Coronavirus guidance for museums galleries and heritage attractions
Last Updated: 17 Mar 2021
Contents
Support provided by
Scottish Government
What does this involve?
The Scottish Government has published guidance for museums, galleries and heritage attractions in Scotland.
The guidance has been updated to reflect Coronavirus: Scotland’s Strategic Framework. This framework sets out the approach to outbreak management based on the local protection levels, providing graduated protections locally and/or nationally.
This means that museum, gallery and heritage attractions may be able to re-open in areas with lower infection rates, while others may be required to remain closed to help suppress the virus in areas with much higher rates.
The guidance incorporates the Scottish Government guidelines on physical distancing and other workplace safety considerations during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as advice specifically for museum, gallery or heritage settings, such as how to implement safety measures while continuing to care for collections and historic properties.
Topics include:
- Performing ongoing risk assessments
- Workforce planning and support
- Operational guide and checklist (including hygiene, cleaning, and alterations to the workplace and visitor experience)
- Managing deliveries, distribution and site visitors safely
- Staff training and compliance
- Fulfilling a public purpose and managing visitor expectations
- Re-opening within your local context
There are also links to other sources of relevant guidance for the sector.
Am I eligible?
Anyone can use this service.
What does this cost?
This is a free service.
Who is this for?
Anyone who works in museums, galleries or heritage attractions in Scotland.
Museums and gallery collections may include permanent or temporary exhibitions, and may or may not be housed in historic buildings. Heritage attractions include castles, historic houses, historic parks, gardens of landscapes, industrial heritage monuments and open-air sites, including mobile heritage.
Important information
This guidance will be reviewed every three weeks in line with the Government’s regular review of lockdown requirements.
As each workplace is different, individual organisations should work with trade union or workforce representatives to determine how best to apply this guidance in their circumstances.
Next steps
Visit the Scottish Government website for more information and to read the full guidance.
Support provided by
Scottish Government