FACTS
- Shelter in Place will be used when it is safer for employees to remain inside the building than to evacuate.
- SIPs can be deployed across a multitude of emergencies ranging from terrorism wildfire smoke, chemical release, or dangerous personnel in the area.
- Shelter is a basic human need crucial for survival in cases of natural hazards or conflict. It provides security, personal safety, and protection from the weather, and prevents ill health and disease.
- Four stages of Shelter-in-Place, each with differing levels of security and preparation time.
- Normal Sheltering. Taking refuge in an existing building and closing all doors, windows, and vents as well as turning off all air conditioning, heating, and ventilation systems. Going to an interior room, with minimal doors and windows, will improve the level of protection, if possible.
- Expedient Sheltering. In addition to normal sheltering, further steps are taken to help seal the environment, including applying plastic sheeting and tape to windows, doors, vents, and electrical outlets.
- Enhanced Sheltering. For this form of sheltering, permanent barriers such as weather strips and storm windows have been built into the structure to reduce infiltration.
- Pressurized Sheltering. Pressurized SIP requires a designated sealed room and positive pressure, created with large fans.
STATS
- Consumer product injuries rebound 7% in 2021 following an 18% decrease in 2020.
- Following the record low number of consumer product-related injuries reported in 2020, injuries increased 6.8% in 2021. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported that in the first seven months of the COVID-19 pandemic, amid the majority of shelter-in-place restrictions, visits to emergency departments for consumer product-related injuries fell 24%. The largest decrease occurred in April, with a 45% decrease. Over the full year consumer product injuries treated in emergency departments decreased 18% in 2020 compared to 2019.
- The CPSC reports that the largest decreases in 2020 were sports-related injuries. Also, visits for relatively minor injuries (e.g., strains/sprains) decreased over 40%, while more severe injuries like amputations remained relatively stable.
- Because the consumer product data presented here reflect only emergency department visits, and not injuries that are self-treated or treated in doctor’s offices/urgent care centers, it is not clear if injuries actually decreased in 2020 or if just visits to emergency departments to treat the injuries decreased.
- In 2021, 11.7 million people were treated in emergency departments for injuries resulting from consumer products. Most of the injuries involve everyday products often assumed to be safe. Many of these injuries occur to our most vulnerable populations, older adults, and young children. Common products such as televisions, household cleaning products and even beds can pose risks. The infographic includes a summary of consumer product injuries in 2021.