Earthquakes: Tacking Things Down and Your Initial Response

Just in case you're new to the planet, or haven't been paying attention, the United States Geologic Survey and the California Institute of Technology have revised the predictions for seismic events in Southern California. The new estimates are a 99.9% chance that a 6.7 or greater earthquake will occur on the southern section of the San Andreas Fault sometime within the next 30 years. The likelihood of a 7.5 or greater earthquake in the same region is 46%. This information should serve as a wakeup call for all of us to “Dare To Prepare".

There is a 33% chance that the earthquake will occur while we're at work, so take the time to look at your work space and correct any hazards that you see. In general, anything above stored head height should be secured to a wall or to adjacent structures. Placing anti-skid rubber shelf lining on bookshelf and file cabinet tops will make items stored there less susceptible to moving in an earthquake. Placing “bungee bands" across the opening of bookshelves will keep the books in place. Store your CPU on the fl oor under your desk, making sure that you have room to get under the desk to protect yourself during the earthquake. Using museum wax to secure pictures, diplomas, or other wall hangings will keep those items in place. The idea behind securing “non-structural hazards" is to make those hazards move with the building, so they will not become airborne and thus more likely to cause injury to building occupants.

If you drove to campus, the odds are high that you will not be able to drive home after a large earthquake. Make certain you have an emergency kit in your car, or at your work space, that you can rely on to provide for your needs while you're on campus. For a complete list of emergency kit supplies, consult the University Police Emergency Information web page on the CSULB web site at: http://emergency.csulb.edu/

The state of California will be conducting a large statewide emergency exercise called Golden Guardian 2008. This exercise will use a 7.8 earthquake on the southern San Andreas fault as it's focus. This earthquake is similar to the seismic event that occurred two months ago in China. For more information on this comprehensive drill follow this link: http://www.oes.ca.gov/Operational/OESHome.nsf/ ALL/E48E11DA2221E3CA882572DE0056EAFD? OpenDocument and remember "shift happens, secure your space."