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Search Engineering and Consultancy commissioned by the Dutch Government Buildings Agency to carry out asbestos inventories
During the past century, millions of visitors have looked at Rembrandt’s ‘Night Watch’ at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. At the end of April 2003 this showpiece from the collection had to watch how the museum was obliged to close its doors by order of the Occupational Health Service. The management took this radical decision after Search Engineering and Consultancy found asbestos pollution in the West Wing. According to the Dutch Government Building Agency’s general manager Sieburgh, the news came as a bombshell: “From the moment asbestos is found, your life is taken over: a merry-go-round is switched on which you yourself can’t control. Fortunately the professional co-operation with Search Engineering and Consultancy, TNO (the Dutch organisation for applied scientific research), RGD (the Government Building Agency) and the Occupational Health Service gave us some confidence in the future. And soon we were able to get to grips with the matter again.”
In 2001 the Dutch Department of Housing, Regional Development and the Environment (VROM) put forward the plan to submit all government-owned buildings to a compulsory asbestos inventory. Mr. Sieburgh: “The idea behind this plan was to map the possible health risks for the buildings’ users and visitors. Anticipating new legislation, the department itself took the first step. Over a period of three years all of the Dutch Government Building Agency’s buildings have to be looked at very carefully.”
Search Engineering and Consultancy was commissioned to carry out asbestos inventories in government-owned buildings in the district West, among others. The most striking building in this district is the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, designed by architect Pierre Cuypers.
This year, at the beginning of April, the more-than-century-old Rijksmuseum was investigated thoroughly. The investigation results were particularly important for the impending renovation and restoration work, due to start at the end of this year. Judging by the date of construction and its architectural style, it was almost inevitable that the museum would contain asbestos-related materials. It wasn’t easy to deduce from the old floor plans where asbestos-containing materials would have been used.
Mr. Sieburgh continues to relate his story: “On Monday, April 21st, I received a call that Search had found asbestos. This message wasn’t entirely unexpected. When, the Friday before, I was asked if the Search people could work through the weekend, I already saw the storm coming. To be able to assess how serious the situation was, I consulted companies which had gone through the same thing.”
The result of visual inspections was in line with most expectations. From the outset the condition of the material containing asbestos was a subject of concern. The asbestos found in the air ducts in particular could present a risk to the West wing’s employees and visitors. Search Engineering and Consultancy reported the alarming results to the Government Building Agency and the Rijksmuseum management. This report prompted further investigations. Subsequently, air and dust samples proved that there was no increased asbestos concentration in the air. However, the analysed dust samples were seriously contaminated.
Mr. Sieburgh: "Shortly after the first reports Search Engineering and Consultancy presented to our management team, the Occupational Health Service was informed about the asbestos situation in our buildings. After consulting the Occupational Health Service the museum management decided to close the museum as a precaution. The next important issue was taking care of the employees. We knew that violent emotions would arise when we informed them. Almost immediately we created a care team. This team still takes care of the welfare of employees who were exposed to asbestos.
After sealing off the West Wing hermetically, Search Engineering and Consultancy made an all-out effort to reopen part of the building. Search wrote a management plan especially for this complex operation. Mr. Sieburgh states that communication is vitally important with calamities: “From the first day onward we paid a lot of attention to communicating with employees and visitors. For example, a website was made which contained not only topical items, but also background information. Apart from that, we informed domestic and foreign travel agencies and tour operators. The fact is, that two thirds of our visitors come from abroad. In spite of all these measures, there were often disappointed tourists at the door. After all, a visit to the Rijksmuseum is an established part of their trip to Amsterdam. The advantage is that by now we know the word for asbestos in quite a few languages.
Before the renovation of the Rijksmuseum can start, all works of art will have to be moved. Search Engineering and Consultancy supports the planning of this complex logistical project. For this an experienced senior project manager is brought in, who, supervised by a project manager from the Government Building Agency, assists the team of Rijksmuseum employees and helps managing the process.
According to mr. Sieburgh this operation may rightfully be called complex: “From the polluted West wing alone, more than seven thousand works of art must be moved under asbestos conditions. About twenty Rijksmuseum employees were trained by Search how to work under these conditions, especially for this removal. After all, only curators, restorers and preservation employees are allowed to handle the precious works of art. Apart from that, Search regularly takes samples in the cleared areas. It’s important that these areas are safe and remain so.
Meanwhile, the galleries of the East Wing are again open to the public. A small part of the building will not reopen again before the renovation starts. Here, the asbestos removal will take place at the same time as the renovation. With a view to this renovation, the Rijksmuseum must have evacuated the building before April 1st, 2004. Before this date a veritable exodus has been planned. More than a million works of art will find their way to depots outside the museum, or to other museums where parts of the collection will remain visible to the public for the years to come. During the renovation the top works of art from the museum will still be shown in the Philips Wing.
Mr. Sieburgh: "At this moment we can’t predict yet if the asbestos decontamination will have implications for the renovation project. Our aim is to avoid delays. The damage to our company and our image is bad enough already.”
