Museum Risk & Resilience

Risk to a collection can be measured

Museum Risk & Resilience

We protect what cannot be replaced

Most emergency management plans identify hazards, but they rarely determine which hazard will cause the greatest expected loss, or where limited conservation resources should be spent to achieve the greatest reduction in risk. Lamassu quantifies the risk to museum collections and historic buildings, and then, based on the results of that risk analysis, applies appropriate engineering solutions and interventions to increase a museum's resilience against these hazards.

How we work

Five steps, from first survey to lasting safety

Museum risk and crisis management, across every threat a collection faces.

  1. Floor plan of a museum building with hazard points marked at several locations, alongside a compass rose.

    01

    Identify

    We find everything that puts a collection and its building at risk.

  2. A balance scale weighing a museum vase against weights, with a bar chart of ranked risks below.

    02

    Assess

    We measure each risk, so priorities rest on evidence.

  3. A classical statue with a ghosted overturned pose and dashed arc showing its tipping motion, beside a seismograph waveform.

    03

    Analyse

    The serious risks get deep engineering study, including our specialist seismic work.

  4. An ornate vase inside a protective display case, with arrows deflecting away from it.

    04

    Mitigate

    We design and put in place the right protection for each threat.

  5. A classical column surrounded by a ring of monitoring points, with a heartbeat line beneath.

    05

    Sustain

    We keep the collection safe long after the work is done.

The scale of the problem

  • 0%

    of heritage institutions surveyed had no emergency plan

    UNESCO

  • 0%

    of World Heritage sites are exposed to earthquake risk

    Disaster risk study, 2024

  • 1 in 6

    cultural heritage sites is now threatened by climate change

    UNESCO

A complete framework

Ten agents of deterioration. We address them all.

Museum collections face ten recognised threats. Our specialist depth is in physical forces — including earthquakes — but our assessment covers every one.

  • Physical forces
  • Theft & vandalism
  • Fire
  • Water
  • Pests
  • Pollutants
  • Light & UV
  • Incorrect temperature
  • Incorrect humidity
  • Dissociation

Protect your collection

Every collection is different. Tell us about yours, and we'll show you where the risk is.

Start a conversation