"A risk assessment of the Piql Services" by FFI
potential negative reactions. It is important to test the effects of clean and dirty water, of hot and cold water and different duration of submersion.
Despite lacking this information, our recommendation is still to avoid any exposure of the piqlFilms to water. To extinguish fires, rather use the oxygen reduction suppression solution recommended by Piql AS, or another fire protection mechanism which does not involve the use of water as an alternative. When it comes to flood mitigation strategies, these include elevating the structures which house the piqlVault in flood-prone areas, or, if that is not possible, placing the piqlVault on upper floors of the building. Should the piqlFilms nevertheless come in contact with water, Piql AS recommends that they be kept wet, and brought to a proper facility for re-washing and drying before they are handled again. This is to prevent the film layers from sticking together, as well as the growth of bacteria. Additionally, it can prevent swelling and softening of the emulsion, which can cause major damages [27]. The most apparent recommendation we can make to prevent the negative effects of water on the piqlFilm is to make the piqlBox air-tight, i.e. water-proof. Barring that, a protective measure which the Piql AS can offer the higher demanding user is to seal the piqlBox in external bagging or wrapping. The PreservIA Consortium has developed a solution where the piqlBox is wrapped, vacuumed and sealed in an aluminium foil, which should solve the issue of both splashes or sprays of water and if the piqlFilm is submerged in water. As is the case with the effects of water, there is insufficient information regarding the effects of external physical pressure on the piqlBox and piqlFilm, and how particularly the piqlFilm is affected by jolts and drops. Similarly, our clearest recommendation is to conduct tests to the effects of these issues, in order to get a better understanding of the consequences thereof. In the scenarios concerning these issues, we have emphasised falling infrastructure as a possible cause, due to, among other things, earthquakes. To this matter, at least, it is possible to give some general recommendations which can increase seismic resistance. Many of the recommendations concerns making the structure of the building stronger in general, which could also mitigate the effects of, say, an explosion. Seismic resistance can be accomplished through for instance fortified walls with braced frames and energy dissipating devices such as viscoelastic or elastomeric dampers [69]. In chapter 9 we described how neither the piqlBox nor the piqlFilm is likely to withstand exposure to chemical compounds. Particularly the negative effects of strong oxidative chemicals like ozone is something the PreservIA Consortium is currently testing and working to mitigate. Although the piqlBox is biologically inert, the same result can be expected for the piqlFilm from exposure to harmful microorganisms as with chemical compounds: the gelatine emulsion layer reacts violently and the integrity of the information stored is completely destroyed. A possible solution to help protect the piqlBox and piqlFilm from these risks is the same as with water: wrap the piqlBox in a sealed aluminium foil to ward off gases, bacteria or other microorganisms. Its protective properties against these risks have not been verified, so it needs
93
FFI-RAPPORT 16/00707
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter