OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE AND CURTILAGE HERITAGE MANAGEMENT PLAN 2008–2013

9. Caterers Permitted Action Schedule
Part C – Implementation Tools
Old Parliament House and Curtilage Heritage Management Plan 2008–2013
207
4.3 PROPOSED
■■Actions not outlined in this Permitted Action Schedule should be referred to the Heritage Section for further
consultation. Any work to be undertaken by catering staff on a tenants’ behalf that may impact on heritage fabric
must be approved by OPH prior to the work being undertaken.
5 HANDLING
The safety of a movable item is dependent on the care taken during handling. Common sense, inspection of the
item, planning and respect for the item will assist in avoiding physical damage. The following step-by-step
approach should be adopted to minimise the risk of damage during handling.
5.1 SAFE HANDLING RULES
■■Always avoid haste in handling any heritage item.
■■Regard every heritage item as an irreplaceable one.
■■Never slide furniture along the floor.
■■Never lift a chair by the arms or the back. Chairs should always be lifted by their seat rails.
■■Avoid lifting tables by their tops; lift them by their legs or supporting rails instead.
■■Only move items on OPH loan.
■■All moves should be supervised by one of the catering staff who has been trained in appropriate
handling techniques.
■■If something does go wrong, report the damage to the appropriate person. Reporting accidents will help prevent
them from occurring again.
5.2 PLAN THE MOVE
■■Look carefully at each item before you handle it. Make sure you note its weak spots or any areas of damage.
■■Eliminate unnecessary movement of items. The fewer movements you make, the lower the risk of damage.
■■Tie doors open with cotton tape (not abrasive ropes) before moving a piece of furniture to prevent
damage in transit.
■■Do not leave items in vulnerable locations such as direct sunlight, outdoors, or in heavily trafficked areas, even
for short periods of time.
■■Know how many people will be required to move the item and make sure they are all aware of their part
in the move.
6 CATERING ACTIVITIES
Providing and serving food and beverages is a high risk activity, damage is generally caused through accident,
however risks to heritage fabric can be reduced through careful event planning and attention to safety and
protective practices during the running of an event.
Generally all catering activities are not a permitted Action in all but designated dining areas, and should be
planned and approved through the process as prescribed in the Heritage Management Plan.
OPH has an established practice of using the in-house catering firm exclusively. This reduces risk as it ensures the
service providers are familiar with the conservation issues of OPH.
Refer also to the guidelines for catering use of heritage furniture in Figure 1 Guidelines on heritage furniture for
functions and catering.
The following is a list of catering activities:
■■Heritage Awareness Training
■■small amounts of technical equipment such as audio visual equipment to be placed within heritage zones
■■after hours access
■■set up with free-standing rigging