Task-Based Configuration Model for Occupational Safety and Health in Heritage Work Environments

Despite being classified as low-risk workplaces, museums involve tasks that generate demands, chemical exposure, and management-related stress that accumulate over time. This study assesses the relationship between occupational safety and health conditions in museums and task organization within operations to develop a task-based coordination approach grounded in practice. A mixed-methods design was employed in three museums, encompassing conservation, public interaction, and administrative activities. Data included 30 task observations in each museum, collected through on-site observations, posture assessment, checklist evaluation of chemical handling and ventilation practices, task-focused exchanges, and observation of leadership engagement during activities. Task configurations, defined as the combination of technical and organizational conditions under which a task is performed during routine activities, were compared through task scenarios developed as analytical models using a composite task-level safety index. Results suggested that exposure patterns varied with the technical and organizational conditions of task execution. Task configurations combining adjustable equipment, functional ventilation, coordinated task allocation, and regular leadership presence had lower frequencies of ergonomic, chemical, and organizational non-compliance. The findings indicate that occupational safety and health practice in museums depends on how technical and organizational measures operate at the task level.