2.3.5 Approved Facilities - RIM Manual

• The storage facility company must be bonded and insured.
• Employees and subcontractors must be individually bonded for at least $5,000.
• The facility must purchase and maintain insurance in the forms and amounts acceptable to the Province, and provide documentation of policies and payment of premiums.

• Documentation of insurance policies and payment of premiums is required. 
• Insurance must be satisfactory to the Province. 
• Immediate notification after any loss, damage or destruction of records.

2.1 General

Facilities must be protected against dirt, vermin, fire, theft, unauthorized access, and other hazards and disturbances.

The storage premise(s) must be the same one(s) specified in the service contract unless Government Records Service (GRS) provides permission in advance for any change of location.

2.2 Construction

Facilities will comply with all applicable requirements of the British Columbia Building Code and the British Columbia Fire Code. The building should be purpose-built and free-standing, with the following features:

• Fireproof steel or reinforced concrete construction is required, including all walls separating storage areas from non-storage areas (2 hour fire rating preferred unless these areas meet NFCC standards for fire protection and safety as records storage areas; a 4 hour fire rating is required for any records destruction operations rooms). 
• Non-combustible structural members of the building and its records storage areas are required, including the roof, with a minimum 2 hour fire rating. 
• Doors must be automatic or self-closing, with a minimum 1 hour fire rating, and a positive latching device to provide for personal safety. 
• Floors must have load capacity sufficient to bear the weight of densely stored records
• Openings must be fully sealed and insulated; i.e., sealed gaps around door-frames, windows and other openings; preferably no windows, but those that may exist must be covered. 
• Provincial seismic standards must be met at time of construction, and upgrades must be made in accordance with current local codes and by-laws governing upgrades for pre-existing structures. 
• No internal hazards are permitted, e.g.: flammable finishes or furnishings, chemicals, electrical plants, overhead pipes (other than fire suppression systems), unnecessary plumbing. 
• Piping:  Other than fire protection sprinkler systems, the only pipes allowed in records storage areas are storm water roof drainage pipes; these must be supplemented with gutters and shields to prevent leaks, and must run to the nearest vertical riser.  Vertical risers must be fully enclosed by shaft construction with appropriate maintenance access panels.  Gutters must be continuous, sized and installed beneath the lateral runs to prevent leakage. 
• A good drainage system is required to avoid flooding.
• The roof membrane must not permit water to penetrate roof. 

2.3 Equipment
• Materiel must be designed and installed to withstand the local earthquake load rating, to ensure they remain intact and in their pre-earthquake location in the event of seismic activity.  Shelving and bracing need to meet the same seismic standards as the building.

• Records/records boxes must be stored at all times on shelving suitable for the specified materials, media or format in order to avoid damage or wear due to stacking, layering or retrieval. 
• Records must be stored in standard containers (see RIM Manual Specifications for Boxing Records).

2.4 Location 
• The geographic location must be distant from or not vulnerable to hazards such as toxic or harmful chemicals, explosions, fire, flooding, electric or magnetic fields, or any other hazards that could damage records or cause injury or harm to people. 
• The building site must be a minimum of 1.5 meters above and 35 meters away from any 100 year flood plain areas, or protected by an appropriate flood wall that prevents entry of floodwaters into the building. 

2.5 Maintenance 
• There must be a building maintenance program that ensures regular inspections for risks and prompt repairs when problems are identified. 
• The facility must be free of vermin at all times. 

2.6 Reference and Research Areas 
• The facility must include a viewing room suitable for file reference and for research activities, equipped with power wall outlets for computers and other equipment. 
• Heating, lighting and other services must comply with WorkSafe BC standards for office areas. 
• The facility must be accessible for persons with impaired mobility. 

2.7 Security 
• The building and all records storage areas within the building must be secure from intrusion and unauthorized entry. 
• An anti-intrusion and automatic alarm system connected to a 24 hour personal response monitoring service must be in place. 
• Alarms must provide security for all windows, ventilation openings and exit doors.

• 24 hour Alarm system.
• Clean.
• Earthquake/seismic standards met.
• British Columbia Building Code
• British Columbia Fire Code
• Flood resistant.
• Location remote from hazards.
• National Fire Code of Canada (NFCC) compliant.
• No internal hazards.
• Regular inspection schedule maintained.
• Safe.
• Sealed.
• Secure.
• Standard records storage containers.
• Storage conditions comply with accepted records management practices. 
• Strong. 
• Vermin-free.
• Water-resistant roof membrane.
• WorkSafe BC-compliant reference and research areas.

Records storage facility personnel must treat all records in their care as confidential. They must not at any time publish, release, or disclose any records or information in their care, without the prior written consent of the GRS Senior Director.

