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Research Highlights
Questions and Answers: EPA Shelter-in-Place Research
- How effective is sheltering in place?
- What steps do I need to take before an event occurs?
- How will I know if there are harmful contaminants in the air?
- How do I decide whether to shelter in place or evacuate the area?
- When should I enter my shelter?
- When should I leave my shelter and where should I go?
- What steps do I take during an event?
- Who do I rely on for up-to-date and accurate information during an event?
- How long can I safely stay in a sealed room?
- What types of harmful contaminants can be in the air?
- Will sheltering in place be effective for all of the harmful contaminants?
- What do I do if I am not in home?
- What are schools, places of work, hospitals, and other public buildings going to do about this?
- Are there instruments that I can purchase to alert me to when there is a problem?
- Are gas masks effective for protecting us?
- Do weather conditions or geography affect what I should do?
- Does this study only pertain to houses?
- Are there other studies in place for other types of buildings?
- Where did this idea of duct tape and plastic start? Is this method credible?
- People hear of using duct tape, they think it is hokey when this is serious information. Is there any way of changing that thought process?
- How long was the sealed room exposed during the study?
- How will you educate the public?
- What are the limitations of the study?
- Who should I contact if I have questions about the study?
How effective is sheltering in place?
Sheltering in place can be 500 times safer than staying outside under the following conditions:
- you enter the shelter before the arrival of the contaminant,
- you exit the shelter as soon as the contaminant passes over,
- the contaminant passes over quickly.
The effectiveness of sheltering in place diminishes when you enter the shelter too late, when you exit the shelter too late, or when the contaminant is present outside for a long period of time. Going into a shelter after the contaminant has passed over can be harmful.
What steps do I need to take before an event occurs?
Plan ahead to identify which room in the house will be used for the shelter. Cut plastic sheeting to fit over doors, windows, vents, and other openings, and label each sheet. Identify items you will need for sheltering in place such as: plastic sheeting, duct tape, TV, radio, cell phone, flashlight, and emergency medications.
How will I know if there are harmful contaminants in the air?
You may be informed by a local authority, such as an emergency management official, or by the media, such as a local TV station showing news of a hazardous cloud drifting toward your area. You may smell, taste, see, or feel some contaminants in the air. However, some contaminants cannot be detected by people before serious health effects occur.
How do I decide whether to shelter in place or evacuate the area?
Guidance from the U.S. DHS (Department of Homeland
Security), http://www.ready.gov/: 
DECIDING TO STAY OR GO
Depending on your circumstances and the nature of the attack, the first important decision is whether you stay put or get away. You should understand and plan for both possibilities. Use common sense and available information, including what you are learning here, to determine if there is immediate danger.
In any emergency, local authorities may or may not immediately be able to provide information on what is happening and what you should do. However, you should monitor TV or radio news reports for information or official instructions as they become available. If you're specifically told to evacuate or seek medical treatment, do so immediately.
Staying Put
Whether you are at home, work or elsewhere, there may be situations when it's simply best to stay where you are and avoid any uncertainty outside.
There are other circumstances when staying put and creating a barrier between yourself and potentially contaminated air outside, a process known as "sealing the room," is a matter of survival. Use available information to assess the situation. If you see large amounts of debris in the air, or if local authorities say the air is badly contaminated, you may want to take this kind of action.
The process used to seal the room is considered a temporary protective measure to create a barrier between you and potentially contaminated air outside. It is a type of sheltering in place that requires preplanning.
In summary: First, follow the instructions of a local authority, such as an emergency management official. If instructions from a local authority are not available, use your judgment based on the information you have. For example, if a local TV station shows a hazardous chemical cloud drifting toward your area, and you know that evacuation is impossible due to traffic congestion, then sheltering in place would be an appropriate response.
When should I enter my shelter?
Sheltering in place is most effective if you enter your shelter before the arrival of an airborne contaminant. Follow the instructions of a local authority, such as an emergency management official. If instructions from a local authority are not available, use your judgment based on the information you have. For example, if a local TV station shows a hazardous chemical cloud drifting toward your area, and you know that evacuation is impossible due to traffic congestion, then sheltering in place would be an appropriate response.
When should I leave my shelter and where should I go?
Sheltering in place is most effective if you leave your shelter and go outdoors as soon as the airborne contaminant passes over. Follow the instructions of a local authority, such as an emergency management official, if information is available.
What steps do I take during an event?
Guidance from DHS:
To "Shelter in Place and Seal the Room":
- Bring your family and pets inside.
- Lock doors, close windows, air vents and fireplace dampers.
- Turn off fans, air conditioning and forced air heating systems.
- Take your emergency supply kit unless you have reason to believe it has been contaminated.
- Go into an interior room with few windows, if possible.
- Seal all windows, doors and air vents with plastic sheeting and duct tape. Consider measuring and cutting the sheeting in advance to save time.
- Be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to seal gaps so that you create a barrier between yourself and any contamination.
- Local authorities may not immediately be able to provide information on what is happening and what you should do. However, you should watch TV, listen to the radio or check the Internet often for official news and instructions as they become available.
Who do I rely on for up-to-date and accurate information during an event?
You may rely on a local authority, such as an emergency management official. If information from a local authority is not available, you may obtain information from TV, radio, or the internet.
How long can I safely stay in a sealed room?
