text: One of the ways in which preventive-conservators address the care of material collections is through assessing risk and needs based on the chief agents of deterioration. Best practices employ the system of "avoiding, blocking, detecting, and responding" to any address threats. By considering these key factors as potential problems with their own needs, stakeholders can make strides in safeguarding assets such as glass objects.
  Physical forces to be considered in the preventive-conservation of glass objects can include: "impact, shock, vibration, pressure, abrasion", and may relate to the need to secure both the objects themselves as well as the environment in which they reside.
  Fire is a means of deterioration that can impact glass objects ranging from a potentially minimal amount of damage to a total loss. Problems with fire include burning, soot deposits, and melting, warping, discoloration, embrittlement, cracking, and even shattering.  Possible interventions to these consequences include creating and maintaining plans and that cover the installation of fire protection equipment and establishing procedures for emergency situations.
  Pests, such as microorganisms, insects, rodents, birds, and bats, are agents of deterioration not as often associated with the problems that occur with glass objects. However, they can affect glass objects by proxy of other agents, like physical force, such as a bird that might fly into a stained-glass window, pollutants when a rodent that leaves a byproduct.
  Light, ultraviolet and infrared radiation impact glass in unique ways.  While visible light can cause colorful glass to fade, ultraviolet radiation is identified as a non-problematic entity.  Infrared radiation does not have a direct effect but can be a cause of heating and therefore subject the glass to problems related to incorrect temperature (see below).  The best way of protecting glass from radiation is to eliminate the source as best as possible.  It is not always practical to keep a piece of glass out of sight, but strategic scheduling of exposure can reduce impact.
  Incorrect temperature of glass objects can lead to possible fracture. Stabilization of temperature can help significantly in keeping them from destruction.
  Incorrect relative humidity in glass objects can lead to crizzling or weeping of glass. Crizzling can occur when relative humidity is below 40%, and lead to cracks in its surface. Glass weeping or sweating can occur when relative humidity is above 55% and loses luster.
  Thieves and vandals are a potential problem for any object. Since glass objects are generally fragile their susceptibility to vandalism might be preempted by a collections care plan that calls for them to be secured to a stable fixture. Here, the strategy is to "protect, detect, response, and recover" any possible losses.
  Water itself is not a hazard to stable glass, but in the case of a piece with existing "glass disease", it can accelerate problems associated with it such as weeping, and crizzling as mentioned above. Here, glass should not be kept in places where the threat of water exposure could occur, such as low to the ground, or near places where water might pool.
  Pollutants that are airborne or atmospheric pose less of a threat to glass. However, intrinsic pollutants might cause deterioration or degradation.
  Dissociation is a threat for glass objects just as it might be for any other piece.  Since glass objects can be small as well as large, they can be at a greater risk for being mishandled than something more obtrusive.  Dissociation can cause problems that range from misplacement, to damage, to total loss.  Good records keeping is always a best practice but proves to be one of the best strategies for addressing the threat of dissociation.