museum creator news
Project 1 Completed
Article: 16 August 2007
Museum maintenance methods get a lift from the HSE
A North East museum has proved you don't need to use Edwardian cleaning equipment to maintain the upkeep of one of the region's period attractions.
Beamish, The North of England Open Air Museum in County Durham, prides itself on the authentic look and feel of its Town, Farm and Colliery Village set in 1913. So when it comes to carrying out maintenance work, it's usually done behind closed doors when the museum is empty so as not to spoil the Edwardian charm.
However a recent spot of decorating proved a bit of a dilemma because it had to be carried out during the day when the attraction was open. Ingenious staff had a worker don period overalls and use a modern wooden ladder to blend in with the surroundings, which has attracted praise from the Health and Safety Executive.
The HSE is busy promoting its "Ladder Exchange" programme which is aiming to take 4,000 dodgy ladders out of the workplace around the country in a bid to prevent North East workers suffering a fall, or worse, a fatality, as a result of unsafe access equipment.
Between 2001 and 2005, three North East workers were killed and 463 were injured after falling from ladders.
HSE Inspector Michael Bone said: "The Health and Safety Executive is not against using ladders, provided they are the right ladder for the job in hand. Beamish is an excellent example of how a business has found the right kind of ladder to use safely. Instead of using an old unsafe ladder they have found a new one which meets their safety requirements but also looks the part."
"We would urge all painters and decorators and other maintenance workers to make sure they have the right ladder for the work they are doing."
David Wear, Estates Manager at Beamish, said: "The maintenance programme at Beamish is ongoing, some tasks can be undertaken outside our opening hours but others must be done when we are open. The use of a wooden ladder, which is period in appearance but fully complies with HSE guidelines, is a perfect solution for us. It has, in fact, transformed some of our Estates Team into attractions themselves - everyone enjoys watching someone else at work!"
The Estates Team at Beamish will be able to carry out even more period-style work after tool and equipment hire provider Speedy Hire kindly donated three additional pairs of wooden ladders to the museum.
HSE has received industry-wide support to tackle this issue. The Ladder Association together with companies such as HSS Hire, SGB Taskmaster, Speedy Hire and Ladderstore.com are all promoting HSE's messages around ladder safety.
Article: 14 August 2007
announcement
Only days after the official launch of Museum Creator and our order books for 2007 are completely full.
Currently all new projects are being planned to start in 2008.
Article: 20 July 2007
launch of museum creator
From our perspective there can be no bigger industry news story, as today sees the official launch of Museum Creator.
Museum Creator is a group of technology professionals dedicated to the preservation of our heritage. Equally dedicated to promoting our rich collection of museums to the greatest audience on earth. Today sees the launch of Museum Creator - a service dedicated to providing free, high quality websites for museums around the U.K.
Museum Creator Coordinator: Michael Owen said "We are all excited today and the party has started at several locations around the United Kingdom. This is the start of something that we have worked toward for over three years and today is very satisfying. That said, this is just the beginning and with several projects already in the pipeline, it's a case of watch this space for the latest news on new developments."
Museum Creator Chairwomen: Lynne Lacie said "I would like to thank all the team for their dedication, it is a demonstration of what like minded and determined people can achieve. A special thanks goes out to our sponsors and we are already taking orders, it's very exiting."
Article: 9 July 2007