GB/T 35624-2025General technical requirements of emergency shelters (English PDF)

1 Scope

This document specifies the general technical requirements for the planning, design, construction, management and maintenance, use and inspection and assessment of emergency shelters.

This document applies to the planning, design, construction, management and maintenance, use and inspection and assessment of emergency shelters.

4 General requirements

4.1 Public facilities for education, sport, culture and tourism in town and countryside, together with resources for disaster prevention, air defence and epidemic control, shall be planned as a whole for dual everyday and emergency use, built jointly and used jointly.

4.2 The geographical and geological setting, the meteorological and hydrological conditions, the distribution of the urban and rural population, land resources, public facilities and open space, and the risk of disaster and accident shall all be taken together, and shelters of a suitable class and type planned and designed accordingly.

4.3 The specialised plan for emergency shelters shall be followed, and shelters of every class and type shall be built, maintained and used to local conditions, taking account of economic and social development.

5 Planning

5.1.1 All sources of emergency risk faced within the planning area shall be reviewed, and the kinds of risk, their size, the degree of their effect and their spatial distribution determined.

5.1.2 Taking the emergency risks of the planning area as a whole, the number of people who would need shelter, their age composition and their spatial distribution shall be analysed.

5.2.1 The resources available within the planning area for disaster, air defence and epidemic shelter shall be surveyed, including their location, type, building and site conditions, the kinds of sheltering they suit, the usable shelter area and the state of the infrastructure.

5.2.2 The safety, the level of protective design and the accessibility of those resources shall be assessed, and resources unsuited to serve as emergency shelters excluded.

5.3 The spatial distribution and construction requirements for shelters of different classes and types shall be set out in accordance with GB/T 44013, and shelters of a suitable class and type designed accordingly.

5.4.1 The siting of a shelter shall meet safety requirements: it shall avoid seismic fault zones, sites and danger areas of geological hazard and areas at risk of flood, and shall be well clear of flood discharge areas, reservoir spillway areas and areas threatened by mountain torrents, of high voltage line corridors, oil and gas pipelines, hazardous chemical storage areas, large chemical parks, tailings ponds and stores of flammable, explosive or nuclear material, and of the collapse range of buildings and structures.

5.4.2 The siting shall meet requirements of convenience: transport around the site shall be easy, so that people can reach it and vehicles, equipment and supplies can be delivered.

5.4.3 The site shall be easy to connect to municipal infrastructure and shall have power, water and drainage capacity.

5.4.4 The layout of shelters shall follow territorial spatial planning, so that the total is sufficient and what already exists is used to the full, overlapping service areas are avoided and blind spots are covered as far as possible.

6 Design

6.1.1 The general layout design shall take together the terrain, the landform, the climate, the hydrology, the geology, the vegetation cover and the sheltering needs.

6.1.2 It shall cover the building layout, the functional zones, the entrances and exits, the pipe and cable networks and the barrier-free provisions.

6.1.3 The general layout shall meet the following: a reasonable building layout with clear functional zoning, smooth circulation and convenient management and maintenance, satisfying local planning requirements; outdoor ground that is fairly level, allows air to circulate and drains easily; two or more entrances connecting to roads in different directions, the main routes to them meeting the requirements for firefighting, safe evacuation and the passage of vehicles for supplies and medical rescue as well as the fire separation widths of GB 55037; emergency parking whose number of spaces, width and height give priority to rescue vehicles; and barrier-free design complying with GB 50763.

6.2.1 The design of the shelter grounds shall keep the flow of people, vehicles and goods reasonably separated and shall favour firefighting, parking, the assembly and dispersal of sheltering people and the placing of barrier-free facilities.

6.2.2 The number and width of emergency routes within the grounds shall suit the length of the stay, the number of people who can be accommodated and the requirements of the functional zones.

6.2.3 The spacing between shelter buildings shall meet local planning requirements for daylight, lighting, ventilation, firefighting, disaster prevention, buried services and visual hygiene.

6.2.4 Shelter buildings and their structures shall meet the design requirements for earthquake, flood, waterlogging, lightning, wind and fire.

