A Disaster Recovery Plan for the Australian National Herbarium

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Preamble

This Disaster Recovery Plan for the collections of Australian National Herbarium (ANH), presently housed in the Australian National Botanic Gardens and the Herbarium building at the CSIRO Plant Industry site on Black Mountain, relates to the overall emergency plans of the Australian National Botanic Gardens and CSIRO Plant Industry, as well as to the Business Continuity plan for the ANBG.

The plan aims to minimize the damage incurred during an emergency, by providing guidelines for a rapid and effective response to an emergency situation. The disaster plan consists of five sections: ‘Introduction’, ‘Prevention & Preparedness’, ‘Reaction’, ‘Recovery’ and ‘Restoration & Rehabilitation’. In addition to this there are six appendices that contain important information of relevance to various stages of the disaster response process. Figure 1.1 depicts a timeline of a disaster incident and notes which sections of the Plan are relevant at different stages of the disaster.

The Introduction describes how the plan is structured and how it should be used, as well as detailing where copies of the plan are stored and who is responsible for updating sections of the document.

The second section, ‘Prevention’ and ‘Preparedness’, outlines steps to minimise the risk of a disaster and measures that can be taken to ensure the organisation(s) are well prepared and equipped to deal with a disaster, should one occur.

‘Reaction’ covers the most important actions that should be taken when an emergency situation is first discovered. It outlines the process for assessing the situation and determining what immediate action should be taken to protect staff, stabilise the emergency and protect the Collections. Actions will depend upon the type of hazard and scale of the emergency.

‘Recovery’ details procedures for salvaging damaged Collection material once the emergency situation has been stabilised and the site is safe. Recovery includes the initial clean up of the affected areas and the stabilisation treatment of materials.

‘Restoration & Rehabilitation’ outlines the long-term restoration treatment procedures for Collection materials that can be carried out once all materials have been stabilised in the Recovery phase. Before treated Collection materials can be returned to their original locations, the affected Collection area(s) should be thoroughly rehabilitated, involving professional cleaning, drying and repair of any damaged furnishings, where necessary.

TIME	Pre-disaster	Disaster strikes	Emergency situation is stabilised
RELEVANT SECTIONS OF THIS PLAN:	1. Introduction	3. Reaction	4. Recovery	5. Restoration & Rehabilitation
	2. Prevention & Preparedness	Appendix E – Emergency Contacts	Appendix D – Commercial Service Providers Contact List
		Appendix B – Floor & Site Plans	Appendix B – Floor & Site Plans
		Appendix F – Staff Contacts	Appendix A – Items for Priority Salvage
		Appendix A – Items for Priority Salvage	Appendix C – Form for Documenting Removal of Collections Material
		Appendix D – Commercial Service Providers Contact List

Figure 1 . 1 Timeline of a disaster incident, showing which sections of the Disaster Recovery Plan are relevant to different stages of a disaster.

The Appendices contain important information of relevance to more than one stage of the disaster response process, so do not fit neatly into any particular section. Appendices are primarily relevant to the Reaction and Recovery stages. Appendices also contain information that is useful for quick reference and information that needs to be updated regularly, so that new versions can be easily attached and old versions removed, without having to reprint the whole document (eg staff contact details are the final appendix).

The plan is designed to complement procedures laid down elsewhere concerning safe work practices for staff, regular maintenance of buildings and facilities and evacuation procedures in case of emergency. Nothing in this plan is to be taken as contrary to guidelines and procedures laid down elsewhere concerning these matters. The plan assumes that:

all facilities are subject to regular maintenance (eg gutters are cleaned, all large trees in close proximity to buildings are monitored for health and condition);

emergency exits are clearly marked and kept clear of obstacles at all times;

fire prevention measures and protection equipment is in place (eg fire wardens appointed, smoke detectors, alarm systems and fire extinguishers are in place and maintained);

normal safe work practices are followed routinely and staff are familiar with fire drill and emergency evacuation procedures;

back-up computer tapes/disks are stored off-site; and

herbarium is fumigated for pest control purposes on a regular basis and as needed.

The emphasis of the Plan is therefore on Reaction, Recovery and Restoration, with Prevention and Preparedness measures only covering those actions that are specific to the protection needs of the Herbaria collections, which are not accounted for in other arrangements.

1.2 Objectives

The objectives of the disaster plan are to:

minimise damage to the collections;
recover and repair any damaged collection materials; and
return Herbarium services to normal asap.

These objectives are facilitated by the plan through provision of a framework and guidelines for the following:

rapid and effective response to an emergency;
good communication;
ensuring staff are well trained;
ensuring appropriate equipment and materials are available; and
enabling assistance from outside organisations.

1.3 Underpinning Principles

The SES has legal authority in an emergency situation.

In accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety policies of the organisations involved, the safety of people always comes first. Dealing with damaged collections will proceed after injuries have been attended to and building(s) have been declared safe.

Collection material should not be evacuated without the express direction of the Emergency Coordinator. Evacuation of collection materials from the building at the time of an emergency may involve risk to human safety and will certainly involve risk to the collection through exposure to potentially poor weather conditions, physical damage through excessive or rough handling and increased risk of loss or theft of nationally significant materials. These risks must be weighed against an unknown level of risk if the material is left in the building. In most cases the Herbarium’s housing arrangements should provide some protection against water, fire and physical damage.

It may be appropriate to remove materials from affected areas after the emergency has been stabilised, when the process can be conducted in a controlled and orderly fashion. This may be necessary for the purposes of stabilising or restoring damaged materials and rehabilitating the site.

1.4 Updating This Plan

The following parts of this plan must be checked and updated (where necessary) bi-annually:

Appendices D-F
Disaster bin contents, including laminated sheets if any changes have been made to the Disaster Plan text.

This will be the responsibility of the Curator.

1.5 Distribution of The Plan

Copies of this Disaster Recovery Plan are held by the following members of staff:

CSIRO

Director’s PA
Collections Recovery Coordinator
Curator
Collections Coordinator
Curation Coordinator
Librarian
Building Manager

ANBG

Administrative Officer
Collections Recovery Coordinator
Curator of Cryptogams
Librarian
Building Manager

John Gorton Building

A copy is stored off-site at the Department of Environment and Heritage Library.

1.6 Definitions

‘Collections of the ANH’: The collection of botanical specimens, books, paintings, prints, drawings, maps, magnetic media and photographic materials contained in the herbaria at both the CSIRO and ANBG sites, the ANBG Library* and the Photographic Unit at the ANBG. Live Specimens housed in growth cabinets at both the ANBG and CSIRO sites are also covered by this plan.

*The CSIRO Herbarium Library is not covered by this Plan as it falls under the jurisdiction of the Black Mountain Library Disaster Plan.

‘Emergency’ or ‘disaster’ : Any sudden occurrence that significantly affects, or threatens to affect, the physical condition of the Collection or any part of the Collection.

‘Stabilisation’ : The emergency treatment of an item or situation required to halt damage and prevent conditions from deteriorating further.

‘Small scale disaster’ : an occasion when the number of affected cryptogam specimens is NOT GREATER than the number that could be processed for ambient or warm air-drying in one day. The number will depend on personnel and resource availability at the time of the disaster.

‘Large scale disaster’ : an occasion when the number of affected cryptogam specimens is GREATER than the number that could be processed for ambient or warm air-drying in one day. The number will depend on personnel and resource availability at the time of the disaster.

‘DISACT’ is a collective of cultural institutions in and around Canberra (A.C.T.) that have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to co-operate and assist each other in the case of a disaster. The cooperation may be in the form of loaning of equipment or expertise, depending on circumstances.

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