AIR RAID SHELTERS

Grey River Argus, 27 December 1941, Page 2

AIR RAID SHELTERS

SPECIFICATIONS GIVEN. Additional information has been issued as to the Emergency Standards on Air-raid Protection, which are to be issued by the Standards Institute, under the authority of the National Service Department. The' first and most comprehensive’ standard will be based entirely on the Code of Practice issued by the British Home Office (Statutory Rules and Orders, 1939, No. 920), the basis on which professional men in England base their designs and construction for shelters, particularly in commerclAtl buildings. Certain detailed . variations are proposed to bring the British code in line with New Zealand standards and materials, but these are slight, and those who already have information based on this British code would do well to begin preliminary study of the methods used and how they will need to be varied to suit the conditions of practice here. The code includes mandatory clauses dealing with materials, loads and stresses, necessary thicknesses, overhead protection, accommodation, entrances and exits, drainage, sanitary facilities, lighting and also lays down a figure which should prove helpful to local bodies in working out their shelter plan: The persons for whose protection any given shelter is intended Should be able to pass from the place where they work into the shelter within seven minutes. It is understood that the Government is bringing- down regulations covering the whole field of emergency shelters, and it is likely that the specification based on the revised Code of Great Britain will be the basis for approving work carrying any subsidy which may be included. It is understood that it is not likely that the Government will make money available for erection of domestic shelters except in special necessitous cases, and that the general principle will be that private ipersons should p-rovl<de shelter for themselves in their own gardens. It is proposed to include among standards to be brought down within the next few days one that will deal with domestic shelters of the open trench type and the covered trench type; also the conversion and strengthening of garages and the construction of small surface shelters of concrete blocks or such-like material.

While it is felt that these basic sistance which is called for, the National Service Department, the documents will give that general asPublic Works Department, and the Standards Institute are collaborating to issue from time to time further specifications dealing with special, aspects of the problem. It is. expected for instance shortly to issue a specification dealing with the strutting of basements of commercial buildings. Again, full advantage is being taken of the material available from official British sources, and it is likely that the New Zealand Specification will follow Memorandum No. 10 on Air Raid Precautions. “Provision of Air Raid Shelters in Basements,” issued by the British Home Office, except that the table? will be converted for use with New Zealand timbers.

While official information is not available in the meantime, it is understood that the National Service Department does not envisage construction of air raid shelters throughout the country, but v that money would be made available for those parts considered by the authorities to be most likely to be the sub ject of attack, and that this policy will be reviewed at frequent intervals in accordance with the developments of the international situation.