Alarm response• Behavior policy• Bomb threats and bomb

threat report form• Code Adam• Earthquakes, floods and

other natural disasters

• Elevator safety• Evacuation plan• Fire safety• Material safety data

sheets• Medical emergencies• Safety maps• And more…

Fire Safety

• Importance of regular fire drills• Staff responsibilities• Review fire safety equipment • Fire extinguishers• Resources for signage

Fire extinguisher,

sign and safety map.

Safety maps

Material Safety Data Sheets

• What are they?• Why are they necessary?• Where to find them• Accessories for posting and displaying

MSDS sheets• Storage of materials

• Format Section 1: Product and

company information Section 2: Ingredients Section 3: Hazards Identification Section 4: First Aid Measures Section 5: Fire Fighting

Measures Section 6: Accidental Release Measures Section 7: Handling and

Storage Section 8: Exposure Controls/Personal Protection Section 9: Physical and

Chemical Properties

Section 10: Stability and Reactivity Section 11: Toxicological Information Section 12: Ecological

Information Section 13: Disposal

Considerations Section 14: Transport

Information Section 15: Regulatory Information Section 16: Other

Information• Examples

Flammable materials storage container

Other Things to Remember

• Exits and entrances• Signage• Staff training- Be prepared!

Sources and Resources: You don’t have to re-invent the wheel!

• BooksLibrary Security and Safety Handbook. Shuman, Bruce. American Library Association, © 1999Disaster Planning: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians. Halsted, Deborah D. Neal-Schuman Publishers, © 2005Disaster Assistance Program Local Government Handbook. New Mexico State Department of Public Safety, Emergency Management Center Natural Hazards Bureau, © 1997

• Websites

Disaster Response: A Selected Annotated Bibliography, ALA Library Fact Sheet 10American Library Association www.ala.org/ala/alalibrary/libraryfactsheet/alalibraryfactsheet10.cfm

Occupational Safety and Health Administration U.S. Department of Laborwww.osha.gov/

Compliance Signs www.compliancesigns.com

Consolidated Plastics www.consolidatedplastics.com

Lab safety supplywww.lss.com

National Safety Compliance www.osha-safety-training.net/