What to do Before an Earthquake

As an employer, you are responsible for ensuring the safety of your employees from all workplace hazards, including earthquakes. It is important that you and your employees know what to do before an earthquake occurs. With the correct preparation and planning, you can help reduce the risk of injuries or damage and help your workplace get back to normal as quickly and efficiently as possible. Below are important steps you can take to prepare your workplace and employees.

Develop your emergency plans

When an earthquake or other disaster occurs, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with everything that’s going on, so having your plans already in place is a must. Two critical plans to help you remember what to do if an earthquake or other natural disaster occurs are your Emergency Action Plan (EAP) and your Disaster Resiliency Plan (also known as a Business Continuity Plan).

The EAP details site-specific instructions for what to do during, and immediately following an emergency. An effective EAP helps you: respond efficiently, improve your ability to make decisions and communicate, and adapt to the unexpected.

The Disaster Resiliency Plan details the procedures to limit the impact of a disaster on your workplace. It also identifies the steps to take to resume operations if your workplace is disrupted.

Review and update both plans at least once per year, after a drill if anything changes at your workplace, or after an earthquake.

Secure your space

Earthquakes can move almost anything. In the 1994 Northridge earthquake, only 1% of injuries were caused by building damage while 55% of injuries were caused by falling furniture or objects. Look around and ask, “What can move, shake, fall, or break?”

Secure heavy, large, breakable, or hazardous items or move them to the floor or lower shelves. Furniture, equipment, and other heavy items can fall on a person or move and block important exit paths.

Install latches, straps, bolts, wax, or Velcro to prevent computer equipment and other objects from falling or moving. Items on ceilings, walls, or horizontal surfaces can shift or fall. Cabinets or drawers can open. Containers can be damaged or leak.

Keep aisles and exits clear. Avoiding clutter in the aisles and exits helps your employees evacuate the building in the safest possible way.

Keep areas under desks, tables, or other sturdy pieces of furniture clear. This creates protective space for employees during an earthquake. It also prevents the clutter from moving around or becoming airborne.

hands writing on clipboard - what to do before an earthquake

Download our checklist "What to do Before an Earthquake."

Review and practice your plans

Taking the time to review your plans with your employees will help them better understand what their responsibilities are. Hold a safety meeting to explain or practice their individual roles, including how to safely shut down or restart any equipment or machinery or maintain critical operations. Consider collaborating with neighboring workplaces or community partners to practice your responses together.

Practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On and other drills. Drop, Cover, and Hold On is widely recognized as the safest way for people to respond during an earthquake. If a building evacuation is necessary after the earthquake is over or in any other emergency, it’s critical that your employees know which exit routes to take and where they are. Make sure everyone knows where to meet after the evacuation.

Prepare to shelter in place if employees need to stay at your workplace after an earthquake. Do you have employees trained in fire extinguisher use, first aid, CPR, or emergency response? Are your disaster supply kits inventoried and up-to-date?

Provide personal preparedness resources – encourage employees to develop individual or family preparedness plans and to secure their homes. The more resilient employees are at home, the faster they may be able to return to work and help your workplace recover and resume operations.

Utilize technology

Technology can help you and your workplace respond to and recover from earthquakes and other disasters. Some options available include:

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) – sign up to receive text-like messages sent during emergencies to WEA-capable mobile devices from local, regional, and national public safety officials.
MyShake App – sends warning to mobile devices for earthquakes in your region expected to be 4.5 magnitude or higher.
Employee mobile phone numbers – is your employee contact information current? You need a way to call or text in times of emergency, especially if anyone fails to report to the meeting location after an evacuation.

Planning and preparing in advance of an earthquake or other disaster will make your workplace more resilient when an emergency occurs. And, you can help your employees reduce the risk of injuries and find their way to safety.