Pop quiz hot shot. Let’s say you’re working on station and suddenly a chemical explosion takes place nearby causing its particles to go airborne.  What do you do? What do you do?

The answer may be closer than you think. 

Sheltering in place (SIP) is a program that’s gained increasing attention following the terrorist attacks of 9/11. If your workstation doesn’t have a plan in place yet, Signalman Petty Officer 1st Class(SW) Dennis Applegate, is working to remedy that.

“SIP is getting out of the fresh air where there’s been a gas, chemical, or bacterial explosion, regardless if it was accidental or terrorist originated,” said Applegate.

SIP is a precaution aimed at keeping station personnel safe while remaining indoors. 

For the program to work, a room on your building level must be prior designated as the SIP area.  The room must be a small, interior room, with no or few windows. Each floor of the building you work in should have an SIP designated area to take refuge in case hazardous materials are released into the atmosphere.

“All ventilation should be secured,” said Applegate. “Windows, vents, and doors are taped shut except for the bottom of the door where a wet towel should be placed to filter out the hazardous particulates.”

If you shelter in place correctly, you can avoid 96 percent of the particulates in the air,” he said.

Applegate notes that every hazardous explosion dispenses a certain amount of gas.

“These fogs of chemicals, are chlorine, ammonium, and acids,” he said.  “But they can mainly be avoided by sheltering in place.”

Each floor’s SIP room should be outfitted ahead of time with essential disaster supplies, such as nonperishable food, bottled water, battery-powered radios, first aid supplies, flashlights, batteries, duct tape, plastic sheeting, and plastic garbage bags.

The purpose of SIP is to persevere through the immediate effects of the hazardous material particulates and is not intended for long-term refuge. The nominal time a person should remain in SIP is two to three hours.

To establish a shelter in place program for your workcenter or to find out more information on the program, contact SM1(SW) Dennis Applegate at (425) 304-3139 or email him at .