UTS Records Management Program
Records Storage Risk Assessment tool
University Records, Governance Support Unit
Level 26, Building 1, Broadway.
Introduction
Purpose: This tool is designed to identify obvious risks to records stored in local areas and any additional risks based on local knowledge and previous experiences of local disasters. It is targeted at records storage areas, including local office areas where records are stored while in use, as well as local storage rooms used to store archived records.
Responsibilities: Secondary Records Contacts in each business unit are responsible for ensuring this Risk Assessment Tool is completed. This assessment should be completed for all records storage areas used by a business unit as part of the self-assessment process.The risk assessment must be completed before any location used for local archival storage can be approved.
Risk Assessment Instructions
Step 1:Complete this coversheet.
Step 2:Respond to the questions in the following sections for the location specified on this coversheet. The Risk Assessment Tool provides a series of questions with the following responses:
- Yes / No – select YES or NO to indicate whether you believe the identified risk may, or has, apply to the location being assessed.
- Likelihood – select LOW, MEDIUM or HIGH to indicate whether the risk is likely to occur, or continue in the future.
Step 4:Feed actions arising from this assessment into your business unit’s Records Management Plan.
Step 5:A copy of the completed assessment is to be emailed by the Head of the Business Unit, or the Primary Records Contact, to University Records for their information at .
business unit details
Location being assessed / Date:
Owner of the location being assessed / Business Unit:
Faculty (if applicable):
In completing and lodging this assessment, the business unit acknowledges that the assessment is an accurate reflection of the storage areas within their business unit
Head of Area / Name: / Ext:
Details of person completing the risk assessment / Name: / Ext:
Email:
Position:
Records Storage Risk Assessment Tool, University Records1/7
Governance Support Unit, September 2010
Records Storage Risk Assessment Tool
NO. / REQUIREMENT / QUESTION / Response / Likelihood / POSSIBLE REMEDIAL ACTIONS1.Environmental conditions
1.1 / Dust:
Over time dust can damage records. Excessive dust levels, caused through building works and poor storage areas etc. should be avoided, particularly for records kept for a longer period of time. / Is this location subjected to excessive dust levels? / Yes
No / High
Medium
Low / -Move records from storage areas that are identified as excessively dusty, or, if that is not practical, store records in boxes to reduce the direct affect of dust.
-Implement a regular cleaning regime in dust prone areas.
1.2 / Light:
Records can deteriorate if exposed to too much light, in particular sunlight. Records should be stored away from direct sunlight. / Are records in this location subjected to direct sunlight? / Yes
No / High
Medium
Low / -Move records away from direct sunlight.
1.3 / Magnetic fields:
Electronic records on computer disks and tapes can be affected by magnetic fields. Magnetic fields may exist in laboratories and workshops. Metal storage cabinets may also be magnetized. / If electronic records are also stored, is this location subjected to magnetic fields? / Yes
No / High
Medium
Low / -Relocate computer disks and tapes from areas considered at risk from magnetic fields.
-Ensure storage cabinets are not magnetised.
1.4 / Mould:
Mould will usually affect areas where records are stored below ground level or within internal offices without air circulation. Mould is a health risk for staff and can damage records. / Is this location damp or moldy? / Yes
No / High
Medium
Low / -Where mould is identified in your storage area, move unaffected records to a new location. You should contact Safety and Wellbeing in HRU before undertaking any work to ensure safe work practices are implemented.
-If records are already affected by mould, contact your Records Advisor for further advice. DO NOT move them to a new location until advised.
1.5 / Pests - insects:
Pests and insects (e.g. silverfish) can damage records over time and infest other areas when records are moved. / Is there evidence in this location of infestation from pests and insects? / Yes
No / High
Medium
Low / -Check records storage areas for infestation on a regular basis.
-Where your storage area is infested, lodge a Maintenance Request.
-Where your records are infested, contact your Records Advisor for further advice. DO NOT move infested records to a new location until advised. This may spread the infestation.
1.6 / Pests - vermin:
Mice and other vermin can damage records. Record areas should be vermin free. / Is there evidence in this location of mice and/or other vermin?
For example, chewed boxes or files, droppings etc. / Yes
No / High
Medium
Low / -Check records storage areas for infestation on a regular basis.
-Where your storage area is infested, lodge a Maintenance Request.
1.7 / Temperature:
Deterioration of records is determined greatly by environmental conditions such as high fluctuations in temperature and humidity.
For records under 30 years retention:
-paper: 15-27oC and 30-60% RH
-photo, magnetic and optical: 19-21oC and 47.5-52.5% RH
Standards for retention of records over 30years are tighter. / Is this location subjected to fluctuating temperature / humidity levels which may fall outside the specified requirements? / Yes
No / High
Medium
Low / -Store records in air-conditioned areas.
-Move records of long term retention to more suitable areas if temperature and humidity varies greatly beyond the standards.
-Transfer permanent records to UTS Archives.
2.Fire or water
2.1 / Fire – combustible film:
Nitrate film and other multimedia formats can be unstable. In extreme cases, they may combust. / Are there any unstable record formats such as combustible nitrate film held in this location? / Yes
No / High
Medium
Low / -Discuss storage requirements with your Records Advisor.
