Sheltering in buildings from toxic outdoor releases R. Carrié, R. Goyet, and D. Limoges CETE Lyon SETRIC workshop Mitigation : from experts to local authorities 30 June – 1 July 2005

A concern for local authorities Risk prevention Urban planning and city code Preparation to crisis Information to the public Take measures to provide shelter in buildings owned or managed by the local authority (ex. schools, daycare centres, office buildings, residences, etc.) Train the public (safety drills) Financial compensations (together with industry and state authority) Share experience with other local authorities concerned Crisis management Provide shelter in buildings owned or managed by the local authority Temporary transfer of personnel (ex. city police) After a crisis Learn lessons

Background Toxic release Chemical, biological, or radiological contaminants may be accidentally released outdoors near SEVESO industrial sites Outdoor concentration Determined from risk assessment For each contaminant, a perimeter is defined based on health effects

Objective of shelter-in-place To protect immediately people from outdoor toxic release for a short time => To maintain a breathable atmosphere in one interior room Can be active (ex. active pollutant filtration in mechanical systems) or passive (rely on building airtightness)

Effectiveness of shelter-in-place Examples : Pensacola, FL – 1977 –Amonia vapour release from railroad tank –2 deaths, 46 injuries –Breathable and survivable atmosphere was maintained in confined houses (residents were not harmed) Texas City, TX – 1987 –Hydrogen fluoride release –3000 people evacuated –500 treated for burns and respiratory problems –People who stayed in their homes were not injured Pittsburg, CA – 1998 –Chlorine release (400 kg) –7000 people sheltered in place –1 employee injured –No injuries offsite

The role of building airtightness

Accompanying measures To be efficient, shelter-in-place strategy must entail : Information and communication –Why and how to shelter-in-place Emergency warning systems and safety drills –Tests of warning systems –Safety drills Procedures during and after an emergency –Specific procedures (ex. open doors and windows) –Listen to the radio (France Bleue Régions)

Practical experience School canteen (Salaise sur Sanne, FR) Primary school (Jarrie, FR)

School canteen Principal characteristics 1200 m away from phosgene (carbonyl chloride) 1300 m away from amonia 1800 m away from methyl chloride Objective Provide shelter for 234 persons Means Identify rooms potentially used as shelters Conduct adaptive measures Control shelter airtightness Work undertaken Selection of school canteen as shelter among 3 candidates Verification of of airtightness of concrete structure Replacement of exterior doors Verification of ventilation, heating, and electricity systems Emergency shut-off and motorized fire valves Re-designing of pathways to shelter Emergency cabinet with tape, radio, safety flashlights, games, food, water) Airtightness : n 10 < 0.5 Vol/h at 10 Pa –Measured : 0.4 vol/h at 10 Pa Cost : 75 Euros / m 2 (2002) Commissionning : May 2002

School canteen

Procedure Emergency warning sirens Gathering of pupils in shelters Close airlocks Shut off ventilation system and fire valves Listen to the radio Manually tape joints Entertain pupils and wait for end of emergency End of emergency : open airlocks

Primary school Principal characteristics 250 m away from chlorine container Old buildings (1930) not adapted for sheltering Objective Provide shelter for 315 persons Means Specially-built shelters to protect both from over- pressure and toxic release Quality management during construction work Shelter characteristics 3 reinforced concrete shelters Supply-exhaust ventilation system, with emergency shut-off and motorized fire valves Airtightness : n10 < 0.4 Vol/h at 10 Pa –Measured : 0.05 to 0.18 vol/h at 10 Pa Sanitary equipment included Telephone link between shelters Can be used for gymnastics or library (little furniture) Commissioning : October 1994

Primary school Procedure Emergency warning sirens Gathering of pupils in shelters Close airlocks Shut off ventilation system and fire valves Listen to the radio Entertain pupils and wait for end of emergency End of emergency : open airlocks

The role of local authorities on measures to provide shelter Call for tenders Define requirements Require that a quality management procedure be implemented Select main contractor Construction work If relevant, conduct simulation of shelter-in-place before construction work The contractor : –proposes technical solutions –carries out the construction work according to the quality procedures Commissioning Third-party measurements Visual inspections

Conclusion Sheltering-in-place is an effective measure against outdoor toxic release If there are requirements on airtightness, quality management should be implemented The sheltering time cannot be too long Accompanying measures (ex. safety drills) are essential