Traditional Methods Of Surviving An Earthquake May Or May Not Be Correct
Doug Copp has crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings and homes, and has worked on rescue teams in over 60 countries. He gave the following 10 safety points to follow in the event of an earthquake:
1. “Most everyone who simply ‘ducks and covers’ when buildings collapse are crushed to death” and “people who get under objects, like desks or cars, are crushed.”
2. Animals and babies, when in danger crawl into the fetal position. It is a natural instinct and by doing so during a disaster, you are more likely to survive in a smaller “void.” In the fetal position one should, “Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it”.
3. Wooden buildings have proved to be the safest during an earthquake because the wooden structures are flexible and can move with the force of the earthquake.
4. “If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed”.
5. If during an earthquake you cannot escape out of the structure lie in fetal position near a large object.
6. Standing under a doorway is not a safe place and “Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed”.
7. Never seek safety in a stairwell because, “people who get on stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads and horribly mutilated”.
8. During an earthquake one should stand near the outer walls of a building or outside the building itself. “The further inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building the greater probability that your escape route will be blocked”.
9. During an earthquake get out of your vehicle and lie near its side, most people whom remain in their cars are crushed.
10. “Larger voids are found surrounding stacks of paper”.
Julian De La Torre, founder of Julian Construction, stated: “Safety during an earthquake is very important, it is something we take very seriously. Securing the foundations of homes and buildings through retrofitting gives those who reside there have a much greater chance of survival during a large earthquake. So we are happy to do our part to ensure safety for homes.”
Julian Construction owns its own company and is built on a “no middlemen” model – no salesmen, no subcontractors. When you work with Julian Construction you get the principals of the company and workers of Julian Construction under your home. The result is the highest quality work at affordable prices. They can be contacted by phone at 323 733-3377, by fax at 323 733-4477 or via their website, www.julianconstruction.com. You can see tips and advice about home foundations on their blog, at http://julianconstruction.typepad.com.
Great tips. Some of these I would like to see included on our construction site safety guidelines as well. Thanks!
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