2.2 / Fire – faulty equipment:
Apart from the safety issues with faulty equipment, they can cause fires and damage to records can be impossible to recover from. / Are there known cases of faulty wiring or damaged equipment kept within this location? / Yes
No / High
Medium
Low / -Discard suspect/damaged equipment.
-Lodge a Maintenance Request
2.3 / Fire – smoking:
It is against UTS policy and the law to smoke indoors. Smoking in or near records storage areas may increases the risk of fire. / Is there evidence that people have been smoking in or close to this location? / Yes
No / High
Medium
Low / -Enforce no-smoking policies.
2.4 / Water – flooding:
Flooding can affect any area as a result of broken pipes, overflowing sinks or toilets etc. Flooding can also occur from an external source affecting areas on the ground floor or below.
Storing records well above floor level will reduce the affects of localised flooding. Standards for records storage recommend a height off the floor of 85-150mm. / Is this location subject to flooding? / Yes
No / High
Medium
Low / -Move records from areas prone to flooding.
-Move records off the ground by at least 85mm or into filing cabinets, compactus or shelving of some form.
2.5 / Water – leaks:
Leaks in pipes, sprinkler systems etc., above or close to records’ storage areas need to be identified and fixed as water damage can be difficult and costly to recover from. If leaks are known to reoccur, records should be relocated. / Does this location experience leaks (water or other) that may, or have already, affected records stored there?
Note: includes leaks from pipes above or within walls. / Yes
No / High
Medium
Low / -Check records storage areas for leaks on a regular basis.
-Relocate records from areas prone or currently affected by leaks.
-Where leaks are identified, lodge a Maintenance Request.
3.Location of storage area
3.1 / Proximity to building work:
Building works directly affecting your area can cause several risks to records, including reduced security levels, dust, increased risk of fire or water damage, possible loss through staff movements etc.
Building works indirectly affecting your areas may also cause risks to records, however, an individual area may be less likely to mitigate against the risks or be aware of them. / Is this location next to or subject to damage from building works? / Yes
No / High
Medium
Low / -Workmen working directly within records storage areas must be made aware to report any incidents that may affect records immediately.
-Areas must be aware of building works in locations adjacent to record storage areas and monitor any affects on records during the works.
-Move records directly affected by building works to a temporary location.
3.2 / Proximity to kitchens and toilets:
It is preferable that records are not stored in close proximity to kitchens or toilets as water and fire damage can be difficult and costly to recover from. Where this is so, strategies should be in place to ensure the records are protected through appropriate storage. / Is this location next to a kitchen or toilet facilities? / Yes
No / High
Medium
Low / -Relocate records to areas not directly adjacent to kitchens or toilets, or, if not practical, ensure records are stored in suitable cabinets to minimise any damage if a disaster occurs.
3.3 / Proximity to labs and workshops:
Laboratories and workshops can experience overflowing sinks, fires and chemical spills. To minimise risks associated with possible damage to records, they should not be stored in or adjacent to laboratories or workshops. If storage in these areas is necessary, appropriate strategies should be in place to ensure records are protected through storing them in appropriate storage cabinets (e.g. if there is the possibility of fire within a laboratory, more so than in any other areas, a fireproof cabinet should be used).
See also the Safety and Wellbeing website in relation to the management of chemicals and other laboratory issues / Is this location next to or within laboratories or workshops? / Yes
No / High
Medium
Low / -Relocate records to areas not directly within or adjacent to laboratories and workshops where there is an identified risk of fire, flooding or chemical spills, or, if not practical, ensure records are stored in suitable cabinets to minimise any damage if a disaster occurs.
3.4 / Security of the location:
Records should not be kept in areas that are accessible by unauthorised persons (i.e. people not authorised to access the records).
Business units need to consider who has access to this location and whether this access is appropriate. / Is this location accessible by unauthorised persons? / Yes
No / High
Medium
Low / -Identify who has access to your storage areas.
-Limit access to storerooms to authorised staff only, or, if not possible, keep records in lockable cabinets.
4.Method of storage
4.1 / Storageunits:
Rusty or damaged storage cabinets can result in damage to records and may also be a safety issue for staff. / Are storage units within this location damaged or unstable? / Yes
No / High
Medium
Low / -Replace unsafe storage cabinets/units
4.2 / Use as dumping grounds:
Dumping records or other items into the records’ storage area without proper management and appropriate disposal practices in place can lead to other risk factors, such as infestation and vermin, and may increase the effect of water or fire-based disasters.
It is also good practice to organise the destruction of records when they have satisfied UTS business needs and legal retention requirements. / Is this location a “dumping ground” for all types of material and equipment, including records that are not managed appropriately? / Yes
No / High
Medium
Low / -Implement a regular records’ disposal program.
-Delegate the management of records’ storage areas to Records Contact and where possible limit access and the use of storage areas as “dumping grounds”.
-Box and/or list all records held within records’ storage areas.
4.3 / Use of floors
Storing records or boxes of records on the floor puts them at risk from flooding or water build-up. It is also a safety issue for staff.
Storing records well above floor level will reduce the affects of localised flooding. Standards for records storage recommend a height off the floor of 85-150mm. / Are records stored on the floor in this location? / Yes
No / High
Medium
Low / -Transfer records from floor areas to suitable storage cabinets or shelving units.
End of the assessment.
Records Storage Risk Assessment Tool, University Records1/7
Governance Support Unit, September 2010