Evaluation of temporary safe havens

✍ Scribed by Paul R. Jann

• Book ID: 103967825
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1989
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 173 KB
• Volume: 2
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0950-4230
• DOI: 10.1016/0950-4230(89)87006-8

✦ Synopsis

In the event of an accidental release to the environment of a volatile hazardous chemical, buildings can serve as temporary safe havens (TSHs), providing potentially exposed personnel some protection from toxic fumes. However, the actual infiltration rate into buildings is often not known, and TSH candidates have been selected solely on the basis of building construction and/or air exchange 'guestimates'. Tracer techniques now enable the deliberate identification of suitable buildings and their integration into emergency response planning. This paper discusses the sulphur hexafluoride tracer decay method, which can measure the absolute infiltration rate into a candidate TSH building and allow calculation of 'safe time' protection for various scenarios appropriate to the particular site. Results of actual plant studies are discussed along with suggestions for extending TSH concepts to community emergency planning.