Season Two Research Files
Episode Fourteen
9:00pm-10:00pm
FALLOUT SHELTER SUPPLIES
A fallout shelter is any room, structure, or space designated as such and providing its occupants a minimum protection factor of 40 from fallout radiation resulting from a nuclear explosion. Protection factor, abbreviated as PF, is a numerical value that expresses the relation between the amount of fallout radiation that would be received in a protected location and the amount that would be received if unprotected in the same location.
According to standards set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a minimum of 3 cubic feet of fresh air per minute per fallout shelter occupant shall be provided to prevent oxygen depletion and carbon dioxide buildup. The site should offer ventilation sufficient enough to maintain a daily average effective temperature of not more than 82°F (28°C) and not less than 50°F (10°C) during the occupancy period.
No special lighting is required for fallout shelters that receive natural light. Spaces without windows, above or below ground, should be provided with a minimum lighting level of 2 footcandles at the floor. Normal lighting fixtures may be used for this purpose if powered by an emergency generator. Battery-operated lights may also be used.
Hazardous utility lines, such as steam, gas, and oil lines, can not be located in or near the fallout shelter unless provision is made to control such lines by valving or other approved means which permits shut-off of flow through the fallout shelter.
A minimum of 3.5 gallons of potable water shall be available for each fallout shelter occupant. If it cannot reasonably be assumed that the public water supply system will be operational at all times when the fallout shelter may be occupied, then other means shall be provided for meeting this requirement. Storage tanks, trapped potable water in building lines, or auxiliary water wells at or near the premises may be used to fulfill this requirement.
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