Contractors, their employees, and their subcontractors, have no right of access to records stored in contracted records centres.

• No confidentiality breaches.

• Use inventory and location forms specified by GRS. 
• Not destroy or transfer records without written authorization by GRS. 
• Notify GRS of any concerns, issues or problems conveyed to them by government offices storing records with them. 
• Refer ministries and agencies requesting storage services to GRS. 
• Provide evidence of insurance, contractor privacy training, and PCI Attestation of Compliance.
• Provide GRS with reports of offsite storage activities in a form satisfactory to the Province.
• Notify GRS immediately if any records are lost, damaged, missing, or if there is any unscheduled destruction of records.
• Notify GRS of any variances from established environmental standards.

• Appropriate forms used.
• Appropriate authorizations signed.
• Issues relating to clients, records, and/ or storage conditions communicated promptly.

The required environmental conditions for records storage areas are: 

• Temperature: 20° C  +/-5° C 
• Humidity: 50% R.H.  +/-10% R.H. 
• Dust removal: 95% of all particles 1 micron in diameter or larger and 50% of particles between 0.5 and 1 micron in diameter. 

Records in various formats (e.g., microforms, compact discs, fragile textual records) may require specific environmental conditions. Specifications for these formats are established in individual contracts.

Variances from the established maximum and minimum levels set for temperature, relative humidity and air quality must be reported to GRS as soon as they are noted.

The records storage company must facilitate monitoring by GRS personnel.  GRS may request data from the facility’s monitoring equipment and may conduct its own tests at the facility.

• Controlled temperature, humidity, and dust levels.
• Meets requirements for specific records formats as agreed upon.
• Monitoring facilitated.
• Variances reported.

• Direct fire suppression systems must be present in all records storage areas – either sprinklers or standpipe and hose systems. Selective pre-action systems are preferred.
• Any hose stations must be located so that hoses can access all parts of the records storage area, including tops of shelving units. 
• Fire ratings for walls and doors separating records storage areas from other parts of the building must be as follows:   
  • 1 hour for records servicing and reference areas. 
  • 4 hours for records destruction areas (including shredding operations.) 
  • 2 hours for all other non-records areas. 
• A fire alarm and heat and smoke detection system is required in all records storage areas, as well as in non-storage areas not separated by fireproof walls with a 2 hour fire rating, and on every floor of a multi-storey building. 
• No smoking is permitted in facility and adjoining areas.

• Meets British Columbia Building Code, British Columbia Fire Code, and National Fire Code of Canada (NFCC) standards, including installation standards for fire protection equipment and systems.

Inspections

The GRS designate may inspect records storage facilities or request inspection by fire/safety officials. Inspections may be performed during the course of a contract or before it is awarded. 

Monitoring

GRS monitors contracted records services facilities, their environmental conditions, and their retrieval services to ensure compliance with the standards described in this policy, the provisions of the relevant contract, and with nationally and internationally accepted records management standards and practices.

Water and flood detection devices must be installed in all records storage areas, and must be connected to a 24 hour personal response monitoring service.

An interconnected fire alarm and heat and smoke detection system is required in all records storage areas, and must be connected to a 24 hour fire and security personal response monitoring service.

• Alarms meet NFCC standards.
• Contract provisions complied with.
• Inspections and monitoring facilitated.
• Standards complied with.

Security 

• Transport cannot be subcontracted without pre-approval by GRS.
• Records storage facilities must perform actions upon records (i.e., transfer, accept, store, retrieve, return, or remove them) only when directed to by persons with authorized access (i.e., registered by GRS as authorized to access those specific boxes of records).
• Records must be transported in enclosed, locked vehicles to prevent intrusion.
• Vehicle cargo areas containing records must be locked when not being accessed by records storage facility staff.

Retrieval Requirements:

* Local delivery area is defined as office locations that are in the same communities as the storage facilities; currently this includes offices in Greater Vancouver and Greater Victoria.

• Access only provided to authorized persons.
• Retrieval within prescribed times.
• Safe.
• Secure.

• British Columbia Building Code
• British Columbia Fire Code Standard
• National Fire Code of Canada (NFCC).
• Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI). Technical Bulletin 23: Guidelines for Humidity and Temperature for Canadian Archives. Stefan Michalski. Ottawa, 2000.
• CCI Technical Bulletin 29: Combatting Pests of Cultural Property. Tom Strang and Rika Kigawa. Ottawa, 2009.
• National Fire Protection Association (USA). Standard for the Protection of Records. NFPA 232: Standard for the Protection of Records.  
• United States of America.  National Archives and Records Administration.  Regulations: 36 CFR Part 1228 Subpart K. Facility Standards for Records Storage Facilities (1997).