SHAKE IT OFF
THE EARTHQUAKE CONSULTING BLOG
Many people hold onto one of two significant misconceptions when it comes to earthquake experience and building code.
First: “I have been through a large earthquake (Insert Loma Prieta, Sylmar or Northridge) and came through it just fine. I really don’t need to do anything to prepare for an earthquake. It may be bad but in the end we will be okay.”
Why This Is a Misconception:
Earthquake experience, and the damage resulting from shaking and other factors, changes not only from earthquake to earthquake, but from foot to foot inside a room. Not only are there variations based on location from any specific earthquake, but there are also variations based on latitude and longitude, what type of building you are in, and other factors such as soil conditions. And, if you are in California and were around during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, you probably have not experienced a truly horrendous earthquake. But it really doesn’t matter.
Consider this: a 5.5 magnitude does not sound too bad, but if it shuts down your business it is bad to you!
Statistics show that if any business closes its doors following any type of disaster, its chances of reopening are about 50–50. Do you want to take that chance?
Second:
“The building code will protect me. Everything will be just fine.”
Why this is a misconception: The fact is that building codes change following a disaster, not before. The stated, published intent of the California Building Code (and all others for that matter) is to preserve life safety, NOT business continuity. Read that sentence again.
Welding was going on at the construction of the Getty Center when the 1994 Northridge earthquake struck. Many welds failed. The code had to be changed.
A water line connected broke, twice, at a new hospital tower in the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake. After that, the code changed.
Additionally, fire safety codes are not designed to keep you open. Consider the picture below, it is a small file cabinet next to a doorway.
Most companies have something similar to this in one or more locations, and most companies wouldn’t think twice about its relevance to earthquake safety. But the fire code would have you either fasten the unit to the wall or move it to another location. Why? To keep you open? To protect your people? No, it is an item that could block egress if it fell or moved in an earthquake.
Think nighttime and no power and the place is on fire. The fallen object could potentially delay a first responder from coming or going. Hence it must be secured or moved.
Disregard your previous experience. Think outside the building code relevant to your area. There are no building code police anyway, and unless you are conducting new construction nobody is going to tell you to act. But if you want to stay open following an earthquake, start acting today.
Want more information?
Check out earthquakeconsulting.com
Hello, and welcome to our new blog!
We are happy you’ve chosen to drop by. We hope you will find earthquakeconsulting.com a valuable part of your earthquake readiness endeavors. From virtual trainings to video insights, from valuable links and the Shake It Off blog, earthquakeconsulting.com can be your one-stop-shop for essential earthquake readiness information.
We are Glen and Trish Granholm, both recently retired from a seismic damage mitigation company. We’ve got plenty of earthquake preparedness tips and tricks, and if you implement just a few of the ideas we plan on sharing, you will be well on your way towards resilience at home, school and in the office.
We first learned the essential nature of seismic preparedness, and how it can impact people’s peace of mind, many years ago when we were doing the fastening of contents in a home near Palm Springs, California. This was a home where when you looked out the back window you could see the San Andreas Fault. The homeowners told us that on some days you could even see Jeep tours going back there.
Well, at this point in our career securing contents in a home was new to us, and to say we were afraid of doing it wrong would be an understatement. We finished up doing things like fastening down tall furniture and installing latches onto cabinet doors. The work was done, and it was time to present the invoice. It was then that I noticed that the woman of the house was crying. Oh no, did we scratch the Steinway piano? So, we asked the man of the house what was wrong. He said, “I don’t know. Honey, what’s the matter?”
What she said next changed everything. She said, “Oh, I am okay. It’s just that I never realized how terrified I was to live in my own home.”
You see that sentiment is quite common. For most people, even here in California where the understanding is people are far ahead of the curve when it comes to earthquake preparedness, the fact is that preparedness becomes a priority AFTER the earthquake. And for many, there is an underlying fear of what is to come. Because what is to come, meaning the next big earthquake, will be bad, and limiting the harm caused by that event is so easy to do. Sadly, most nobody goes through the effort.
But not you! You are here, and we are here to help you. We invite you to check back often, see what insights you can find at earthquakeconsulting.com, and put an end to any underlying fear you may have. For the next big earthquake will indeed be bad, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be ready.
See you next time.