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 And Being Prepared

There has been a lot of talking going on lately about earthquake preparedness and the need for everyone to pay more attention to it, but what does being prepared actually mean for your business?

Earthquake Preparedness should be uppermost on your mind right about now, particularly if you are based in California because of the Great California ShakeOut.

At 10:21am on 10/21 around 7 million people will Drop, Cover and Hold On as part of the biggest earthquake drill in US history. Even people in Yuma, Arizona will be getting involved.

And next year, there will be a Great Central US ShakeOut in April. Why? Because according to the earthquake experts, there will be a big one in the order of a magnitude 8.0 somewhere in California sooner rather than later and if we’re not prepared life will become very dicey.

Secure Your Business

What being prepared really means as far as a business goes is making sure that all the potential hazards around the workplace are secured, having emergency kits or emergency supplies on hand for your employees and ensuring that they are working in a safer environment.

That means seismic mitigation is something that you, as a business owner, should look into now if you haven’t already done so.

It’s all too easy to dismiss it as something that you’ll eventually get around to later, but the problem with that approach is that the longer you leave it the greater the chances are of an earthquake wreaking havoc on your business.

It is absolutely critical for a business to undertake non-structural seismic mitigation.

What is that? It’s making sure that everything that is heavy enough to hurt people if it falls on them is fastened down. Tall items, top-heavy equipment or office file cabinets all come under this category.

An earthquake preparedness expert can take all the worry and effort out of the process for you. There are few well renowned organizations with more than 50 years’ combined experience in seismic bracing that can provide you solution for all your needs. You can also avail customized fasteners to fit your particular application.

You can also look for full range of seismic protection products and services, which are developed specifically for commercial application. 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 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.