BS EN 16893:2018 — Storage of Heritage Collections

Why this standard matters

BS EN 16893:2018 is the British Standard governing the location, construction and modification of buildings and rooms intended for the storage or use of heritage collections. Together with BS 4971:2017 it superseded PD 5454:2012, and it is the benchmark that archives, museums, galleries and libraries — and the design teams working for them — must satisfy when creating or upgrading collection spaces. Heritage collections are by definition irreplaceable, and the standard treats water as a hazard of the same order as fire.

Leak detection is mandatory, not optional

Clause 5.7.1 is unusually direct. Rooms where moisture is penetrating through the walls, floor, ceiling or openings shall not be used for collections at all. Where an assessment indicates a high risk of external water ingress — such as below-ground accommodation — forms of protection such as waterproof coatings or a bund shall be used, sump pumps shall be installed and checked frequently, and leak detection with an alarm shall be installed. For basement archive stores and below-ground collection spaces, sensor-based leak detection is a compliance requirement of the standard, not an enhancement.

Flood sensors on every source of water

Clause 5.7.3 extends the requirement to the building's water infrastructure. Collection spaces shall not be constructed with water supply or drainage running through them, the lowest level of any storage compartment shall be at least 150 mm above the floor, and drains shall be fitted with one-way valves to prevent backflow. Critically, drainage access points, pipework and other sources of water shall be regularly monitored and fitted with flood sensors and alarms that are audible outside the building. The standard also requires new sites below the 1% ('100-year') flood level to be avoided, and rainwater discharge systems designed to EN 12056-3 with weir overflows so a single blocked outlet cannot put water into the building.

Continuous environmental monitoring

Clause 4.4 requires a documented environmental monitoring strategy with continuous monitoring of every space in which material is held. Spaces intended for future installation of collections shall be monitored before installation to understand how they behave; where a building management system is in use, independent monitoring devices shall verify its correct operation; and monitoring data shall be inspected at least weekly where it is relied upon to protect collections. The standard is explicit that monitoring alone does nothing to improve preservation — it is the response to the evidence that protects the collection.

How Vector applies BS EN 16893 on live projects

Vector designs, installs and monitors exactly the systems this standard mandates: point-of-risk flood sensors on pipework and drainage, leak detection with alarms for below-ground and high-risk collection spaces, and permanent monitoring of buried waterproofing — with independent, continuously reviewed data rather than periodic inspection alone. For archives, museums and libraries, this is the difference between discovering water damage and preventing it.

Publication: BS EN 16893:2018 — Conservation of cultural heritage — Specifications for location, construction and modification of buildings or rooms intended for the storage or use of heritage collections | Publisher: BSI

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