Shelter seeking

Larvae of amphibions flee and hide in response to waterborne chemicals from predators (Kats et al. 1988 Kats 1988 Petranka et al. 1987). Run water through a flow-through system of four consecutive tanks from a water tank to a tank with predator fish, to a tank with tadpoles, and finally to a water tank. For the control experiment, there are no fish in the second tank. Observe and measure the spatial distribution and the shelter-seeking by the tadpoles under three conditions in the second tank is no fish a predatory fish and nonpredatory fish. 

Site management should designate a responsible person(s) to monitor the weather and initiate the shelter-seeking process when appropriate. A protocol should be in place to notify you and your co-workers who may be at risk from a lightning threat. Depending on the number of employees involved, a team of people may be needed to coordinate the sheltering plan. Safe locations should be identified beforehand, along with a means to route you to those locations. 

Humans seek and want thermal comfort, even at work in industrial settings. Clothing, activities, posture, location, and shelter are chosen, adjusted, altered, and sought consciously and unconsciously to reduce discomforts and enable us to focus more on the other tasks of life. Discomfort can contribute to mistakes, productivity decreases, and industrial accidents. " Thermal discomfort results from the physiological strain of thermoregulation. The strain can be in the form of altered body temperatures, sweating and excessive skin moisture, muscle tension and stiffness, shivering, and loss of dexterity. A small... 

Time Rule 2 Leave the damaged building or affected area in a quick and orderly manner and seek shelter in a nearby, preferably undamaged, building (following an emergency response plan if one exists). 

Hazardous substances can be distributed in plumes of dust or smoke, or can be contained in or on debris scattered about the site of an attack. An individual who uses common sense when he sees a plume of smoke should try to avoid direct contact by retreating into a nearby building. Because fine particles may also be in the air and not easily observed, the potential for exposure reduces as distance from the site increases. Risk from exposure may also be reduced by seeking shelter in a nearby building. 

Everyone should avoid plumes of smoke that may deposit contaminants at larger distances. It would be unfortunate for an individual to safely evacuate from a terrorist attack only to be caught in the open a mile from the attack and exposed to a plume of contaminated smoke. As with the time factor, the best practice is to move quickly from the site of the attack and seek shelter in a building with the heating and air conditioning system either set to recirculate the existing air in the building or turned off. The next step is to wait for authorities to confirm when it is safe to evacuate the area. 

Shielding Rule 1 To shield against a radiation or biological attack, move to the dark corners of a basement (if available) or to a windowless center room. For attacks involving chemical agents, seek shelter in a windowless center room on the ground floor as opposed to a basement or other substructure where chemical agents will concentrate. 

The final column presents the radius of 50% mortality from fallout 1 hour after the explosion. Of all of the threats described, fallout is the hardest to predict because of the influence of local, regional, or even global weather patterns. The mushroom cloud can rise into the atmosphere as far as 80,000 feet, where wind and rain influence the time and location for fallout to occur.2 Individuals several miles from ground zero and well outside any radius presented in Table 5.1 can receive significant or even lethal radiation doses from fallout. However, while the air blast, thermal burns, and initial radiation are threats in all directions, fallout is a threat downwind from ground zero. Wind speed and direction vary at different altitudes, and it is safest to assume that fallout is a potential threat in all directions from ground zero. Individuals outside the blast zone generally will have several minutes to an hour or more to seek shelter before fallout arrives. 

Using the 7/10 rule, 7 hours after an explosion, radiation levels will have dropped by a factor of 10. After 7 x 7 = 49 hours (about 2 days), the levels will have dropped by a factor of 100. After 7 x 7 x 7 = 343 hours (about 14 days), the levels will have dropped by a factor of 1000. Most of the intense radiation will be gone within the first few days after the explosion. It is assumed that after 2 days, individuals can surface to quickly gather resources (Table 5.3 also shows how long an individual has to seek shelter, gather resources, etc.). Ideally, movement of emergency responders and sheltered individuals will be controlled until measured radiation levels are acceptable and evacuation instructions are provided. However, as a rule, it is best to stay sheltered for at least 14 days, after which time it is assumed that radiation levels will have dropped enough to be able to leave the area — quickly. 

Nuclear Explosion Survival Rule 2 Seek shelter or retreat behind a solid barrier immediately and stay hidden for at least 2 minutes. Note that every fraction of a second out in the open increases exposure to the intense heat, initial radiation, and air blast. 

