RECORDS RECOVERY Donna Read, CRM, CDIA Florida Gulf Coast ARMA Chapter June 2014.

RECORDS RECOVERY

Donna Read, CRM, CDIA

Florida Gulf Coast ARMA Chapter

June 2014

Records RecoveryRecords Recovery Fire--BuildingFire--Building

Building can be unstBuilding can be unstable Bare electrical wiresBare electrical wires Water and smoke damageWater and smoke damage Extinguishing chemiExtinguishing chemicals

Fire--RecordsFire--Records Completely burnedCompletely burned CharredCharred Smoke damageSmoke damage Water damage from fire fighting Water damage from fire fighting

and sprinklersand sprinklersRecords Center Fire, 1973

Records RecoveryRecords RecoveryWind (Tornado, hurricane, etc.)Wind (Tornado, hurricane, etc.)

Structural damage to buildingStructural damage to building Possible water damagePossible water damage Could be fires afterwardsCould be fires afterwards

Wind--RecordsWind--Records Torn and scatteredTorn and scattered Possible water damagePossible water damage Could be burnedCould be burned

Records RecoveryRecords Recovery Water--BuildingWater--Building

Structural damage Structural damage Water soaking of drywall, etc.Water soaking of drywall, etc. Mold/mildew/contaminantsMold/mildew/contaminants

Water--RecordsWater--Records Soaked to a pulpSoaked to a pulp Warped bindings, foldersWarped bindings, folders Paper damage, wet paper tears easilyPaper damage, wet paper tears easily Water soluble inksWater soluble inks Mold/mildewMold/mildew If flood, then records could be contaminatedIf flood, then records could be contaminated

Records RecoveryRecords Recovery Terrorism--BuildingTerrorism--Building

Varied levels of destructionVaried levels of destruction Need to conduct a criminal Need to conduct a criminal

investigationinvestigation

Terrorism--RecordsTerrorism--Records Damage depends on Damage depends on

methodmethod Staff needs to cooperate Staff needs to cooperate

with investigationwith investigation Records might be the targetRecords might be the target

Oklahoma City, April 1995 (FEMA)

Records RecoveryRecords Recovery

Quiet Disaster--RecordsQuiet Disaster--Records Pest problems (mice, insects)Pest problems (mice, insects) Media DecayMedia Decay Acid in paperAcid in paper Food spillsFood spills LightLight TemperatureTemperature HumidityHumidity Air qualityAir quality Poor records Poor records

managementmanagement

Basic Terms

ResponseActions taken to limit the damage

and to prepare to recover records

RecoveryActions taken to return records to

use and to resume operations


Recovery and salvageRecovery and salvage Some commercial firms specialize Some commercial firms specialize

in disaster recoveryin disaster recovery

Some salvage must be done Some salvage must be done quicklyquickly

You might need to stabilize records You might need to stabilize records before you can salvage thembefore you can salvage them

Records RecoveryRecords RecoveryRecovery and salvage--Step 1Recovery and salvage--Step 1 EnvironmentEnvironment

Make sure building is stableMake sure building is stable Fire Department or other authorities Fire Department or other authorities will authorize entrywill authorize entry

Assemble recovery teamAssemble recovery team Assemble assessment equipmentAssemble assessment equipment

Cameras, laptops, batteries, Cameras, laptops, batteries, notepads, etc.notepads, etc.

Before Entering the Area

Do not enter the area until the official in charge has declared it safe to do so.

Ensure that structural and contamination hazards have been corrected.

Ensure that the location is secured and establish a security entry checkpoint.

Orleans Parish, Hurricane Katrina

—2005


Recovery and salvage--Step 1 Recovery and salvage--Step 1 (continued)(continued)

EnvironmentEnvironment Set up triage and Set up triage and

other work areasother work areas May need to May need to increase the increase the area’s sizearea’s size

Wear protective Wear protective gear as neededgear as needed Volunteers at bleach

handwash, Fargo 2000


Recovery and salvage--Step 2Recovery and salvage--Step 2 AssessmentAssessment

How much damage and what kindHow much damage and what kind Document the damageDocument the damage Are there enough resources Are there enough resources What is replaceable, what must be What is replaceable, what must be

treated, what can be discardedtreated, what can be discarded What media--computer, paper, What media--computer, paper,

film or allfilm or all

Assessment Team—Responsibilities

Records Specialists and Preservation Specialists Recording observations and

recommending priorities

Photographing damage to records

Investigating, documenting, and indicating extent of the damage to and significance of the records

Estimating the volume

Noting additional risks2000—Suitland, NARA

Document the Volume and

Extent of Damage Damage type—

water (clean or potentially contaminated), fire or soot, and/or mold

Volume of records damaged

Locations of damaged records

2006—WNRC—NARA

What Do You Observe?