It is recommended to allow at least 10 square feet of floor space for each occupant in the sealed room. Occupants should maintain a low level of activity so breathing rates remain low. If the room is very well sealed following the DHS guidance, you can safely stay inside for approximately three hours. Persons with existing respiratory problems may have a shorter time.
What types of harmful contaminants can be in the air?
Many harmful chemicals, aerosols, radiological and biological contaminants can be in the air.
Will sheltering in place be effective for all of the harmful contaminants?
Sheltering in place can provide some protection against all airborne contaminants, because proper sheltering reduces contact with the contaminated air.
What do I do if I am not in home?
Decide whether to shelter in place or evacuate. If you decide to shelter in place, seek refuge in any building. Use available materials to create a shelter. If materials are not available, the building itself can provide some protection. Use a parked car only as a last resort if a nearby building is not available.
What are schools, places of work, hospitals, and other public buildings going to do about this?
Guidance from DHS:
AT WORK AND SCHOOL
Like individuals and families, schools, daycare providers, workplaces, neighborhoods and apartment buildings should all have site-specific emergency plans.
Ask about plans at the places where your family spends the most time: work, school and other places you frequent. If none exist, consider volunteering to help develop one. You will be better prepared to safely reunite your family and loved ones during an emergency if you think ahead, and communicate with others in advance.
For more information on working together, visit Citizen Corps.
Neighborhoods and Apartment Buildings
A community working together during an emergency makes sense.
- Talk to your neighbors about how you can work together during an emergency.
- Find out if anyone has specialized equipment like a power generator, or expertise such as medical knowledge, that might help in a crisis.
- Decide who will check on elderly or disabled neighbors.
- Make back-up plans for children in case you can't get home in an emergency.
- Sharing plans and communicating in advance is a good strategy.
Schools and Daycare
If you are a parent, or guardian of an elderly or disabled adult, make sure schools and daycare providers have emergency response plans.
- Ask how they will communicate with families during a crisis.
- Ask if they store adequate food, water and other basic supplies.
- Find out if they are prepared to "shelter-in-place" if need be, and where they plan to go if they must get away.
Employers
If you are an employer, make sure your workplace has a building evacuation plan that is regularly practiced.
- Take a critical look at your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system to determine if it is secure or if it could feasibly be upgraded to better filter potential contaminants, and be sure you know how to turn it off if you need to.
- Think about what to do if your employees can't go home.
- Make sure you have appropriate supplies on hand.
- Read more at Get a Kit and Staying Put.
In summary: Schools, workplaces, hospitals, day care centers, and other public buildings should have plans for protecting occupants against airborne contaminants, as well as plans for other unlikely emergencies such as fires, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, etc. Sheltering in place should be included in planning.
Are there instruments that I can purchase to alert me to when there is a problem?
Practical, inexpensive instruments are not available.
Are gas masks effective for protecting us?
Gas masks can be very effective for protecting against inhalation of contaminants. However, gas masks must be fitted to each person, people must be trained to use gas masks properly, and gas masks do not protect against skin exposure of contaminants.
Do weather conditions or geography affect what I should do?
Weather conditions or geography may affect how an airborne contaminant moves, and this may affect your decisions (1) whether to shelter in place or evacuate, (2) when to enter the shelter, and (3) when to exit the shelter.
Does this study only pertain to houses?
The study was done to evaluate sheltering in place in a house, but the principles of sheltering in place apply to other building types. Further studies are planned for commercial buildings. ^
Are there other studies in place for other types of buildings?
Some studies for other types of buildings are found in the scientific literature, and as noted, further studies are planned for commercial buildings.
Where did this idea of duct tape and plastic start? Is this method credible?
Most recently, the sheltering in place method was worked out in the United States by CSEPP (Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program) for protecting the public against a release of a chemical warfare agent, and the method can save lives if it is used correctly.
People hear of using duct tape, they think it is hokey when this is serious information. Is there any way of changing that thought process?
Careful marketing and using credible sources of information may help. Sheltering in place should be presented as a common-sense approach that can save lives in the unlikely event of airborne contamination.
How long was the sealed room exposed during the study?
A non-toxic tracer gas, commonly used in these types of studies and not harmful to scientists or participants, was used to determine air flow rates. Simulations were used to determine protection factors for three outdoor exposure times (15 minutes, 1 hour, and 2 hours) and four shelter occupancy times (15 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, and 3 hours).
How will you educate the public?
Currently, public service announcements occasionally appear on TV promoting the ready.gov web site. Additional educational outreach could include press releases, public service announcements, fliers, web sites, and coordination with DHS, FEMA, and other emergency management organizations.
What are the limitations of the study?
In the study, air flow measurements were obtained for one interior room in a test house during two weather conditions. For each weather condition, nine experiments were performed with nine different participants sealing the room. Simulations were used to determine protection factors for two weather conditions, three outdoor exposure times, and four shelter occupancy times.
Who should I contact if I have questions about the study?
Public
Liaison: Aaron Ferster
ferster.aaron@epa.gov
202-564-0321
Research & Development
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20460
Mailing Address: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Mail Code 8101R
Washington, DC 20004
| See Also |
|---|
| Shelter-in-Place Guidelines Enhance Protection Potential |
| Effectiveness of expedient sheltering in place in a residence July 2004 |
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