EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS PLAN – WHEN TO START

earthquake preparedness plan

Despite what many people think, there is no such thing as “earthquake weather” and because there is no correlation between quakes and weather, having an earthquake preparedness plan is absolutely essential.

You’d be surprised at how many people believe that summertime is when earthquakes are more likely to strike because the air temperature is warmer. Of course the reality is that earthquakes happen under ground and the air temperature has no bearing on what occurs beneath the surface.

The fact of the matter is that earthquakes can happen at any time anywhere, so you need to have an earthquake preparedness plan so you’ll be ready when it comes.

From a business’s standpoint, the most prudent approach is to undertake equipment fastening programs to make sure all of your equipment is secured in place and to have earthquake preparedness supplies and disaster kits on hand for your employees.

And now would be a really good time to start working on those things.

Earthquake Safety

The first step to earthquake safety is to identify potential hazards around the workplace and fix them. What that means is to secure them in place.

It’s known as seismic mitigation and is a system whereby your equipment is fastened down to prevent it from falling over and smashing while all the shaking is going on. Tall, top-heavy equipment will do that if it isn’t secured to the wall or braced to the floor.

There are many ways to secure equipment depending on the size and shape of the items that need to be fastened.

Some examples of fastening systems that have been developed for commercial application include laboratory fastening, data center seismic mitigation, warehouse seismic mitigation and computer monitor fastening kits.

Most of the fastening systems consist of flexible nylon straps, Thumb Lock buckles and industrial strength adhesives and they really work.

These fastening programs are used widely throughout the biotech industry in California. Those companies make substantial investments in equipment for research and development and can’t afford to lose their equipment or data in an earthquake.

It would be a massive setback for them; therefore they see the tremendous value of undertaking non-structural seismic mitigation programs. The cost of securing the equipment is far less than what it would cost to replace it if it was lost in an earthquake.

Survival Kits

Having an earthquake preparedness plan means you and your employees need to know what to do before, during and after an earthquake, and as mentioned above, an integral part of that strategy is having emergency kits at the ready.

earthquake preparedness plan

Depending on the size of your workforce, it might make sense to have four-person emergency kits, or 10-person or even 20-person site safety kits on hand, rather than individual survival kits that are better suited to smaller operations.

Either way, kits should contain enough food, water and other essential supplies to get your staff through the first 72 hours after a big quake. That’s the minimum requirement as determined by FEMA, which says it’s unlikely that first responders will get to you before then so you should be self sufficient for at least three days.

Seismic Protection Products and Services

With more than 50 years’ combined experience in seismic mitigation and earthquake preparedness, QuakeHOLD! Industrial can recommend the right solutions to meet your needs.

You can research the full range of seismic protection products and services at www.quakeholdindustrial.com and schedule a free risk assessment of your business.

If you run a business in a seismically active zone you definitely need to have an earthquake preparedness plan in place and we strongly suggest that you start today.

Earthquake Preparedness And Businesses

Did you know that in California it is mandatory for a business to seismically brace non-structural items? Under Title 24, Section 1613A of the California Building Code, if you own a business you must undertake earthquake preparedness measures.

While that may seem a little daunting to the uninitiated, the reality is that non-structural seismic mitigation is a relatively seamless process.

The building code outlines the following: movable items that are five feet or taller must be braced, along with things like cabinets and bookcases that are at least six feet tall, equipment that weighs more than 400 lbs and is more than four feet high, plus temporary containers of flammable or hazardous materials.

Vessels, including tanks and pressurized spheres on braced or un-braced legs, bins or hoppers, batteries on racks and all other self-supporting structures that are not otherwise covered also need to be secured.

Phew! That sure seems like a lot, but don’t be fazed by it.

If this information is news to you, the good news is that earthquake preparedness and seismic bracing and non-structural seismic mitigation etc all services are available online. Search for non-structural seismic mitigation in Google and you will find Quake Hold Industrial and many more to cater to your service.

Equipment Fastening

When we talk about fastening equipment what we really mean is that expensive items in labs, clean rooms, data centers and so on should be secured.

HPLCs, centrifuges, mass spectrometers and more can all be fastened in place so that they won’t come crashing down in the next earthquake.

Not only is it a matter of adhering to building codes, it’s also good business practice to secure your equipment to prevent damage and loss, not to mention avoiding potential injuries to your employees.

Don’t feel bad if you’re not totally familiar with the concept of non-structural seismic mitigation or the seismic protection products and services that are available these days because unless you’ve been living in earthquake country for a while you may not have had reason to look into it.

But now that you know a little more about it, as well as the fact that you need to do it, you at least know where to get information.

Risk Assessment

To help determine your needs contact an earthquake preparedness company to schedule a free risk assessment of your business.

As we’ve been urging you repeatedly this year, if you run a business in a seismically active zone you need to become pro-active about earthquake preparedness and we strongly encourage you to start today.

Earthquake Preparedness Is Being Prepared

Earthquake Preparedness encompasses a lot of different things from securing office equipment and furniture to having a plan for what to do after an emergency and of course having emergency kits on hand.

If you haven’t done any of these things then it could seem somewhat overwhelming, but the reality is that if you stick your head in the sand and just hope for the best, you could end up paying a very heavy price.

Right now in Washington State there’s a pretty good Public Information campaign going on that encourages people to get prepared for the onset of winter.

That’s because Old Man Winter can sometimes unleash harsh conditions in the Pacific Northwest and one of the things the campaign urges Washingtonians to do is get emergency kits.

If you have one in your car, for example, then if you get stuck somewhere at least you’ll have basic essentials to help you survive. Most of us don’t like to think about these things, but what’s worse? Thinking about these things and making the effort to get prepared, or ignoring it all and being caught unprepared?

Seismic Fastening Program

The same is true of your business. If you live in an earthquake zone, say anywhere from Washington south to California, it would be foolhardy to roll the dice and hope that you’ll be immune to the next big earthquake.

And as all the experts tell us, it’s not a question of ‘if’ we get one but ‘when’ we get one, so you’d better be prepared.

That means not just learning more about earthquake preparedness it also means undertaking seismic bracing of your valuable equipment.

That is what we specialize in at QuakeHOLD! Industrial and we have solutions for all kinds of applications.

What we’re talking about here is securing equipment in data centers, server rooms, labs and such like. Things that could topple over and smash on the floor and consequently adversely impact your business operations if you were without them.

Non-Structural Seismic Mitigation is how it’s referred to in the industry and it’s really the best way to safeguard your equipment against damage or loss in an earthquake. It will also help to ensure the effectiveness of your business continuity plans.

You can read up on the various products and services that are available to you on our website www.quakeholdindustrial.com

Risk Assessment

To help determine your needs please contact us to schedule a free risk assessment of your business.

As we’ve been urging you repeatedly this year, if you run a business in a seismically active zone you need to become pro-active about earthquake preparedness and we strongly encourage you to start today.