Ministry of Emergency Management and State Administration for Market Regulation (National Standardization Administration)
Relevant department heads interpret "Emergency Shelter Terminology"
"Emergency Shelter Grading and Classification"
"Emergency Shelter Signs" National Standard
Recently, the State Administration for Market Regulation (National Standardization Administration) approved and released three newly established national standards: "Emergency Shelter Terminology" (GB/T 44012-2024), "Emergency Shelter Grading and Classification" (GB/T 44013-2024), and "Emergency Shelter Signs" (GB/T 44014-2024). Relevant department heads from the Ministry of Emergency Management and the State Administration for Market Regulation (National Standardization Administration) answered reporters' questions on related issues.
1. Please introduce the background for the issuance of the three national standards on emergency shelter terminology, grading and classification, and signs.
Emergency shelters are an important part of public safety and emergency management. As disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief infrastructure, they play a crucial role in major emergency early warning responses, rescue operations, and transitional resettlement by facilitating evacuation, sheltering affected populations, and maintaining social stability. After years of development, China has accumulated a considerable scale of emergency shelter resources and is currently promoting new developments in nationwide emergency shelter construction, shifting from quantitative accumulation to qualitative improvement. However, China still lacks unified technical requirements for grading and classification, site selection, design and construction, functional zoning, facility and equipment configuration, signage, and management and use of emergency shelters.
To meet the new tasks and requirements of establishing a comprehensive safety and emergency framework and improving the national emergency management system, and in accordance with the opinions of 12 departments including the Ministry of Emergency Management and the State Administration for Market Regulation on strengthening emergency shelter construction, the Ministry of Emergency Management proposed and collaborated with relevant units to develop three national standards on emergency shelter terminology, grading and classification, and signs. These standards aim to further coordinate, guide, and standardize the planning, construction, management, and use of emergency shelters nationwide throughout their entire lifecycle in a scientific and effective manner.
2. What are the main contents included in the standards for emergency shelter terminology, grading and classification, and signs?
The "Emergency Shelter Terminology" standard mainly specifies basic terms, grading and classification terms, planning and construction terms, and management and use terms. It defines 71 terms related to the foundation, grading and classification, and the entire lifecycle work of emergency shelters. Among them, six are basic terms that play a fundamental role in emergency shelter work; 15 are grading and classification terms; 33 are planning and construction terms; and 17 are management and use terms.
The "Emergency Shelter Grading and Classification" standard mainly specifies the content and requirements for grading and classifying emergency shelters. Following the principles of graded responsibility, local jurisdiction, and graded response resource dispatch, emergency shelters nationwide are divided into provincial, municipal, county, township (subdistrict), and village (community) levels. To meet various classification management needs, shelters are further classified as indoor or outdoor, comprehensive or single-purpose (including specific types), and emergency, short-term, or long-term, resulting in a total of 32 combinations of grading and classification. The standard also specifies technical indicators for shelters at each level and category.
The "Emergency Shelter Signs" standard mainly includes terminology and definitions, basic requirements, graphic symbols, sign types, sign dimensions, sign production, and sign installation. It provides specific regulations on various graphic symbols, signs, and the production and installation of signs for emergency shelters. These include 11 types of shelter category graphic symbols, 14 types of shelter location graphic symbols, 6 examples of main shelter signs, 15 functional area signs, 28 facility and equipment signs, 8 entrance and exit signs, 46 directional signs inside shelters, and 10 examples of directional signs outside shelters.
3. What problems does the formulation of the "Emergency Shelter Terminology" standard mainly aim to solve?
Previously, various standards for emergency shelters were managed by multiple departments, with terminology being relatively scattered and unsystematic. Some terms had inconsistent definitions, and there was overlap and repetition in the connotations and extensions of different terms, leading to confusion of related concepts and significant differences in implementation across regions. The newly formulated national standard "Emergency Shelter Terminology" systematically organizes the relevant terms involved in the planning, construction, management, and use of emergency shelters throughout their lifecycle. Based on a unified logical system and adapting to new development requirements, and referring to previous mature experiences, it further refines the connotations and extensions of various terms and provides necessary connections between terms through notes and other means. This lays a terminological and conceptual foundation for coordinating, guiding, and standardizing emergency shelter work in the new development stage.
4. What important role does the "Emergency Shelter Grading and Classification" standard play in improving the nationwide multi-level emergency shelter system?
Previously, China lacked overall and unified regulations on grading and classification of emergency shelters, resulting in confusion in grading and classification during shelter planning, construction, management, and use, as well as unclear responsibilities for construction and management. This no longer meets the needs of establishing a comprehensive safety and emergency framework. The national standard "Emergency Shelter Grading and Classification" uniformly follows the principles of graded responsibility, classified management, local jurisdiction, and graded response resource dispatch, scientifically determining relevant indicator requirements for grading and classification. In terms of grading, emergency shelters nationwide are divided into five levels: provincial, municipal, county, township (subdistrict), and village (community). In terms of classification, shelters are categorized based on building and site type, overall functional positioning, shelter duration, shelter type, shelter area, shelter population, service radius, and facility and equipment and material configuration into indoor and outdoor, comprehensive and single-purpose, as well as emergency, short-term, and long-term shelters. The standard will play a key guiding role in scientifically and reasonably planning, building to high standards, and efficiently managing and using emergency shelters, improving the nationwide multi-level emergency shelter system.
5. Currently, many signs have been set up at emergency shelters across regions. Why is there still a need to formulate the new "Emergency Shelter Signs" standard? How should the transition between new and old signs be managed?
In the past, due to the absence of a national standard for "Emergency Shelter Signs," some regions developed local standards for emergency shelter signs to guide the setting and management of signs in their areas. However, inconsistent and incomplete regulations on signs across regions have led to issues such as non-uniform symbols and colors, incomplete information content, and irregular design, production, and installation of shelter signs nationwide. To meet the new tasks and requirements of establishing a comprehensive safety and emergency framework and improving the national emergency management system, and considering domestic development needs, while drawing on beneficial foreign experiences and strengthening alignment with national standards such as "Emergency Shelter Terminology" and "Emergency Shelter Grading and Classification" as well as related international standards, the new standard unifies and standardizes shelter graphic symbols and shelter category graphic symbols, and details sign types, dimensions, production, and installation.
For the existing emergency shelter signs and markings, a gradual transition from old to new signs can be carried out in conjunction with the standardization, renovation, and maintenance of emergency shelters. Avoid a "one-size-fits-all" approach, and do not impose mandatory deadlines for completing the transition. Local areas can plan according to their actual situations, but newly produced and installed signs should comply with the new national standard requirements for "Emergency Shelter Signs."
