At Coimbra University, traditional geophysical data collection included meteorological and magnetic data, establishing regular series from 1864, the year the Institute was founded. At the end of the nineteenth century, seismographic data were added. In the 1960s, scientific evidence emerged that the earth's environmental problems were the result of human activity. In 1963, Fernando Pinto Coelho, became the first full professor of chemistry to direct the Geophysical Institute, a position that had typically been held by mathematicians and physicists. He brought great dynamism to the Institute by introducing the fields of radio and nuclear chemistry and began collecting new series of atmospheric chemical reference data, a pioneering contribution to the field of environmental studies.
The new research areas at the Institute were supervised by the Photochemistry Group of the Chemistry Laboratory and required new spaces and equipment, which Pinto Coelho installed by adapting a vacant building within the Institute and collaborating closely with the Chemistry Department. His directorship was suspended in 1974 due to political events, leading to his dismissal from the project and the dispersal of the instruments. Some of these instruments were assemblies of various components, such as an applied photophysics microsecond flash photolysis system, which, once dismantled, could be repurposed for other projects. This work aims to survey the instruments that remain from this period at the Institute and cross-reference them with instruments from the Chemistry Department, in order to trace and recover the memory of the atmospheric chemistry data-recording instruments implemented by Pinto Coelho.

The History of Science Museum’s recent capital project, involving the transfer of artefacts to two new storage facilities and making 70% of the collection fully accessible, required comprehensive hazards management. This ambitious initiative depended on cross-departmental collaboration involving legal, technical, financial, and curatorial expertise. By harnessing the knowledge of experienced staff, incorporating emerging reporting standards, and planning for large-scale transitions, the project team identified critical needs and developed prioritized system enhancements. Although the project faced unexpected challenges, iterative designs led to an effective solution incorporating new features within the digital collections management system.

The hazards management aspect of the project was completed in early 2025 and these improvements have significantly strengthened safety and transparency in handling and object movement practices. The process not only safeguarded staff and visitors but also revealed hidden histories, such as artefacts containing asbestos linked to South African miners—stories the museum plans to feature in future exhibits. This underscores the dual role of hazard management: ensuring physical safety while engaging with complex, often painful narratives tied to collection items.

Dr Josephine Claire Niala

Anyone who has worked with collection hazards knows how it feels to be confronted by seemingly diametrically opposed responsibilities. Do you keep a historically important object, or dispose of it according to modern safety practices? Perhaps you hope for a happy middle ground where current rules and regulations allow for a mitigation strategy that satisfies all?

Fundamentally this process is about resolving conflicting values—and not just the production of (or adherence to) procedures and protocols. No matter how logical and well-reasoned the solution, it is a critical mistake to ignore the emotional impact on the people at the core of the hazard mitigation process as well as those affected by these decisions.

This presentation highlights two examples, a 1903 ampoule of radium salt and a box of chemical weapon samples from 1924, at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History where the objects and their associated hazards were well researched but the resulting emotional impact on the associated staff was not. These objects became a nexus of contention, owing to the different objectives, viewpoints, and expertise of staff from curatorial, collections, safety, and management. They showed the need for training in how to handle fear, anger, and conflict in a work environment where power is far from evenly distributed.

These case studies show the importance of going beyond historical and industrial health research of hazardous collections and engaging with the emotional and ideological conflicts they create in the workplace.

In the Netherlands the growing awareness of the presence of hazardous materials in museum collections led to a National Taskforce Hazardous Collections, led by the Rijksdienst voor Cultureel Erfgoed, the Cultural heritage Agency of the Netherlands. In this group we share experiences and best practices and the platform serves as a discussion partner for the Government.
Rijksmuseum Boerhaave is one of the pioneers in dealing with all kinds of hazardous materials and therefore an active member of this group. We think it would be a very good idea to look into the possibility to expend this group internationally as well.