SHELTER-IN-PLACE PLANNING

For some emergencies, such as a hazardous material spills, it may be safer to stay
inside your facility. This is called sheltering-in-place and may only last a few hours.
You will be instructed by emergency officials when you need to shelter-in-place.
Before
• Room(s) should have adequate space for
everyone to sit down.
Ideally the room should have an adjoining
bathroom.
Avoid rooms with mechanical equipment like
ventilation blowers or pipes.
If possible, identify rooms with a hard-wired
telephone.
Prepare a shelter-in-place kit containing
A standard emergency kit (supplies, food and
water).
Plastic sheeting (preferably, pre-sized and cut
to cover windows and doors)
Duct tape for sealing cracks around doors
and windows.
Enough towels to block the bottoms of each
door in the room(s).
Shelter-in-place signs to post at all entrances
During
 Announce to staff there is a shelter-in-place
emergency and inform staff to stay

• Shelter in place means finding a safe

location indoors and
staying there until you are given an
“all clear” or told to evacuate. You
may be asked to shelter in place
because of an active shooter;
tornado; or chemical, radiological, or
other hazard.
Ask guests, clients and customers to stay, not
leave.
•  If the guests express a concern regarding
their stay, let them know that you do not only
heard them, but you and your hotel staff will
act quickly to make things right. Irrespective of
the length of your guests’ stay at your hotel,
your goal should be to make their stay as
comfortable as possible and communicate
politely in the event that things go wrong.
 Instruct everyone outside to come
inside immediately
• When authorities provide direction to shelter-
in-place, everyone should do
so immediately. Do not drive or
walk outdoors. If there are clients, customers,
or visitors in the building, provide for their
safety by asking them to stay, not leave.
 Direct staff and guests to the designated
shelter-in-place room(s)
• Shelter-in-place (or place/area of rescue
assistance) refers to a designated area of
safety when it is not safe to go outside. An
example is a small, interior room with no or
few windows where refuge can be taken. 
Close all doors, windows and any openings to
the outside.
• Select an interior room(s) above the ground
floor, with the fewest windows or vents. Close
and lock all windows, exterior doors, and any
other openings to the outside. Stay away from
windows and doors.
 Shut down air handling equipment (e.g.
heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, etc.).
• It is important to shut down air handling
equipment because it causes air exchange
simply refer to the number of times
that air gets replaced in each room every hour.
... HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning)
contractors use these “changes per hour”
recommended ranges to calculate the amount
of airflow that's needed in different rooms to
ensure adequate house-wide air exchange.
 Account for all employees and guests
• Designate assembly areas, both inside and outside
your workplace, where employees should gather
after evacuating. Assembly locations within the
building are often referred to as "areas of refuge."
Make sure your assembly area has sufficient space
to accommodate all of your employees. Exterior
assembly areas, used when the building must be
partially or completely evacuated, are typically
located in parking lots or other open areas away
from busy streets.
• Take a head count after the evacuation. Identify
the names and last known locations of anyone
not accounted for and pass them to the official
in charge. Accounting for all employees following
an evacuation is critical. Confusion in the
assembly areas can lead to delays in rescuing
anyone trapped in the building, or unnecessary
and dangerous search-and-rescue operations.
When designating an assembly area, consider
(and try to minimize) the possibility of
employees interfering with rescue operations.
• Establish a method for accounting for non-
employees such as suppliers and customers.
• Establish procedures for further evacuation in
case the incident expands. This may consist of
sending employees home by normal means or
providing them with transportation to an
offsite location.
 Seal doors, windows and vents with plastic
sheeting, tape and towels.
• Prepare window coverings: When the room is used
as a shelter, the windows must be sealed against
any outside air entering. Measure all window
openings in the room, then add a generous six
inches on all sides of each window measurement.
Don’t forget the skylights. Cut plastic sheeting
according to the measurements. Label each sheet
to show which window it covers. Store enough rolls
of duct tape to go around all the windows
completely
• Prepare vent and door coverings:
Just as you did for the windows,
measure each air vent, door, and
any other openings leading outside
the room. Cut and label plastic
sheeting for each opening. Storing
multiple rolls of tape allows more
than one person to work at a time
• Assemble shelter in-place supplies: Your
supplies should be stored in the chosen
shelter room. Put the plastic sheets, duct
tape, and other recommended supplies
(see list on reverse) together in one
container. An under-the-bed box works
well, or use a container that fits on a
closet shelf or in a cabinet.
• Cut and labeled plastic sheeting for each
window, door, air vent, or other opening (See
reverse for preparation instructions.) Multiple
rolls of duct tape for sealing plastic sheeting
(allows more than one person to work at the
same time) Towel for under the door to seal
against outside air Battery-powered radio,
flashlight, and extra batteries; battery-powered
or cellular phone (if no phone in room) Snack
foods, canned juices or other drinks, pet foods
Games and books to pass the time
 Remain in the shelter-in-place room(s) until
an “all clear” is issued by emergency officials.

• Identify areas suitable for shelter-in-place

prior to an incident. This will allow you to
think clearly during an emergency and
increase the odds of your safety. Also,
communicate expected actions or procedures
during emergencies to family members and
loved ones. Finally, review your building’s
emergency procedures and be vigilant of
threats in your vicinity.
After
 When the “all clear” is issued, have all staff
and guests leave the shelter-in-place room(s).

• At the “All Clear”, leave the shelter room.

Verify that Facilities has turned all ventilation
equipment back on. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DO
THIS YOURSELF. ‰ Unlock doors, take sign
down, prop the door open, and go to the pre-
arranged meeting area outside. Check in with
the Building Emergency Coordinator. ‰ Put
the “NO ENTRY” sign back in its storage place.