Editing Fallout shelter (section)

=== Measures to lower the gamma dose rate ===
The gamma dose rate due to the contamination brought into the shelter on the clothing of a person is likely to be small (by wartime standards) compared to [[Radiation#Gamma|gamma radiation]] that penetrates through the walls of the shelter.<ref name=NWSSA/> The following measures can be taken to reduce the amount of gamma radiation entering the shelter:
* Roofs and gutters can be cleaned to lower the dose rate in the house.
* The top inch of soil in the area near the house can be either removed or dug up and mixed with the [[subsoil]]. This reduces the dose rate as the gamma rays have to pass through the topsoil before they can irradiate anything above.
* Nearby roads can be rinsed and washed down to remove dust and debris; the fallout would collect in the sewers and gutters for easier disposal. In [[Kyiv]] after the [[Chernobyl accident]] a program of road washing was used to control the spread of radioactivity.
* Windows can be bricked up, or the sill raised to reduce the hole in the shielding formed by the wall.
* Gaps in the shielding can be blocked using containers of water. While water has a much lower density than that of lead, it is still able to shield some gamma rays.
* Earth (or other dense material) can be heaped up against the exposed walls of the building; this forces the gamma rays to pass through a thicker layer of shielding before entering the house.
* Nearby trees can be removed to reduce the dose due to fallout which is on the branches and leaves. It has been suggested by the US government that a fallout shelter should not be dug close to trees for this reason.<ref name=NWSSB>{{cite book|last=Kearny|first=Cresson H|title=Nuclear War Survival Skills|year=1986|publisher=Oak Ridge National Laboratory|location=Oak Ridge, TN|isbn=0-942487-01-X|pages=39|url=http://www.oism.org/nwss/s73p916.htm}}</ref>