By the middle of 2008 the Rijksmuseum should be ready for the twenty-first century. Not only will Pierre Cuypers’ original architectural concept be restored. The museum will also be adapted to meet modern requirements. A museum which is not only geared towards a growing stream of visitors, but which offers, apart from an extensive collection, facilities such as a good restaurant, a modern shop and a multimedia library. In a word: a truly ‘new’ Rijksmuseum.
Asbestos inventories of the public buildings district West
In 2001 the Dutch Department of Housing, Regional Development and the Environment (VROM) put forward the plan to submit all government-owned buildings to a compulsory asbestos inventory. Mr. Sieburgh: “The idea behind this plan was to map the possible health risks for the buildings’ users and visitors. Anticipating new legislation, the department itself took the first step. Over a period of three years all of the Dutch Government Building Agency’s buildings have to be looked at very carefully.”
Search Engineering and Consultancy was commissioned to carry out asbestos inventories in government-owned buildings in the district West, among others. The most striking building in this district is the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, designed by architect Pierre Cuypers.
The message of doom came by phone
This year, at the beginning of April, the more-than-century-old Rijksmuseum was investigated thoroughly. The investigation results were particularly important for the impending renovation and restoration work, due to start at the end of this year. Judging by the date of construction and its architectural style, it was almost inevitable that the museum would contain asbestos-related materials. It wasn’t easy to deduce from the old floor plans where asbestos-containing materials would have been used.
Mr. Sieburgh continues to relate his story: “On Monday, April 21st, I received a call that Search had found asbestos. This message wasn’t entirely unexpected. When, the Friday before, I was asked if the Search people could work through the weekend, I already saw the storm coming. To be able to assess how serious the situation was, I consulted companies which had gone through the same thing.”
Closing the museum as a precaution
The result of visual inspections was in line with most expectations. From the outset the condition of the material containing asbestos was a subject of concern. The asbestos found in the air ducts in particular could present a risk to the West wing’s employees and visitors. Search Engineering and Consultancy reported the alarming results to the Government Building Agency and the Rijksmuseum management. This report prompted further investigations. Subsequently, air and dust samples proved that there was no increased asbestos concentration in the air. However, the analysed dust samples were seriously contaminated.
Mr. Sieburgh: "Shortly after the first reports Search Engineering and Consultancy presented to our management team, the Occupational Health Service was informed about the asbestos situation in our buildings. After consulting the Occupational Health Service the museum management decided to close the museum as a precaution. The next important issue was taking care of the employees. We knew that violent emotions would arise when we informed them. Almost immediately we created a care team. This team still takes care of the welfare of employees who were exposed to asbestos.
Communication procedure
After sealing off the West Wing hermetically, Search Engineering and Consultancy made an all-out effort to reopen part of the building. Search wrote a management plan especially for this complex operation. Mr. Sieburgh states that communication is vitally important with calamities: “From the first day onward we paid a lot of attention to communicating with employees and visitors. For example, a website was made which contained not only topical items, but also background information. Apart from that, we informed domestic and foreign travel agencies and tour operators. The fact is, that two thirds of our visitors come from abroad. In spite of all these measures, there were often disappointed tourists at the door. After all, a visit to the Rijksmuseum is an established part of their trip to Amsterdam. The advantage is that by now we know the word for asbestos in quite a few languages.
Project management removal
Before the renovation of the Rijksmuseum can start, all works of art will have to be moved. Search Engineering and Consultancy supports the planning of this complex logistical project. For this an experienced senior project manager is brought in, who, supervised by a project manager from the Government Building Agency, assists the team of Rijksmuseum employees and helps managing the process.
According to mr. Sieburgh this operation may rightfully be called complex: “From the polluted West wing alone, more than seven thousand works of art must be moved under asbestos conditions. About twenty Rijksmuseum employees were trained by Search how to work under these conditions, especially for this removal. After all, only curators, restorers and preservation employees are allowed to handle the precious works of art. Apart from that, Search regularly takes samples in the cleared areas. It’s important that these areas are safe and remain so.
Museum of the future
Meanwhile, the galleries of the East Wing are again open to the public. A small part of the building will not reopen again before the renovation starts. Here, the asbestos removal will take place at the same time as the renovation. With a view to this renovation, the Rijksmuseum must have evacuated the building before April 1st, 2004. Before this date a veritable exodus has been planned. More than a million works of art will find their way to depots outside the museum, or to other museums where parts of the collection will remain visible to the public for the years to come. During the renovation the top works of art from the museum will still be shown in the Philips Wing.
Mr. Sieburgh: "At this moment we can’t predict yet if the asbestos decontamination will have implications for the renovation project. Our aim is to avoid delays. The damage to our company and our image is bad enough already.”
By the middle of 2008 the Rijksmuseum should be ready for the twenty-first century. Not only will Pierre Cuypers’ original architectural concept be restored. The museum will also be adapted to meet modern requirements. A museum which is not only geared towards a growing stream of visitors, but which offers, apart from an extensive collection, facilities such as a good restaurant, a modern shop and a multimedia library. In a word: a truly ‘new’ Rijksmuseum.
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