Shielding material can be brick, concrete, steel, wood, or even the earth. Ideally, the shielding material will not collapse from the explosion or air blast or burn from the heat. If available, an underground shelter is the best option to avoid the air blast, thermal burns, initial radiation, and fallout. However, most victims do not have time to be terribly selective about where to seek shelter. The innermost rooms of a building may be the only shelter available. While they do not provide the same level of shielding as an underground basement, they provide more protection than an open environment. Seek the best shield in the immediate vicinity and stay there at least several minutes until the initial radiation and heat subside. 

Although not as effective as a thick layer of concrete, multiple layers of other materials (e.g., a roof and several floors) may also be effective shields. For example, fallout will land on the roof of a multiple-story building. The roof and floors will keep the fallout away from individuals seeking shelter in inner rooms or a basement. Additionally, the multiple layers of wood, steel, and concrete help reduce dose levels in the shelter. 

In summary, hide behind shields such as brick walls, cars, ditches, subway tunnels, etc. until the initial heat and radiation levels subside (after a few minutes). Then seek a more permanent shelter to shield against the radiation from fallout. Seek out dark corners and create additional shielding by stacking bricks, cinder-blocks, etc. 

In summary, individuals within the light destruction radius should seek longterm shelter as soon as possible. Individuals further from ground zero have some time to gather resources and to build up additional radiation shielding. In all cases, individuals should plan to stay in their shelters as long as 14 days or until authorities confirm it is safe to evacuate. 

The intense initial heat lasts several seconds and the initial radiation lasts only a few minutes. Seek shelter behind some solid barrier (i.e., a brick wall or subway tunnel) as soon as possible to avoid high radiation doses and thermal burns. Hopefully, this solid barrier will also be able to endure the coming air blast. An air blast from a nuclear explosion travels at approximately 5 miles per second and carries with it glass, metal, or any debris in its path. By immediately retreating behind a solid barrier, individuals can avoid exposure to the initial heat and radiation and hopefully survive the air blast. The next challenge is seeking long-term shelter to avoid the radiation from fallout. 

When it is appropriate to seek shelter inside the building... 

Behind this belief are the thousands of practicing psychiatrists and pediatricians who rely on the diagnosis, the pharmaceutical companies that make millions of dollars each year from ADHD-drugs, and the hundreds of thousands of families and teachers who seek shelter behind the diagnosis and its so-called treatment [Ritalin].42... 

The number of people to be located in each safe haven or temporary safe haven must be carefully evaluated and planned for. This is to ensure that there will be an adequate number of escape air masks for those taking shelter in the buildings if the incident lasts longer than anticipated over time. In a situation like this, the toxic concentration will rise over time and vacating the haven will be necessary. When planning for the number of escape masks needed, some allowance must be made for visitors who may be seeking shelter as well. 

More disturbing are situations in which residents take appropriate action as emergency officials directed, only to find that critical needs cannot be accommodated. A deaf couple drives to a shelter, learning when they arrive that it lacks a sign-language interpreter to assist with communication. Staff at another shelter refuse to allow a man with cerebral palsy to enter because they confuse his slurred speech and disjointed movement for drunkenness. In the wake of a terrorist attack from an unidentified source, a woman wearing traditional Muslim cover and her husband are turned away from an aid station when they seek medical help. These, and other situations, unfortunately continue to occur with each disaster and crisis. 

Once it is determined that a person has one of the many types of mental or developmental disabilities, the most important point is to assure the person that he or she is now in a safe environment—to the extent such a declaration actually can be made. Any hospital or shelter will be full of sound and loud conversation, but if any more quiet areas exist, these people should be directed to them. Make sure the person has clearly understood instructions and don t hesitate to repeat. If you must perform a procedure on the individual, explain what you need to do and seek the person s permission. He or she may have established a safe boundary around him or herself that cannot be penetrated without his or her consent. 

As we approach the dawn of a new century, we feel deeply anxious for the welfare of the planet Earth, and of the generations that must succeed us. Human numbers are growing explosively. Each human being must eat, keep warm and seek shelter. As we do so, in an evergrowing multitude, we place greater stress on the resources that support us. Already the signs of that stress are universal. The last terrestrial frontiers have been removed, the last solitudes penetrated. 

You should also not seek shelter under a tree during a thunderstorm. The tree not only sticks up like a lightning rod, but the sap in the tree also contains electrolytes, and conducts the electricity. Lightning finds a path to the ground through the trunk of the tree. 

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