Strategies for making heritage sites safe

Abstract

India with a variety of heritage is a great source of information and knowledge. The heritage serves as bridge for the enjoyment of diversity between different cultures. Change is required for better management and display of heritage. The concept of safety is either taken lightly at a heritage site or is completely neglected. The interaction between heritage site and user should be safe to avoid risky and hazardous situations. There are factors responsible for putting heritage, heritage sites and users at risk and impact of those factors on the heritage and users are dangerous. The research undertaken for the thesis indicates the potential safety dimensions such as applicability of safety, safety culture, safety training and safety planning at heritage sites. The issue is to safeguard the heritage, the users and evaluate the effectiveness of process. There is no established process to achieve safe heritage site and survey instrument to assess the condition. This study outlines the various safety problems faced by the users and which are impacting the heritage. The aim of this thesis is to establish a relationship between safety of heritage site and safety on heritage site. The interrelationship between heritage and user is discussed with a comparative study of five major sites near Bhopal. It sets out to examine the commonalities and singularities in safety issues at each heritage site. The awareness of safety at heritage sites is low exposing all at risk. The study leads to alterations in conservation and management plan which can uplift the situation in a positive direction and it also demonstrates that simple management alterations and user involvements have the greatest impact in reducing casualties or accidents at a heritage site.