6.2.5 The supporting facilities, the direction of the evacuation routes and the width of the stairs and safety exits shall be designed for the number of people to be accommodated.

6.3.1 An emergency shelter shall have zones for emergency assembly, command and management, medical treatment, supply storage, washing, refuse storage and transfer, and emergency parking.

6.3.2 A short-term shelter shall add to those zones for sleeping accommodation, epidemic isolation and catering.

6.3.3 A long-term shelter shall add to those zones for cultural and sporting activity, temporary teaching, public services and helicopter landing.

6.3.4 Each zone shall connect to the internal emergency routes and shall be signed in accordance with GB/T 44014; fire routes shall be laid out between zones in accordance with the fire safety rules.

6.3.6 In an outdoor shelter the zones shall be laid out taking together the terrain, the water, the wind direction, the vegetation cover and the effective shelter area; in an indoor shelter they shall be laid out with regard to the everyday use of the rooms.

6.3.9 The emergency assembly zone shall be placed so that it connects easily to the main route through the shelter, with ground space and assembly facilities that let people gather and disperse quickly.

6.3.10 The sleeping zone shall be placed where people can be evacuated safely; it shall be laid out with sleeping and supporting facilities and should be grouped by the number of people to be accommodated, the effective shelter area, the number of families and the ratio of men to women, with the necessary provision for privacy.

6.3.11 The command and management zone should use the existing office area or control room of the site and shall be provided with an emergency communication interface.

6.3.12 The medical treatment zone shall have its own water point and refuse collection point.

6.3.13 The washing zone shall be designed with water supply and drainage, placed with the sleeping zone but at a hygienic separation distance from it.

6.3.14 The refuse storage and transfer zone shall be placed downwind of the prevailing wind direction and at a hygienic separation distance from the other zones.

6.3.15 The emergency parking zone shall use the existing spaces of the site or usable ground within 500 m around it, the width and height of the main routes and the size of the spaces giving priority to rescue vehicles.

6.3.16 The helicopter landing zone shall be placed on open, level ground with nothing to obstruct take-off and landing, and shall meet the following. The landing pad shall be large enough to contain a circle of diameter not less than 1.5 times the overall length of the helicopter; where a rectangular pad is used its length shall be not less than 1.5 times the length of the helicopter and its width not less than 1.5 times the rotor diameter. The pad shall be clearly marked in yellow or white, showing the rated helicopter load, the main approach and departure direction, the landing area and the safety area. A safety area shall be provided around the final approach and take-off area, extending at least 3 m from its edge or 0.25 times the overall length of the helicopter, whichever is greater; apart from frangible objects placed there for functional reasons there shall be no fixed object in the safety area, and frangible objects shall not project above a surface rising outwards at 5 percent from a line 25 cm above the edge of the final approach and take-off area. The pad shall have not less than two exits, each of a width not less than 1.5 m.

6.4.1 Equipment and supplies shall be provided according to the type of shelter, taking account of the disaster environment, the climate, the level of economic and social development and the building and site conditions, and comfort and convenience shall be improved once the basic sheltering functions are met.

6.4.2 An emergency shelter shall be equipped for up to one day of emergency refuge, with facilities and supplies for assembly, command, medical aid, storage, washing, refuse handling, parking, water supply, power supply, ventilation, firefighting, heating or cooling, emergency routes, emergency repair and construction, barrier-free access and signage.

6.4.3 A short-term shelter shall add to those the facilities and supplies for 2 to 14 days of sheltering: sleeping accommodation, epidemic isolation, catering, emergency drainage and security.

6.4.4 A long-term shelter shall add to those the facilities and supplies for 15 to 180 days of temporary resettlement: cultural and sporting activity, temporary teaching, public services and helicopter landing.

6.4.5 The quality of the emergency water supply shall meet GB 5749; the supply should use municipal water where it exists, and where there is none, purification and filtration equipment shall be provided according to the quality of the source.

6.4.6 The emergency power supply shall be a dual circuit supply or a dual source supply; where conditions do not allow it, a single circuit supply may be used but an emergency power source or generator shall be provided.

