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/