Study: Low-quality storage rooms and lack of information increase the risks of museum work

Press release of The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health 16 April 2025 

Many exposure agents may endanger the health of workers in museums, but previous research has largely focused on insecticides, microbes and the protection of collections. 

Although the risks of museum work have gradually begun to spark discussion in Finland in recent years, the working conditions and health risks related to work in the museum sector have not been studied earlier. Finnish museum workers’ perceptions of hazards in their working environments also do not fully correspond to the actual risks they face at workplaces.

The “Perceived and measured hazards in Finnish museum work environments” project studied the exposure of museum professionals to chemical and biological hazards and their perceptions of the hazards and risks they face at work.

– The assumption was that there may be many exposure agents present in old museum pieces and buildings, the use of which is currently prohibited or restricted, says Product Manager Evgeny Parshintsev from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.

Museum professionals found it difficult to identify hazards in museum collections

The data were collected through questionnaire surveys, occupational hygiene assessments and registers. The surveys revealed that employees considered mould, indoor air problems and dust to be significant hazards. Only a few museums had special arrangements to protect pregnant workers from chemical hazards.

The results of the surveys highlighted the lack of information on chemical hazards and occupational safety obligations as well as the resulting practices that may expose workers to exposure agents.

– For example, substances and methods that predispose you to cancer were poorly known, and personal protective equipment was considered the most important way of protecting yourself from harmful substances. The results indicated that museums had tried to protect their collections more effectively than their employees, says Visiting Researcher Henna Sinisalo from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.

In large museums and state-owned museums, hazards were known better than average and occupational safety practices were also better than average.

The assessments revealed elevated levels of heavy metals, dust and microbes in certain working environments and work tasks. The greatest risks were associated with inappropriate storage facilities and outdoor museum buildings, where elevated concentrations of heavy metals, inhalable dust and microbes were measured during dusty work tasks.

– Another key observation was that archaeologists may be exposed to moderate concentrations of carcinogenic quartz dust found in sand dust on some days. As far as we know, this has not been studied anywhere else, says Parshintsev.

Risk assessment and training play a key role in preventing exposure 

Comprehensive risk assessment and training of museum directors and personnel play a key role in preventing exposure. Knowing the hazards and the means used to combat them are prerequisites for effectively improving occupational safety at workplaces.

Although there are many exposure agents in museum work environments, many of which are difficult or impossible to identify by your senses, many exposure cases in museums could be prevented or minimised by:

• replacing hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives
• discontinuing the use of the most inappropriate storage facilities
• improving ventilation and cleaning
• ensuring good hand hygiene and using appropriate personal protective equipment if necessary
• preventing exposure during pregnancy.

The guide and the final report provide instructions for safe museum work

Easy-to-understand guidelines for museum professionals, occupational health care and occupational hygienists were created during the project. The “Turvallinen museotyö” (Safe Museum Work) guide provides information on statutory obligations, risk assessment and safe work in tasks and working environments typical of museums. The guide can also be used in the training of professionals in these fields. It will help us extensively develop occupational safety from various perspectives.

The final report of the project has now been published. The final report presents the research methods and results in more detail. A link to the report in Julkari is available below.

More information

• Evgeny Parshintsev, Product Manager, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, +358 50 598 2103, evgeny.Parshintsev@ttl.fi 
• Henna Sinisalo, Visiting Researcher, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, henna.sinisalo@ttl.fi 

Read more

• • Final report of the study in Julkari: Suomalaisten museotyöympäristöjen koetut ja mitatut vaaratekijät (in Finnish)
  • Read more about the project: Perceived and measured hazards in Finnish museum work environments – MUHA
  • Read the "Turvallinen museotyö" guide: Opas museotyöympäristöjen kemiallisten ja biologisten vaaratekijöiden hallintaan (julkari.fi) (in Finnish)