Earthquakes are one of the terrifying events that can happen to a city. It’s not just the people who live in an affected area, but businesses too. If your business is located in an earthquake-prone area, it’s important to know how you should prepare for this natural disaster, so you don’t lose any money or have any damage done to your building. In today’s blog post, we will talk about what you need to do before and after an earthquake strikes so that when it happens, all your employees will be safe, and none of your assets will be lost!
Identify Potential Hazards in your Work Environment
The first step in preparing your business for an earthquake is identifying any potential hazards in your work environment. This includes things like large pieces of furniture that could topple over, loose wires that could cause a fire, and even windows that could shatter. Once you have identified all the potential hazards, you can start taking steps to mitigate them.
One way to mitigate potential hazards is by creating a safe zone for employees and customers to go during an earthquake. This might be an open space away from any shelves or other objects that could fall on them, or it might be a designated room where everyone can gather until the quake is over. If you can do so, installing a soft story retrofit can also help keep your building stable during an earthquake.
A soft story retrofit will help keep your building upright during an earthquake by distributing the force of the quake across all parts of a structure rather than letting it fall over. This is why these are sometimes referred to as “ductile” structures because they can flex with earthquakes without breaking or falling apart like brittle structures do when something hits them at full speed. If you have windows on site that could shatter in an earthquake, make sure there’s nothing valuable nearby that would be damaged if broken glass hit it!
Create a Safe Zone for Employees and Customers to go
If you don’t already have one on-site, putting together an emergency plan that includes evacuation routes and what to do after the earthquake has ended another way to prepare for one. Depending on your company, this plan might include what the staff should do if they’re in a conference room or cubicle without any windows, how long everyone needs to wait before returning inside after an earthquake has ended, and where employees are supposed to go once it is safe enough for them to return indoors.
Educate Employees about How to Handle Emergencies
All of your employees must know what they need to do during an earthquake, so you don’t lose anyone when disaster strikes! This means training new hires on emergency procedures right away instead of waiting until an earthquake happens. It also includes having drills at least twice per year with both managers and individual employees, so no one is caught off guard when the ground starts shaking.
Make Sure There’s an Emergency Plan in Place
Depending on where your business is located, it might be at risk for earthquakes now and then. If you don’t know if this applies to your company or not, some websites can help you figure out what areas around the world could experience seismic activity (like California Geological Survey). Prepare yourself by learning about any potential hazards inside your building, like large furniture pieces that could topple over during a quake. Ensure everyone knows exactly what they need to do before, after, and during one so no lives are lost due to lack of preparation!
The next time you’re preparing for an earthquake, don’t forget to think about how your business will react. Having a plan in place and understanding the potential hazards around your work area can help keep employees and customers safe during an emergency.
