Bad air

First 10 minutes

• Get inside a solid building. Go in, stay in, tune in.
• Shut all windows and doors. Turn off fans and ventilation that draw in outside air.
• Move to an inner room (see Stay indoors).
• Listen to the radio for instructions and the "all clear".
• If you were outside in the cloud or fallout, remove outer clothing, bag it, and wash.

Smoke (fires, wildfires)

• Keep windows shut. Smoke irritates eyes and lungs and is worse for children, older people and anyone with asthma or heart problems.
• Ordinary cloth or surgical masks do little against smoke. A well-fitting FFP2 or FFP3 mask is much better.
• Keep reliever inhalers within reach.
• If smoke is heavy and the fire is approaching, leave early, away from the fire, if it is safe to.

Chemical release

• Signs: an unusual smell, a visible cloud, people or animals suddenly falling ill nearby, stinging eyes or skin.
• Move upwind and uphill, away from the cloud, if you are outside and cannot get indoors fast.
• Indoors: seal the room as described in Stay indoors.
• If exposed: remove clothing (cut it off rather than pulling it over the head), blot liquid off skin with dry cloth or paper, then rinse with plenty of water. Call 999 for symptoms such as breathing problems.

Radioactive fallout

• Fallout looks like dust or ash. It is most dangerous in the first 24 to 48 hours, then falls off sharply.
• Get inside the most solid building you can reach, in the middle, on the lowest floor, away from the roof.
• Stay inside for at least 24 hours unless told otherwise. Do not go out to fetch family; agree in advance that everyone shelters where they are.
• Do not eat or drink anything that has been outside and uncovered.
• Iodine (potassium iodate) tablets only protect the thyroid and only help in some nuclear accidents. Only take them when the authorities tell you to.

North West hazards to know about

• Nuclear sites: Heysham power station (Lancashire coast) and Sellafield (west Cumbria). The councils publish detailed emergency plans for people who live nearby.
• Chemical industry: large sites around Runcorn, Widnes, Ellesmere Port and the Mersey estuary.
• Moorland wildfires: Saddleworth Moor, Winter Hill and the West Pennine Moors have had major fires in dry summers. The smoke can reach Manchester and Bolton.

Get ready before it happens

• FFP2 or FFP3 masks for everyone (child sizes exist)
• Plastic sheeting, tape and towels for sealing a room
• Spare inhalers and medicines
• Battery radio
• Bin bags for contaminated clothing