2000— Suitland fire—NARA

Identify Damaged Records

Identify the record types, including the finding aid or database

Identify easily replaced records

Identify formats

Identify damage

Identify records that require additional expertise and/or expense to recover

Analyze Information on Damaged Records

Value of the information and/or intrinsic value of the record itself

Vulnerability of the media

Frequency of use

NARA—Suitland fire—2000


Recovery and salvage--Step 3Recovery and salvage--Step 3 Beginning recovery (partly Beginning recovery (partly

concurrent with Step 2)concurrent with Step 2) Needs depend on amount of damageNeeds depend on amount of damage Contact vendors if necessaryContact vendors if necessary Assemble equipmentAssemble equipment Document everything; contacts, Document everything; contacts,

damage...damage... Begin stabilizationBegin stabilization


Recovery and salvage--Step 4Recovery and salvage--Step 4 StabilizeStabilize

Stabilization depends on damage and Stabilization depends on damage and mediamedia

Water damage found in many Water damage found in many disastersdisasters

Stabilize by keeping wet things wet, Stabilize by keeping wet things wet, dry things drydry things dry

Mold begins forming on wet/damp Mold begins forming on wet/damp paper in 48 hours or lesspaper in 48 hours or less


Recovery and salvage--Step 4aRecovery and salvage--Step 4a StabilizeStabilize

Freezing is good way to preserve Freezing is good way to preserve paperpaper Use commercial freeze-dryer Use commercial freeze-dryer companycompany

Handle carefullyHandle carefully Try to do nothing that will damage the Try to do nothing that will damage the

items furtheritems further Pack-out to salvage areaPack-out to salvage area

Recovery and Recovery and salvage--salvage--Step 5Step 5

SalvageSalvage Some Some

damage damage requires requires professional professional conservatorsconservators Conservators in paper lab (NARA)


Records Records RecoveryRecovery

Recovery and salvage--Step 5aRecovery and salvage--Step 5a SalvageSalvage

If you can, dry paper under If you can, dry paper under controlled conditions to reduce moldcontrolled conditions to reduce mold

Dry computer media and Dry computer media and equipment, do not touch magnetic equipment, do not touch magnetic surfaces surfaces

Rewash microfilm and dryRewash microfilm and dry Photographs; air-dry is preferable, Photographs; air-dry is preferable,

do not touch emulsiondo not touch emulsion

Records RecoveryRecords RecoveryRecovery and salvage--Step 5bRecovery and salvage--Step 5b SalvageSalvage

In case of fire damage, stabilize In case of fire damage, stabilize and salvage as much as possibleand salvage as much as possible

Some papers will be ash,Some papers will be ash, others will be charred others will be charred or have smoke damage or have smoke damage

Records may be wet fromRecords may be wet from fire hoses fire hoses


Recovery and salvage--Step 6Recovery and salvage--Step 6 RecoveryRecovery

Assess and document lossAssess and document loss Replace computer equipment as Replace computer equipment as

necessarynecessary Re-create lost records through Re-create lost records through

collateral records, etc.collateral records, etc. Re-establish vital records with Re-establish vital records with

their duplicatestheir duplicates

New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and the breaking of the levees

—September 2005

Assess the Nature and Severity

of the DamageHow many staff are available right

now?

How many records are affected?What formats?What is their value?

Is this too large for you to handle?

Small-Scale Incident Can recover

using in-house resources

Within timeframe that does not put

records at increased risk for mold

With resources and expertise at hand

NARA—WNRC—2005

Medium-Scale Incident

Staff will need to be reassigned

A structure and response plan will be needed

Limited outside expertise or contracted resources may be needed

NARA—Suitland fire—2000

Large-Scale IncidentAffects all staff and

the long-term mission of the agency

Requires extensive resources and use of contractors, including labor, beyond that available in the agency

Gulfport SBA and Court—2005

Initial Coordination Meeting with Incident

Command TeamBe ready to brief ICT about

your program’s authorities, responsibilities, equipment, skill, experience, and capabilities with respect to records, as well as any constraints under which it may be operating.

Communicate Decisions with Documentation of

DamageWhich records are affected

Their current condition

Decisions regarding recovery priorities and techniques

In-House ResponsePrimarily for a

small volume of damp or wet records

When resources and staff are sufficient

2006—WNRC— NARA Conservation Lab NIH records at WNRC

Incident that Requires External

Resources/ContractorsDamage is

extensive

Damage includes damage from fire, mold, or contaminated water

2005 —Hurricane Katrina

—Orleans Parish

Incident that Requires External

Resources/ContractorsDamage affects

special mediamaterials

2005 —Hurricane Katrina

—Orleans Parish

Contractor Services These services may

include:

Dehumidification for the location

Freezer and cold storage facilities

Transportation in freezer trucks

Vacuum freeze dryers

Sanitization and decontamination services

Mold remediation services

Magnetic tape recovery and preservation reformatting

Microfilm recovery and preservation reformatting

Data recovery services

Preservation reformatting of textual materials

Motion picture film recovery

Equipment for transporting boxes (conveyors, pallet jacks, etc.)

Deliverables from Contractors

Facility stabilization Re-housing records in

new containers Re-labeling Transporting damaged

records Retrieval and packing of

damaged records Freezing water-

damaged records Storage of frozen

records until recovery is completed

Vacuum freeze-drying water-damaged records

Air-drying records Cleaning records Sanitizing and/or

decontaminating records Recovery of special

formats, including photographs, microfilm, magnetic media, film, electronic record formats such as CDs, DVDs, optical disks, hard drives, etc.

