New standard from BSI helps protect the UK's cultural collections and address carbon emissions

Specification for managing environmental conditions for cultural collections - has been developed by BSI in collaboration with The National Archives, with additional sponsorship from Collections Trust; CyMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales, a division of the Welsh Government; and The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA). PAS 198 breaks new ground by providing a framework for risk based decision making. Its aim is to support collecting organizations in specifying beneficial environmental conditions for the particular objects in their care. Collecting organizations will take into account the sensitivity of the objects in their collections and make their own judgements about the conditions that will help prevent rapid deterioration or irreversible damage. The risk-based framework of the PAS reflects an increasing acceptance of a new approach to setting environmental conditions which allows for a more responsible use of energy. It also reflects research findings that a move is needed away from a prescriptive to an evidence-led approach to environmental management