ISO has published ISO/TS 22359-2:2026, Security and resilience - Hardened protective shelters - Part 2: Requirements for shelter protective equipment.
The focus has been to present minimum technical requirements for shelter protective equipment, i.e. various equipment that make a shelter safe and secure to maximize the chances of the occupants to stay alive and in good condition during the time they spend in the shelter in a crisis situation.
Jyrki Ronkainen, the project leader for ISO/TS 22359-2 explains:
"After the publication of ISO 22359, which is mainly dealing with the design, use and maintenance of shelters, Working Group WG 10 in ISO/TC 292 felt the need for further development of this important area. We decided to add additional parts to the first standard and to develop a series covering all aspects of Hardened protective shelter."
The new Technical Specification on shelter protective equipment was published on 5 March 2026 and includes functional requirements for shelter protective equipment. It covers equipment and systems within the following protective functions:
- blast protection
- gas-tightness
- penetrating sealing
- ground shock isolation
- CBRN protection
- CO2 removal and O2 supply systems
ISO/TS 22359-2 also presents suitable methods for verification of performance of the protective equipment and systems to guarantee that a desired protection level of a hardened protective shelter is attained.
The document is intended for use by the owners of hardened protective shelters, architects and engineers designing them, industry producing this equipment, and procurement organizations in construction industry sourcing such equipment. It benefits all these stakeholders as it raises the bar in terms of quality of the protective shelter equipment thus improving the security of citizens during a crisis.
What is next?
Jyrki Ronkainen continues:
“The ISO 22359 series currently cover all general aspects of shelters and their protective equipment, but there is still need for a document delivering guidance for shelter design and management topics. We now aim to continue the work and develop recommendations for the selection, installation and use of auxiliary systems and equipment necessary in a hardened protective shelter. Hopefully more experts will join WG 10 and help with the work. “
This project has just been approved by ISO and will be called ISO/TS 22359-3, Security and resilience – Hardened protective shelters – Part 3: Guidance for auxiliary systems, equipment and practices in January this year. Contact your NSB if you want to know more and join the work.
ISO/TS 22359-2:2026 Security and resilience — Hardened protective shelters — Part 2: Requirements for shelter protective equipment can be purchased at the ISO website or through your ISO National standards body.