6.4.7 Emergency toilets shall be fixed or mobile; the number of positions shall be not less than 2 percent of the number of people accommodated, set out in a ratio of one for men to two for women. In an outdoor shelter the toilets shall be downwind of the prevailing wind direction and at least 8 m from the sleeping zone; in an indoor shelter they shall be ventilated.

6.4.9 Video surveillance shall cover the assembly zone, the sleeping zone and the other important zones as well as the main routes and entrances of the site.

6.4.11 All equipment shall be installed firmly and reliably, and interfaces shall be designed in advance for equipment that has to be brought in during an emergency.

7 Construction

7.1.1 An emergency shelter built at the same time as public facilities, open space or a housing development shall be designed, built and brought into use at the same time as the main works it depends on.

7.1.2 A shelter built jointly with public buildings and open space for air defence or epidemic control shall, according to the case, be built with the means to switch between disaster, air defence and epidemic functions, or with the interfaces left in place.

7.1.3 A new shelter shall take account of building protection level, spatial layout, equipment and the switch between everyday and emergency use, and the sheltering function shall be worked into the design, construction and use of the main works without adding to, or while avoiding adding to, the difficulty and cost of building the main structure.

7.1.4 Before a new shelter is brought into use, the sheltering facilities shall pass acceptance together with the main works.

7.2.1 Before a shelter is converted, it shall be assessed whether the public building and open space it relies on meet the siting safety, protection level and accessibility requirements, and what the gap is between the existing function of that building and space and the intended sheltering function, the usable effective shelter area and the expected number of people; a conversion scheme shall then be drawn up from the functional needs and the intended result.

7.2.2 The conversion scheme shall state the executing organisation, the division of tasks, the responsibilities, the sequence of works and the functional outcome.

7.2.3 Conversion generally covers strengthening of the structure, the setting out and adjustment of functional zones and the provision of equipment and supplies, and shall meet the following: the safety requirements of the structure shall be established for the class and type the site is being converted to, and latent structural safety hazards removed by structural strengthening; the durability and service life of the structure shall be improved by the conversion, lengthening the life of the building and reducing maintenance cost and investment; the sheltering environment and function shall be improved by the zoning and the provision of equipment and supplies, so that the place suits the living needs of the people sheltering there; and the conversion shall be economically reasonable once the safety requirements are met, saving resources, lowering cost and raising the return on use.

7.3.1 Before a shelter is designated, it shall be assessed whether the public building and open space meet the siting safety, protection level and accessibility requirements, whether they have reasonably complete and usable basic living facilities for assembly, sleeping, catering and washing and infrastructure for power, water, heating and cooling and drainage, or whether the basic conditions exist for such facilities to be added or extended as needed.

7.3.2 A public building or open space to be designated as an emergency shelter shall meet the siting requirements of 5.4, the shelter ground and building requirements of 6.2, and the zone and equipment requirements of 6.3 and 6.4.

7.4 New, converted and designated shelters shall pass completion acceptance against the plan and the design before they are brought into use.

8 Management and maintenance

8.1.1 Rules and machinery for the management, maintenance and use of the shelter shall be established, covering everyday maintenance and use in an emergency, and the everyday operating body and the emergency command body shall be identified.

8.1.2 The everyday rules shall include the daily management rules and machinery, the emergency plan, the scheme for switching from everyday to emergency use, and the working scheme for the maintenance and supply of equipment and materials.

8.1.3 The everyday operating body shall consist of the unit that runs and maintains the site day to day and the competent departments of the sector; a shelter that requires a dedicated operating body shall be provided with one.

8.1.4 The rules for use in an emergency shall include the plans for activation, operation and closure and restoration, the procedure for switching from everyday to emergency use, the equipment operating manuals, the safety management rules, the contingency plan for unexpected events, and the scheme for post-closure assessment and review.

8.1.5 The emergency command body shall consist of government staff, the persons in charge on the management and operation side and the persons in charge of the resettled community, village or unit, and may be adjusted to the case.

8.2 Emergency facilities, equipment and supplies shall be provided and replenished in accordance with YJ/T 26, maintained, serviced and replaced according to their warranty and maintenance requirements, and damaged items repaired promptly.

