With 330 million people living and working in the United States, a major earthquake could cause unprecedented devastation. What we do now – before a big quake – will determine how well we survive and recover. Each year the Great California ShakeOut event is held on the third Thursday of October. This year’s ShakeOut, October 20, is an opportune time to review your earthquake preparedness plan and to schedule a drill to practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On.
Why rescuers and experts recommend Drop, Cover, and Hold On:
- Moving during an earthquake puts you at risk: Immediately dropping to the ground allows you a chance to protect yourself. Otherwise, the quake may forcibly drop you, which may disorient you from taking the following steps to protect yourself further.
- Falling and flying objects pose a significant danger during an earthquake: If you cannot seek cover under furniture and hold on, lower yourself next to an interior wall and cover your head and neck with your arms.
When an earthquake strikes, the following procedures are recommended to reduce your chance of injury:
DROP where you are onto your hands and knees.
COVER your head and neck.
If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it for shelter.
If a furniture item is unavailable, crawl next to an interior wall away from windows, stay on your knees and cover your head and neck.
HOLD ON until the shaking stops.
If you are under a table or desk, hold on to a furniture leg with one hand and use your other arm to cover your head and neck.
If you are next to an interior wall, stay on your knees and use both arms and hands to protect your head and neck.
This is also the time to review and evaluate work areas to confirm bookcases and cabinets are secured to walls, items stored on top of cabinets are removed and stored correctly, and chemicals are stored in secured cabinets. Additionally, check your earthquake supplies. Discard expired items, replace them accordingly, and confirm that staff knows the location(s) of the earthquake supplies.
After the drill, update your emergency preparedness plan and procedures based on lessons learned from the ShakeOut exercise. Review the updated plans and procedures with all staff.
Practice, practice, practice! Practicing reinforces the behavior. You will be more likely to react quickly when the shaking begins if you have regularly practiced how to protect yourself. Although California holds an annual Great ShakeOut event, it is beneficial to practice drills throughout the year to reinforce responsive and safe behavior in an emergency.
Resources:
CaliforniaJPIA Emergency Preparedness & Fire Extinguisher Safety Training
OSHA’s Earthquake Preparedness and Response
Dept. of Homeland Security Ready-Earthquakes
Providing innovative risk management solutions for its public agency partners for more than 40 years, the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (California JPIA) is one of the largest municipal self-insurance pools in the state, with more than 120 member cities and other governmental agencies. Members actively participate in shaping the organization to provide important coverage for their operations. The California JPIA provides innovative risk management solutions through a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services, including liability, workers’ compensation, pollution, property, and earthquake coverage, as well as extensive training and loss control services. For more information, please visit the California JPIA’s website at cjpia.org.