Workplace Safety: Earthquakes in the Workplace

How to Avoid Danger in an Office Building

You’re back at the old grind on a Monday morning, doing your usual pencil-pushing, and waiting for the caffeine in your first cup of coffee of the day to kick in. Another day, another stack of paperwork, right? You yawn, stretch, and think about your lunch waiting in the communal fridge when all of a sudden, something seems off. There is a loud rumbling noise and you wonder if it might be a plane flying low overhead. No, the building is actually swaying. Your wheelie chair is squeaking an awful lot and the coffee in your mug is rippling like something out of a monster movie. You see a framed certificate on a nearby wall come crashing to the ground, glass shattering all over. The floor is still shaking and you wonder if your first floor office might just get swallowed up into the ground, disaster movie-style. You look up from your cubicle and see that everyone else is looking around in confusion, wondering what the heck is going on! That’s right, it’s an earthquake, and now everyone is panicked. Well, everyone except for you. Why? Because you prepared ahead of time. Now it’s up to you to save the day and quell the Monday morning mega-quake madness amongst your co-workers.

For starters, when beginning a new job, or regularly occupying certain buildings, it is prudent to survey your surroundings to make sure that they are structurally sound. Identifying exits and safe spaces under which to drop, cover, and hold on will come in handy in any future case of emergency. In an office, there are usually briefings and drills from management on evacuation and emergency procedures. They will point out exits and safe meeting places for post-emergency situations, should evacuation be required. If you pay attention, remain alert and aware of your surroundings, when the shaking starts, you will know what to do and you will also be able to convey to your co-workers what they should be doing to protect themselves. Drop, cover, and hold on underneath a sturdy desk or similar structure and alert your co-workers to do the same. Be sure to keep hold and wait for the shaking to stop. Once the shaking is over, cautiously emerge from underneath your desk and look around to see if anything has fallen or if there are obstacles that might block your exit path. The most important thing is to remain calm. If you can lead by example, you can work to keep everyone else around you calm and avoid any panic-related injury or danger. Remember, an office full of people running around and losing their heads in the event of an emergency will really only make things worse.

Another important part of emergency preparedness is to keep a disaster kit accessible. Your office should have one (remember to find out where it is), but you can always keep a small, personal kit for yourself in your desk drawer or somewhere easily reached as well. This kit should include water, non-perishable food, a flashlight with extra batteries, a change of clothes (sturdy shoes are very important!), and a hand crank or battery-operated radio that you can use to tune in for announcements and updates from authorities.

In the aftermath of a quake, remember to prepare in the case of an aftershock. Also, check for injuries or if there is a necessity for CPR or first-aid. If you need to, alert the authorities. When it is safe to do so, you and your co-workers can carefully evacuate and rendezvous at your company’s agreed upon emergency meeting place. Another important thing to remember is that you should NOT use elevators in the case of an emergency. Stairs are always the best choice. When outside, avoid any downed power lines or any objects touching the power lines to protect yourself from electrocution. Again, the best advice to take is to remain calm and help others around you to do so as well. By avoiding danger and keeping a cool head, you can ensure that you and your co-workers will stay safe and have an interesting story to share around the water cooler next week!