Reformatting records

Plan Tracking System Move records from the affected areas to the on-site recovery area

Track records which have been removed, their original location, their location during recovery, type(s) of damage, and all actions performed on them

Use paper, pens, pencils, waterproof markers, and a clipboard to begin recording

Determine which records need to be removed and in what order

Develop codes and labels for tracking

2006—WNRC—NARA

Identification for Tracking

Make sure each container is identified on at least two sides

Create an inventory that lists:Unique identifier

linked to content typeOriginal location

If necessary, include:Destination during

recoveryAll actions

performed and by whom

Illustrating two kinds of tracking

Requirements for Recovery and Staging Areas

Areas should:Have good lightingHave good air circulationHave access to clean running

waterBe securable with locks and

certain to remain secured at the appropriate level for the records being handled

Freezing Records Freezing records is a

good option if you cannot treat all of the wet records within 48 hours

Locate large freezers on-site, such as those in a cafeteria, or rent freezer trucks or freezers

You can also use a small household chest or upright freezer

The range of freezer choices from trailer to chest

Pack-Out GuidelinesDo not begin moving records

until your salvage or staging area is prepared

Determine removal methods

Determine priorities

Packing-Out

2006—WNRC—NARA staff

removed the wettest boxes first, reboxed where needed, inventoried, tracked, and palletized 18,000 boxes in five days

Should Records Be Kept Wet and Recovered by

a Specialized Contractor?

Examples of records to keep wet:hard drives from computersmicrofilm, and motion picture films

These records should be sent immediately to a specialized contractor for recovery using specialized equipment

Paper-based Records that Require

Special Handling Large or oversized

paper (maps, architectural or engineering drawings)

Coated papers

Encapsulated and shrink-wrapped records

Air-Drying Bound Volumes

Small bound volumes with rigid covers—stand upright

Partially wet volumes—stand upright

Large and heavy volumes— lay flat

Volumes that have soft covers —lay flat

Photographic Film and Prints

CDs and DVDs

2006—Suitland—NIH material

Computer Hard Drives

A CPU that was allowed to dry and rust. This illustrates the need to wrap and seal in static free plastic and recover immediately. (From one of the Orleans Parish offices, post-Hurricane Katrina, 2005)

Magnetic Tape

2006—WNRC—NARA

Mold Growing on Records

NARA— Suitland—2000

Dangerous for staff to handle without protective gear

Damaging to the records

Difficult and expensive to recover from

Small Outbreaks of Mold

Large Outbreaks of Mold

Quarantine and freeze recordsFreezing will halt growth but not kill

spores

If too big for you to handle:Call a contractor

If you can handle:Clean.Vacuum freeze-dry.

Overview of Drying Methods Air-Drying

Also can use air-drying with added heat

Vacuum Freeze-Drying

No longer used or less effective: Vacuum thermal

drying Thermal vacuum

freeze-drying Freeze-drying (no

vacuum)

NARA Conservation Laboratory Test Results

comparing drying methods

Module 2-55

Air-Drying Considerations

Pros: Best results for

photographs, if placed under restraint, and other special media (including magnetic tape)

Best for plastic coated materials, and architectural or engineering drawings

Best for minimizing corrosion of metal fasteners

Records air-drying

Module 2-56

Air-Drying Considerations Cons:

Requires large surface areas

Is labor-intensive

Runs the risk of disruption of original order of records

Generates costs for absorbent materials

Alters the appearance

Requires time to dry records

Hinders access to records

Records air-drying

Tips for Air-Drying Drying time will depend on

optimizing environment and care. Temperature should be below 65 ° F and RH as low as possible (below 60%)

Use fans pointed at the ceiling and kept on 24 hours/day to keep the air circulating.

Remove records from containers and spread them on surfaces to dry in the air.

Ensure that the original container and order of records are identified, labeled, associated, and maintained throughout the drying process

Spread records out in stacks no more than ¼ to ½ inch thick

As records dry, change the absorbent paper underneath frequently and turn the records

Tips for Air-Drying Special Media

Records in encapsulations or L-sleeves of plastic must be removed to dry

Records on coated paper must be separated and/or interleaved to dry in order to prevent sticking or blocking

Bound volumes, depending on the sturdiness of the covers, will need to be standing with pages fanned open or laid flat with pages fanned open

For interleaving bound volumes, the total number of interleaving sheets should be no more than one-third the thickness of the volume to limit damage to the binding.

Metal fasteners may need to be removed if they have begun to rust or corrode.

Summary What type of disaster has hit your records?

Stabilize the environment

Assess the damage

Stabilize the records

Salvage the records

Determine best recovery methods

Prioritize

Recover the records

The End

Donna Read, [email protected]

RECORDS RECOVERY Donna Read, CRM, CDIA Florida Gulf Coast ARMA Chapter June 2014.

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Transcript of RECORDS RECOVERY Donna Read, CRM, CDIA Florida Gulf Coast ARMA Chapter June 2014.