Earthquake: Here is how to save life
Dec 13, 2005
Following several earthquakes in the recent past, including one reported in several parts of Uganda last week, <b>Doug Copp</b>, the rescue chief and disaster manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI), gives tips on how to survive one. In the event of a stronger tremor, ARTI is the wo
When buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a space or void next to them.
This space is what I call the “triangle of lifeâ€. The larger the object, the stronger it is and the less it will compact. The less the object compacts, the larger the void and the greater the probability that the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured.
The next time you watch collapsed buildings on television count the “triangles†you see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape you will see in a collapsed building.
Ten tips for earthquake safety:
Almost everyone who “ducks and takes cover†when buildings collapse is crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are crushed.
Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the foetal position. You should do the same in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct. You can survive in a smaller void. 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.
Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake. If the wooden building collapses, large survival voids are created. Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries, but less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.
If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed. Hotels can achieve a much greater survival rate in earthquakes by posting a sign on the back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.
If an earthquake occurs and you cannot easily escape by getting out the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the foetal position next to a sofa, or large chair.
Almost everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or backward, you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut into half. Either way, you will be killed.
Never go to the stairs. They have a different “moment of frequency†(they swing separately from the main part of the building). The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on stairs before they fall are chopped up by the stair treads — horribly mutilated. Even if the building does not collapse, stay away from the stairs. Stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if they have not collapsed due to an earthquake, they may collapse later when overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even when the rest of the building is not damaged.
Get near the outer walls of buildings or outside, if possible – It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the interior.
The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building, the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked;
Vehicles are crushed when the road falls in during an earthquake. Victims of the recent San Francisco earthquake stayed inside of their vehicles and were killed.
They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or lying near their vehicles. All the crushed cars had voids three feet high next to them, except for the cars that had columns fall directly across them.
I discovered, while crawling inside of a collapsed newspaper office and other offices with a lot of paper that paper does not compact. Large voids surround stacks of paper.
Ends
This space is what I call the “triangle of lifeâ€. The larger the object, the stronger it is and the less it will compact. The less the object compacts, the larger the void and the greater the probability that the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured.
The next time you watch collapsed buildings on television count the “triangles†you see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape you will see in a collapsed building.
Ten tips for earthquake safety:
Almost everyone who “ducks and takes cover†when buildings collapse is crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are crushed.
Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the foetal position. You should do the same in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct. You can survive in a smaller void. 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.
Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake. If the wooden building collapses, large survival voids are created. Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries, but less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.
If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed. Hotels can achieve a much greater survival rate in earthquakes by posting a sign on the back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.
If an earthquake occurs and you cannot easily escape by getting out the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the foetal position next to a sofa, or large chair.
Almost everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or backward, you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut into half. Either way, you will be killed.
Never go to the stairs. They have a different “moment of frequency†(they swing separately from the main part of the building). The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on stairs before they fall are chopped up by the stair treads — horribly mutilated. Even if the building does not collapse, stay away from the stairs. Stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if they have not collapsed due to an earthquake, they may collapse later when overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even when the rest of the building is not damaged.
Get near the outer walls of buildings or outside, if possible – It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the interior.
The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building, the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked;
Vehicles are crushed when the road falls in during an earthquake. Victims of the recent San Francisco earthquake stayed inside of their vehicles and were killed.
They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or lying near their vehicles. All the crushed cars had voids three feet high next to them, except for the cars that had columns fall directly across them.
I discovered, while crawling inside of a collapsed newspaper office and other offices with a lot of paper that paper does not compact. Large voids surround stacks of paper.
Ends