What to do in a radiation emergency

A radiation emergency can be an accident at a nuclear power plant, a crash involving a shipment of radioactive material, an exposure at a hospital or research site, or a nuclear explosion. The damage varies, but the steps to protect yourself are the same: get inside, stay inside and stay tuned. Walls between you and the outside block radiation while you wait for instructions. Radiation levels from fallout drop quickly, becoming much less dangerous during the first 24 hours.

What you need

• A battery-powered or hand-crank radio
• A change of clothes for each person
• Trash bags for contaminated clothing
• Sealed food, water and medicine
• Soap and water, or clean wet cloths

Steps

1. 1

   Get inside right away

   If you're warned of a radiation hazard, go into the nearest building at once and move away from windows. Put as many walls as you can between you and the outside. Buildings with brick or concrete walls protect best, and so do basements, underground parking garages and subways.

   5 min

2. 2

   Go deep inside

   Move to the basement or the center of a large building. Bring pets and service animals inside too.

   2 min

3. 3

   Shut out the outside air

   Close the windows, doors and fireplace dampers. Turn off fans, air conditioners and forced-air heating that bring in air from outside.

   5 min

4. 4

   Stay inside

   Sheltering usually lasts at least 24 hours. Leave only if officials say it's safe or a fire, gas leak, collapse or serious injury forces you out.

   1 min

5. 5

   Stay tuned

   Follow instructions from emergency officials on the radio, TV or your phone. If you're told to evacuate, listen for the routes and shelters. Once you've left, don't go back until officials say it's safe.

   1 min

If you were outside

If you were outside when radioactive material was released, or think it's on you:

• Take off your outer layer of clothing carefully, so dust doesn't shake loose. That can remove up to 90% of the radioactive material. Put it in a sealed bag.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Shower or wash with soap and water. If you can't, wipe any skin and hair that wasn't covered with a clean wet cloth. Household cleaning wipes aren't for skin, and hand sanitizer doesn't protect against radioactive material.
• Brush and wash any pets that were outside.

Food and water

Food and drinks that were inside a building are safe. Sealed containers that were outside are safe once the outside is wiped with a damp cloth, and the cloth goes in a sealed bag away from people and pets. Don't eat garden produce, or anything that was outdoors and uncovered, until officials say it's safe.

A nuclear explosion

With warning, take cover behind anything that might protect you from the blast. If you're outside, lie face down to protect your skin from the heat and flying debris. After the shockwave passes, there are 10 minutes or more to reach a shelter before fallout arrives. If a basement or a building of several stories is a few minutes away, go there at once.

Planning ahead

Have more than one way to get alerts, including local emergency alerts from your emergency management office and a radio that works when other communication fails. Pick a place to meet if you can't get home, and an out-of-state contact everyone can check in with. Learn the shelter-in-place and evacuation plans for the children's school, your work and any care facility a relative lives in.