Reassessing materials for use by persons with special needs to expediently shelter in place

On February 10, 2003, the American public was advised by US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to purchase duct tape and plastic sheeting to create safe havens in their homes. This was to be achieved by sealing off an internal room in which to shelter in the event of a terrorist attack involving biological, chemical, or radioactive weapons. This two decades-old practice of expedient sheltering relies on reducing the flow of exterior air into a “safe room” by employing readily available materials. Cutting plastic sheeting into properly sized covers for windows, doors, and vents and applying ducttape strips to attach the sheeting to adjoining walls and ceilings is not considered a difficult task for the general public. However, for those with significant physical, medical, or mental impairments, these steps may be too difficult and stressful during an emergency situation. In seeking to address this disparity in self-sheltering abilities, Argonne National Lab oratory (ANL) in Illinois conducted a preliminary assessment of several alternative materials for reducing air infiltration into designated safe rooms that could be readily used by persons with special needs. Based on the criteria of effectiveness in reducing air infiltration, ease of application, and ease of removal, our research found that painter’s tape and self-adhering laminate provide a level of protection that is at least equal to conventional duct tape and plastic sheeting when placed directly over the air gaps around windows and doors. Background The current practice of expedient sheltering evolved from a concept of “ad hoc shelter” put forth by the North American Treaty Organization in 1983, whereby the general population was to protect itself from chemical warfare agent exposure by using plastic sheeting to seal off a predesignated room. This concept was modified when Israel’s combat line moved from the border to the home front during the 1991 Gulf War, at which time civilians were educated by the Israeli Home Front Command on how to prepare themselves for the direct threat of warheads of unknown composition by establishing protected shelters. Although the Doctrine of the Protection of the Civilian Population in Israel requires that all new building construction as well as additions to existing buildings be equipped with an engineered sealed shelter, people in buildings without shelters are to practice “expedient sheltering.” This process involves selecting an inner room, sealing joints with adhesive tape, and completing the sealing process with plastic around every window (Figure 1). In the United States, the basic tenets of sheltering in place for short-term protection, as currently prescribed by federal agencies, state and local governments, and national organizations, generally involve some combination of steps, which include: