Earthquake Safety Tips

A Japanese TV program takes some foreign students to an earthquake simulator to see if they know the proper way to act during a strong earthquake:

The students are from Chile, Finland, Spain, and Canada. Only the Chilean has undergone formal earthquake safety education.

The Chilean quickly places stuff that might fall into a safe location. He then rushed under the tabled, grabbed onto it, and waited for the shaking to stop.

The Finnish and Spanish girls just stayed in their chairs and did nothing.

The Canadian said he’d learned that getting under a door frame is the safest thing to do. Unfortunately, the earthquake simulator room only has half a door frame, so he doesn’t have anything to hold on to. He sits under the half-door and looks kind of silly as the floor shakes.

According to the program, the Chilean was the only one who did the right thing.

Those that did nothing were obviously wrong, but what about the Canadian? According to the CDC’s earthquake safety tips, door frames are actually pretty safe (when a heavy table is not available):

If an earthquake strikes, you may be able to take cover under a heavy desk or table. It can provide you with air space if the building collapses. If you get under a table and it moves, try to move with it.

Inner walls or door frames are the least likely to collapse and may also shield against falling objects. If other cover is not available, go to an inner corner or doorway, away from windows or glass panels.

Stay away from glass and hanging objects, and bookcases, china cabinets, or other large furniture that could fall. Watch for falling objects, such as bricks from fireplaces and chimneys, light fixtures, wall hangings, high shelves, and cabinets with doors that could swing open.

Grab something to shield your head and face from falling debris and broken glass.

If the lights go out, use a battery-operated flashlight. Don’t use candles, matches, or lighters during or after the earthquake. If there is a gas leak, an explosion could result.

If you are in the kitchen, quickly turn off the stove and take cover at the first sign of shaking.

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Anonymous

The door frame thing is a myth, started because of wooden frames in adobe (basically clay or mud) homes. In modern buildings up to code, the doorway is as strong as any other part of the wall. (If not, it could be stronger — or weaker) Stick with the table.

Anonymous

actually, a door’s wooden frame could be considered way more secure than any table, it does however depend on the construction and material used. if it doesn’t have a frame and it’s an archway, even better, as the weight is distributed to the sides.

Anonymous

A door’s wooden frame won’t protect your head from falling/toppling objects, unless you have a really narrow head and/or a very deep door frame.

Anonymous

or it just supports the wall -.-

Anonymous

Straight from the Great Central US Shakeout website:
http://www.shakeout.org/centralus/dropcoverholdon/

“DO NOT get in a doorway! An early earthquake image of California
is a collapsed adobe home with the door frame as the only standing part.
From this came our belief that a doorway is the safest place to be
during an earthquake. In modern houses and buildings, doorways are no
safer, and they do not protect you from flying or falling objects. Get
under a table instead!”
Anonymous

Straight from the Great Central US Shakeout website:
http://www.shakeout.org/centralus/dropcoverholdon/

“DO NOT get in a doorway! An early earthquake image of California
is a collapsed adobe home with the door frame as the only standing part.
From this came our belief that a doorway is the safest place to be
during an earthquake. In modern houses and buildings, doorways are no
safer, and they do not protect you from flying or falling objects. Get
under a table instead!”
Anonymous

Straight from the Great Central US Shakeout website:
http://www.shakeout.org/centralus/dropcoverholdon/

“DO NOT get in a doorway! An early earthquake image of California
is a collapsed adobe home with the door frame as the only standing part.
From this came our belief that a doorway is the safest place to be
during an earthquake. In modern houses and buildings, doorways are no
safer, and they do not protect you from flying or falling objects. Get
under a table instead!”

Hamachiman

I await insight from the ‘intelligent’ and ‘insightful’ young Australian man who broke like Usain Bolt and sprinted out of that building during the recent earthquake.
Anonymous

One thing I’d add to the Chilean man’s exemplary actions, would be to Grab the corkscrew first.
Kushieda

I’ve read that hiding underneath a table is unsafe practice.
I believe instead of hiding underneath an object, which has the potential to be crushed and you with it, you sit as tightly as possible next to the object. When an object falls, such as the roof, it will hit the object and create a triangle of space next to it, where you’ll be hopefully, and prevent any serious injury caused by something directly falling ontop of you.

Anonymous

If the roof is weak enough to collapse on you, then there’s a good chance the wall is weak enough to topple on to you anyway, and if it’s large enough to crush the object, there’s a good chance that the resulting mass won’t be high enough to form that triangle of space. Key thing is to protect your head.

http://nihonburp.com Michael Warren

Seeing that chubby Canadian flop about was brilliant, and I learnt a valuable lesson, dont hide underneath half a doorway
namatamago

I’ve heard that getting under a doorway is actually not recommended anymore, as the frame may be sturdy but the door itself may swing and injure you if the shaking is strong enough. Another technique that I’ve heard of is the (silly-named) triangle of life, where you stand with your back against the wall and slide down into a knees-up position. The theory there is that anything that could fall at an angle towards you will either bounce off the wall above you or hit your shins/knees instead of your neck or back.
Citadel1986

what to do if you dont have a table in your room?

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