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 librarys 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 dont have to re-invent the wheel! Books Library Security and Safety Handbook. Shuman, Bruce. American Library Association, © 1999 Disaster Planning: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians. Halsted, Deborah D. Neal-Schuman Publishers, © 2005 Disaster 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 10 American Library Association actsheet/alalibraryfactsheet10.cfm Occupational Safety and Health Administration U.S. Department of Labor Compliance Signs actsheet/alalibraryfactsheet10.cfm Consolidated Plastics Lab safety supply National Safety Compliance