LABORATORY FASTENING - EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS

You may have noticed that despite warnings about being prepared, many businesses weren’t ready when New Zealand was rocked by an earthquake. The same thing is true of facilities stateside when it comes to laboratory fastening.

The unpredictability of earthquakes means a laboratory that hasn’t undergone a program of non-structural seismic mitigation runs an inordinately high risk of damage and loss of equipment that could result in the loss of critical research data. And there are lots of labs in this category.

More often than not laboratory fastening is well down a business’s list of priorities, but the reality is being prepared is the wisest choice you can make if your company runs a lab in an earthquake zone.

Not sure if you’re in a seismic zone? There are excellent maps on the USGS website that will answer that question.

Earthquake experts constantly sound the warning bells about us being overdue for a big one, so it makes good business sense to listen to them and do something proactive about seismic mitigation on your campus. And it’s not just the West Coast that’s at risk; states in the Midwest and South have the New Madrid fault to worry about.

The bottom line is if you live in earthquake country don’t behave as if you don’t. Heed the warnings and do something now about laboratory fastening before your business is knocked into next week by the next big earthquake.

There’s a reason why that old saying ‘better safe than sorry’ was coined in the first place.

Seismic Mitigation

If you are an EH&S or facilities manager, the question you really need to ask yourself is can you afford not to have a seismic safety program in place for your lab? The answer is abundantly clear - no, you can’t. Why? Because it helps to create a safer work environment, it complies with OSHA safety codes and it will ensure your business continuity.

To that end, laboratory fastening programs can be custom designed for every aspect of your facility.

Typically, labs contain all kinds of valuable equipment such as HPLCs, mass spectrometers, centrifuges, robots and a host of other countertop items.

There are also Minus 80s, deli coolers, production equipment, flammable cabinets and liquid nitrogen tanks. It all needs to be fastened down.

There are innovative and cost effective methods of floor equipment fastening for all these things based on client preference.

All laboratory fastening work can meet Seismic Zone 4 standards, or better, and getting it done is not difficult. A site survey will determine what needs to be done to secure your equipment.

The biggest mistake you can make is to procrastinate. Many business owners fall into the trap of thinking they can put it off until next week, next month or the next financial year - just ask people in Christchurch how that worked out for them.

As mentioned above, if your lab isn’t secured beforehand, you could lose your expensive equipment and all of your valuable data in the next earthquake.

Seismic Protection Products and Services

Earthquakes are unpredictable, so being prepared is the most practical course of action to take. If your equipment is unsecured it could be damaged or lost and the best way to prevent that from happening is to take action now to avoid major financial and logistical headaches later.

QuakeHOLD! Industrial is the leader in laboratory fastening and earthquake preparedness. Check us out and research the full range of seismic protection products and services that we offer. And regardless of the size of your lab, a free evaluation will determine how best to meet your needs. If you run a lab in an earthquake zone you need to be prepared and we strongly encourage you to start the process of laboratory fastening today.

EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS AGAIN HIGHLIGHTED IN NEW ZEALAND

The Magnitude 6.3 earthquake in the New Zealand city of Christchurch again has brought home the importance of earthquake preparedness because despite the 7.0 quake in the same city only five months earlier, many businesses still were not prepared.

Consequently, equipment and office furniture that hadn’t been secured was either damaged or ruined and this time there were also casualties.

In this column back in September 2010, we touched on the very real need for businesses located in active seismic zones to get serious about earthquake preparedness. We suggested then that if a business continued to ignore the warnings it could rue that decision.

People in Christchurch thought because they had dodged a bullet last time it meant there was less of a need to be prepared because they wouldn’t get another big one so soon. Well, that wasn’t the case and unfortunately now they know differently.

The damages bill from the 2010 temblor reached US$3 billion and Christchurch hadn’t recovered from that one when it was rocked again on February 22nd, so if there is a lesson to be learned from the latest Christchurch earthquake it is that securing equipment and office furniture surely should be a priority.

This isn’t about us saying we told you so; it’s about reinforcing the earthquake preparedness message and making sure that you get it, particularly if you own a business and that business is in an earthquake zone.

The technical term for it is non-structural seismic mitigation and essentially it’s a form of insurance.

Seismic Protection Products & Services

As you undoubtedly know by now, our focus at QuakeHOLD! Industrial is on earthquake preparedness as it relates to businesses.

This year we are celebrating our 20th year of being in business. We specialize in seismic bracing and have developed seismic protection systems that are recommended by agencies such as the USGS, FEMA, the California Earthquake Authority and Offices of Emergency Management in many other states.

If earthquake safety isn’t already high on your list of priorities, it should be. The first thing to do is to identify all the potential hazards around your business and secure them. Hazards can include tall, top-heavy pieces of equipment in data centers and labs, and furniture in offices.

The idea is to secure those things so that they won’t topple over. We’ve seen what happened in Christchurch; imagine what would happen to your business if you lost your valuable equipment and all your data.

Our highly acclaimed seismic fastening programs include everything from warehouse seismic mitigation and lab equipment fastening to data center seismic mitigation and countertop fasteners.

Employee safety is another important thing you should be thinking about because securing those potential hazards will make for a safer environment for your workers. It will minimize the risk of injuries to them from falling objects.

As we’ve repeatedly reminded you during the past few months, if your business is based in an earthquake zone you shouldn’t procrastinate a moment longer about earthquake preparedness.

Earthquake Preparedness Program

Earthquakes are unpredictable, so being prepared is the most practical course of action to take. If your equipment is unsecured it could be damaged or lost and the best way to prevent that from happening is to take action now to avoid major financial and logistical headaches later.

Similarly, if you don’t have enough disaster preparedness supplies on hand for your employees, the process of restoring your operations could be delayed.

