Although it is not something we give much thought to, one of the biggest risks to the human race and in fact the planet as a whole is nuclear war. The Doomsday clock, which is run by a group of scientists who monitor this threat was set up in the early days of the cold war, and marks how close we are to nuclear Armageddon each year – a sobering reminder that although the cold war is over, the threat that we face is far from gone.
During the 1980s, there was a real sense of fear that this was the way we were headed – in fact the public were informed of various things that they could do in the event of nuclear war, in the often derided ‘Protect and Survive’ booklet – which suggested things like stacking sofa cushions up to protect from fallout!
There was a lot of interest in civil defence and practical ways to help if the bomb were to drop – today we have people like this First Aid at work Tewkesbury based company who can help us to prepare for workplace health emergencies, but in the 1980s, and indeed in previous decades since the start of the cold war, civil defence personnel were learning how to deal with the unimaginable – a nuclear attack.
The scenes that these people would see should the worst happen would be horrifying – if you have ever read about the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs, it is clear that the devastation is everywhere and people who are suffering from severe burns, radiation sickness and even people who have witnessed the blast and their eyes have melted from their sockets – even for an experienced medical person, this would be a challenge.
Sheltering from the blast and the fallout
Preparation makes the biggest difference. A stock of tinned food and bottled water kept at home means you are not relying on supermarkets, which would empty quickly in a crisis. A battery powered AM/FM radio with spare batteries matters too, because the power grid is likely to fail and radio may be the only way to get news. A small supply kit at work is also sensible. Cities and military bases are the likeliest targets, so distance from them improves the odds.
If caught without warning, take the best cover available, indoors or even under a bridge, rather than staying in the open. Never look directly at the blast, as it can cause blindness.
Fallout is the second danger. It is invisible and highly toxic, and about 80 per cent of it arrives in the first 24 hours. The first fourteen days are the most dangerous, so stay sheltered and keep listening for updates on where is safe. Anyone caught outside should remove their clothing and brush off any debris before entering the shelter.