Earthquake Preparedness Secure Your Space

As part of promotional efforts in the lead up to the Great California ShakeOut, the biggest earthquake preparedness drill in US history on October 21st, we took part in a media event in San Diego.

The purpose of the exercise was to promote awareness of earthquake preparedness and more precisely to show the public what to do beforehand.

Businesses across California, along with schools, federal and state agencies and the general public will all stop what they’re doing at 10:21am on 10/21 to ‘Drop, Cover and Hold On’.

Also part of this year’s ShakeOut theme is the crucial ‘Secure Your Space’ message.

Secure Your Space

QuakeHOLD! Industrial partnered with the San Diego Office of Emergency Services, the County and the San Diego Police Department to get the earthquake preparedness message out via the media.

A local Middle School hosted the event where the Big Shaker, the world’s largest mobile earthquake simulator, was front and center. QuakeHOLD! Industrial simulated quakes of magnitude 6.8-7.5 in order to demonstrate to students and the media alike the benefits of taking the time to secure potential hazards around the home and office.

From a business standpoint, securing items in data centers, server rooms, clean rooms and labs is probably one of the smartest things you can do if your operations are located in an earthquake zone.

And by the way, it’s not just the West Coast of the US that is susceptible to quakes. Check out the New Madrid Fault and how many states would be affected if that fault was to rupture.

Many businesses have done little to get prepared and they may well regret their inaction.

The most recent study conducted by researchers at UCLA found that the vast majority of Californians haven’t done very much at all to get prepared for an earthquake and when the big one comes, and the experts tell us it will, they could wind up out of business because they weren’t prepared.

Seismic Protection Products

In an earthquake top-heavy things that are unsecured will crash to the floor, as will unsecured desktop appliances and equipment. That’s why it’s vitally important for a business to undertake non-structural seismic mitigation.

To start with, you could consider utilizing seismic protection products and services such as those offered at QuakeHOLD! Industrial.

The expertise of Quake Hold Industrial encompasses floor fastening systems, lab equipment fastening and countertop fasteners. We also specialize in emergency supplies such as evacuation kits for employees.

There is much more information on the various products and services offered by Quake Hold Industrial on their website www.quakeholdindustrial.com

Risk Assessment

To help figure out your needs you can contact QuakeHOLD! Industrial to schedule a risk assessment of your premises.

QuakeHOLD! Industrial has been reminding you repeatedly during the past few months, if you run a business in a seismically active zone, you need to become pro-active about earthquake preparedness and suggesting you to start today.

Earthquake Preparedness And Shakeout

The biggest earthquake preparedness drill in US history is set for October 21, 2010 with the staging of the Great California ShakeOut and it is expected to involve the participation of upwards of 10 million people.

The purpose of the exercise, which is now in its third year, is to raise awareness of earthquake preparedness.

Businesses across the Golden State, along with schools, government agencies and the community in general will all stop what they’re doing at 10:21am on 10/21 to ‘Drop, Cover and Hold On’.

Also part of this year’s ShakeOut theme is the important ‘Secure Your Space’ message.

You can get more information about what’s planned, as well as sign up your own business to participate, at http://www.shakeout.org

Secure Your Space

From a business standpoint, securing items in data centers, server rooms, warehouses and offices is probably one of the most crucial programs you can undertake if your operations are in an earthquake zone.

Many businesses have done little, if anything, about getting prepared and that lack of action could come back to haunt them.

We say that because the most recent studies have shown that the vast majority of businesses in California have done precious little in the way of getting themselves prepared for an earthquake and when the big one comes, which it will, they could be left ruing their inaction.

You see, here’s what happens during earthquakes. The tall, top-heavy things that aren’t secured topple over and crash to the floor. The same can happen to unsecured desktop appliances and equipment.

So you can imagine what might happen to a business if, for example, its servers are rendered useless, or expensive equipment in the clean room gets smashed, or its CPUs end up in pieces on the floor.

Just one of those incidents on its own could knock a business offline at least temporarily, but when combined a business would be crippled, which is precisely why it is so critical for a business to undertake non-structural seismic mitigation.

And it’s not just California where businesses have been lackadaisical about preparedness. Similar data suggests the Pacific Northwest and the central US fall into a similar category.

Recognizing that, authorities in Washington State conducted their own ‘Big Rumble 2010’ disaster preparedness exercise in Kitsap County and their counterparts in the central part of the country are planning the first ‘Great Central US ShakeOut’ for April 28, 2011.

Equipment Fastening

While ShakeOut is expected to draw widespread attention to earthquake preparedness and hopefully encourage more businesses in California to take it more seriously, you might be one of those owners wondering just what you should be doing to get your business prepared for an earthquake.

To start with, you could consider utilizing seismic protection products and services such as those offered by QuakeHOLD! Industrial.

Our expertise encompasses floor fastening systems, lab equipment fastening and countertop fasteners.

Depending on the size and type of items to be secured, we use a variety of fastening methods.

Some examples - for free standing items we might use a four-corner system of industrial strength straps and floor anchors, flexible straps and quick release buckles for countertop items, and netting to secure loose items on a rack.

There is much more information on the various fastening systems that we have developed on our website www.quakeholdindustrial.com

Risk Assessment

To help figure out our solutions for your needs you can contact us to schedule a risk assessment of your premises.

As we’ve been reminding you repeatedly during the past few months, if you run a business in a seismically active zone, you need to become pro-active about earthquake preparedness and we suggest that you should start today.

Earthquake Preparedness Team Encouraging Chilean To Undertake Seismic Mitigation

The earthquake preparedness team from QuakeHOLD! Industrial was in Chile in June in order to educate the mass about how to counteract massive earthquakes. The United States Department of Commerce, in conjunction with the Chilean government, established the Rebuild Chile Expo 2010 in response to the destructive February earthquake that shook the country.

The primary focus of the Expo was to address the many needs in Chile resulting from the magnitude 8.8 quake and to learn how to prepare for the next one because they now realize there will be more. The expert Earthquake Preparedness team from Quake Hold Industrial was present because they specialize in non-structural seismic mitigation, something that is now very much in demand in Chile. Data center seismic mitigation, lab equipment fastening and warehouse seismic fastening is all part of earthquake preparedness, thus businesses in Chile are now taking it much more seriously.

Since earthquakes are extremely unpredictable, so being prepared for them is the smartest thing one can do to make sure the business remains functional without risking injury to employees. Earthquake preparedness not only ensures protection to valuable possessions but also prevents loss or damage of data.

It has been observed that unsecured items are the potential hazards during an earthquake causing personal injury and even death. Therefore, equipment fastening is one of the primary services offered by Quake Hold Industrial. The earthquake preparedness team organized by Quake Hold Industrial encourages business to undertake seismic mitigation to avoid destruction.