QuakeHOLD! Industrial is the leader in seismic fastening programs and earthquake preparedness. We invite you to check out our full range of seismic protection products and services.

If your business is based in an earthquake zone, don’t put off earthquake preparedness any longer. Get your earthquake preparedness programs started today.

Earthquake Preparedness Checklist

If you’ve been regularly reading our blogs, you should have a much better understanding of the very real threat of earthquakes, as well as the many ways in which having an earthquake preparedness checklist can benefit your business.

An earthquake preparedness checklist comprises things like identifying potential hazards around your work space, securing them, ensuring there are emergency supplies for your employees and having a plan so that everyone at your business knows what to do during and after an earthquake.

As we’ve mentioned in past articles, from time to time the question arises as to why business owners should take the time to get their business prepared, particularly as it’s seen by many of them as an extra expense. The obvious answer is that if earthquake preparedness is neglected it could end up costing a business a heck of a lot more in the long run.

If you’re in an earthquake zone, and there are more of them than you might think, being prepared is the best defense against potential damage or loss to your equipment and data, not to mention possible injuries to your employees.

Consider the time and expense involved in trying to get your business back up and running if it has been crippled by an earthquake.

Then think of the potential impact on your productivity if an employee or an employee’s loved one is injured, or worse. Now you’re beginning to get the idea and see the value of being prepared ahead of time to avoid these unwelcome scenarios from turning into reality.

An earthquake preparedness checklist is a must and if you haven’t done anything about it yet, you should bring in seismic mitigation experts.

Earthquake Preparedness Guide

The good news is that we at QuakeHOLD! Industrial have the knowledge, expertise and products to help keep you afloat after the next one hits. And oh by the way, it’s not a question of if, but when, the next earthquake strikes.

No matter what part of the country your business is in, if it’s in an earthquake zone chances are it’s in one that’s overdue for a major seismic event - most of them are according to the experts.More information on that is available at the US Geological Survey website.

This is our 20th year in business and as the leaders in earthquake safety fastening we can secure your office equipment with minimum interruptions to your day-to-day operations.

We have the systems to secure lab equipment, server rooms, warehouses and more and we’ve developed state-of-the-art fasteners to get the job done.It’s an earthquake preparedness checklist for your business.

Seismic Protection Products and Services

Earthquakes are unpredictable, so being prepared is the most practical course of action to take.If your equipment is unsecured it could be damaged or lost and the best way to prevent that from happening is to take action now to avoid major financial and logistical headaches later.

QuakeHOLD! Industrial is the leader in seismic fastening programs.Check us out and research the full range of seismic protection products and services that we offer.

And regardless of the size of your business, a free site survey and evaluation will determine how best to meet your needs.

If your business is based in an earthquake zone, don’t put off earthquake preparedness any longer.Get your earthquake preparedness checklist started today.

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS SUPPLIES - EARTHQUAKE

We’ve spent a lot of time during these past months talking about how a business can get up to speed on earthquake preparedness and one very important part of the equation is that of disaster preparedness supplies.

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ll know that we take earthquake preparedness extremely seriously. It’s where we live. We constantly encourage you to secure all of your equipment to prevent damage or loss, and it’s just as important to make sure that you have disaster preparedness supplies on hand for your employees.

Too often businesses located in active seismic zones go about their day to day operations completely oblivious to the threat of earthquakes and consequently they ignore the need to be prepared, which includes having disaster preparedness supplies.

We can’t stress enough how crucial it is to have disaster preparedness supplies on hand and to store them where you can easily get to them.

The bottom line is that a business relies on its workforce to sustain its productivity and if that productivity is interrupted because of an earthquake, the employees will be a vital cog in eventually getting the business back on track.

And in order to ensure that those employees are in a position to help restore operations, they will first need to get through the critical 72 hour period immediately after a quake. That’s why we have developed a variety of disaster kits to meet the needs of any business, large or small.

Disaster Preparedness Supplies

As we’ve pointed out in previous articles, an earthquake preparedness checklist is a good thing to have because it provides a guideline on steps to follow such as identifying potential hazards around your work space and securing them, and ensuring there are disaster preparedness supplies for your employees.

Let’s assume that you’ve done the right thing and have undertaken a non-structural interior mitigation program to secure all your equipment and in doing so you have made the work environment safer for your employees. Let’s say you have also instigated an earthquake preparedness plan so that everyone knows what to do during and after a quake.

Now the only thing left to do is to make sure you have enough disaster preparedness supplies for your workforce.

If you’re in an earthquake zone, these are all things that you absolutely should do if you’re serious about being prepared and enhancing your business continuity plans.

When you do the math, it becomes crystal clear that if your business is temporarily set back by an earthquake the fastest, most efficient and least expensive way to get back on track is with a fully functional workforce and the smartest way to ensure that happens is to have disaster preparedness supplies for them at work.

An earthquake preparedness checklist is a must and if you haven’t done anything about it yet, you should bring in seismic mitigation experts.

Seismic Protection Products and Services

Earthquakes are unpredictable, so being prepared is the most practical course of action to take. If your equipment is unsecured it could be damaged or lost and the best way to prevent that from happening is to take action now to avoid major financial and logistical headaches later.

Similarly, if you don’t have enough disaster preparedness supplies on hand for your employees, the process of restoring your operations will be delayed.

QuakeHOLD! Industrial is the leader in seismic fastening programs and earthquake preparedness. Check us out and research the full range of seismic protection products and services that we offer.

And regardless of the size of your business, a free site survey and evaluation will determine how best to meet your needs.

If your business is based in an earthquake zone, don’t put off earthquake preparedness any longer. Get your disaster preparedness supplies in order and get started today.

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.