8.3 The location, facilities, functions and evacuation routes of the shelter shall be published to the public by radio, television and the internet, and publicity, training and drills shall be organised regularly.

8.4.1 The management documents, agreements and schemes, the operating information and the filing information shall be recorded and reported.

8.4.2 The receipt, maintenance and movement of emergency facilities, equipment and supplies shall be registered, updated and entered into the information system.

8.4.3 Video recordings of the key areas and main entrances of the shelter shall be played back and inspected.

9 Use

9.1.1 The shelter shall be activated according to the activation conditions and requirements that have been set.

9.1.2 Before activation, those responsible for managing and operating the shelter shall coordinate with the relevant departments to check the safety of the facilities and equipment in good time, and shall assess the safety of the ground, of the buildings and structures, of the facilities and equipment, of the fire precautions, of the flood and waterlogging provisions and of the exit routes; the shelter may be activated only once the assessment is satisfied.

9.1.3 On activation, the everyday functions of the site shall cease, and the functional zoning, the emergency facilities and equipment, the signage and the functional layout plans shall be switched over in an orderly way according to the scheme for switching from everyday to emergency use.

9.1.4 Evacuation shall be organised with the relevant departments according to the evacuation plan and the emergency routes, guiding people and settling them in place as they arrive, giving priority and assistance to people with special needs, and leading them to the shelter in an orderly manner.

9.2.1 During operation, the staff, the volunteers and the people sheltering shall be counted or registered, and identity cards issued to those on the register.

9.2.2 Food, drinking water and common medicines shall be provided as basic support, and the quantity of supplies shall meet the basic living needs of the people sheltering.

9.2.3 A person shall be appointed to take charge of the emergency supplies, to keep order in their distribution and to count and check the remaining quantity each day.

9.2.4 Short-term and long-term shelters shall provide sleeping facilities and shall appoint a person to manage the sleeping zone and the sleeping units.

9.2.5 Medical treatment and epidemic control services shall be provided, and the cleaning and disinfection of the zones and the prevention of infectious disease attended to.

9.2.6 External communication shall be provided for the shelter and for the people in it.

9.2.7 Short-term and long-term shelters shall provide vehicle services, and vehicles dedicated to supporting the people sheltering shall be parked together.

9.2.8 The safety of the shelter and its facilities shall be watched closely; natural disaster warnings, forecasts and risk information shall be collected with the relevant departments, and the safety of buildings and structures, of gas and coal use and of food preparation checked.

9.2.9 Public order and fire services shall be maintained; the surveillance installations shall be used to monitor public order and important fire targets in real time, and persons appointed to patrol for fire and for order.

9.2.10 Technical means shall be used to manage the information on the registration and departure of staff, volunteers and sheltering people and on the receipt and issue of relief supplies.

9.2.11 Operating information shall be collected, analysed and reported, and the deployment, policy information, living information and disaster relief knowledge issued by the command centre passed on to the people sheltering in good time.

9.2.12 Damaged buildings, structures, facilities and equipment shall be repaired and strengthened promptly, and where repair and reconstruction are not possible, the people sheltering shall be moved and evacuated.

9.3.1 The shelter shall be closed according to the closure conditions, the closing time, the withdrawal arrangements and the related points that have been set.

9.3.2 Before closure, the people sheltering shall be evacuated and withdrawn in an orderly way.

9.3.3 After they have left, the facilities, equipment and supplies shall be checked, collected, counted and dealt with according to the rules of the emergency management authorities, the shelter closed and its everyday function restored.

10 Inspection and assessment

10.1 A shelter shall be inspected regularly, the inspection covering the establishment and observance of the rules, the working of the overall function, the condition and use of the buildings and structures, the upkeep of the facilities, equipment and supplies, publicity and drills, the maintenance of information, the operating review report and the archive material.

10.2.1 After use, the shelter shall be assessed, an assessment report drawn up with proposals for the layout of the zones, requirements for improving the functions and a scheme for restoration and repair, and reported to the relevant departments.

10.2.2 The assessment report shall cover the observance of the rules for use in an emergency and the activation, operation, closure and restoration of the site.