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The 2011 Great British Columbia ShakeOut on October 20 at 10:20 a.m. is now six weeks away, and already more than 77,000 people are now registered.
Shakeout BC is now an annual drill, joining with California, Idaho, Oregon and other areas on the third Thursday of each October. We encourage you to participate again this October 20th, and each year from now on! Many participants practice additional aspects of their emergency plans each year.
Registered participants may want to consider these questions:
- If you are planning a drill for many people, is it on your organization’s calendar?
- What other emergency preparedness activities might your organization wish to include as part of this year’s drill?
- What preparedness actions can you also take prior to ShakeOut day? Simple instructions for how to participate are available for a variety of ShakeOut participant categories, and include custom preparedness information.
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Interruptions in utility services are inevitable and natural disasters will occur when you least expect them. No one has control over Mother Nature so the best thing you can do for yourself and your family is to prepare before an incident occurs. This past year alone we have seen Mother Nature unleash earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan and the East Coast is still reeling from Hurricane Irene.
Basics for the pantry Stock up emergency food when something happens unexpected.
- cocoa powder
- chocolate chips
- sugar
- potatoes
- onions
- garlic
- cornstarch
- cornmeal
- crackers
- pasta
- rice
- legumes
- spices
- herbs
- soup
- tea
- baking powder
- baking soda
- nuts
- bread crumbs
- cereal
- broth
- canned food
- peanut butter
- flour
- dried fruits
- extracts such as vanilla or almond
- gelatin
- powdered and/or condensed milk
Be sure to consider foods that have the best nutritional value.
Water Tablets: Unless you have a huge supply of emergency water, if the disruption in electric service continues, you will eventually run out. It may well be that there are water sources near you, such as a stream or river, or a lake. Even if these look clean, they can actually contain many dangerous pathogens that can make you and your family very ill. A good water system will enable you to use any water near you and purify it for drinking. Water purification tablets will also enable you to treat suspect water to make it drinkable. These tablets are available as chlorine based tablets. These chlorine tablets will remove most bacteria and viruses from the water.
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Accidents happen in the office, not as frequent compared to the shop floor maybe but when it does, it is just as serious. Tripping, slipping, and falling ranks second to automobile accidents nationwide. The good thing is that most of these are prevented from happening with a few simple tools and reminders.
Keep the walkway clear.
Boxes and bundles, cables, wires and items carelessly piled are tripping hazards. Most times, these are just oops events, other times they are not.
Look before you sit. Incidents of someone missing the seat often promote silent giggles but this actually could happen to anyone who would not take the time to reach for the chair before sitting down. Leaning back on the chair could end with your back to the floor. This is common to people who are thinking or are trying to reach something, misjudging balance. The person may pick himself or herself up as quietly as possible with nothing serious but an injured ego, sometimes though it does not end up as happily.
Even with all the computerization in the office, filing cabinets are still in much use. Nothing very wrong here except that filing cabinets are heavy. Opening all drawers of the cabinet at the same time tips the balance of the cabinet towards you. Likewise, leaving a drawer open is a bump waiting to happen.
Don’t carry anything higher than your eye level. Carrying loads higher than the eye level impresses no one. See how people refuse to walk towards you?
Do not run, relax. Running may save a few seconds, after that you will take a breather for several minutes more.
Refrain from putting anything atop cabinets. Cabinet drawers are for storing supplies. The top of the drawers is not.
Use the handrails. Stairway handrails have its reason for being. Use it. People who do not use the handrail tire easy.
Use the elevator whenever necessary. When carrying loads, wait for the elevator. The stairs are not worth the extra calories that you will burn.
Watch where you step. Smooth surfaces are not always safe surfaces to step on especially in darkened aisles. Water could be dripping. Be safe. As they used to say, watch your step, this is truer when there is poor lighting.
Don’t eat at your workstation and in front of your computer. Eating in the workplace saves time. Be sure though that it is not done near computers and other electrical equipment. Accidents caused by water must be avoided at all cost.
Other simple measures that are taken that could go a long way in promoting workplace safety is reporting unsafe conditions, loose steps, burned out lights, defective equipment, and overloaded sockets.
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Because most workplace emergencies happen with little or no warning, you need to ensure that workers know in advance what they should and should not do in case of an emergency. They may not have time during an emergency to read the company policy for the particular emergency they are facing.
It’s also crucial to review your organization’s emergency action plan in general and in specific circumstances. Perhaps annually, go over the general principles that the disaster planning emergency plan covers in detail, such as:
- Emergency escape procedures and routes for all departments and employees
- Emergency response assignments to be followed by employees who remain in the facility to perform critical operations or shutdown operations before the plant is completely evacuated
- Accounting for personnel outside the facility after the emergency evacuation has been completed
- Rescue and medical duties for those employees who are designated to perform these vital emergency response tasks
- Emergency reporting procedures for fires and other emergencies
- Information resources, including the names and job titles of the people or departments to be contacted for further information or explanation of duties under the plan
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Imagine sleeping peacefully in bed, when suddenly the room starts shaking. Furniture begins moving and hanging pictures crash violently to the floor. Your home creaks and groans as the strength of its foundation is tested. What you do in the next few seconds can determine if you survive an earthquake. Ranked as one of the most amazing phenomena of the natural world, earthquakes can be among the most deadly. While minor tremors occur under our global feet on daily basis without much notice.
Don’t take these small geological events lightly. Even mild earthquakes can injure people due to falling objects or hazardous conditions. Several areas, California, Hawaii, Alaska, and The Pacific Northwest, have added risks of devastating, cataclysmic earthquakes of 7.0 magnitude or higher. These can strike at any time, without warning. As with all survival techniques, earthquake survival must be learned prior to the event. This is especially important for travelers to keep in mind. Visitors to quake-prone areas may not be acclimated to earthquake tips and life saving procedures.
Earthquake Survival Strategies:
1. “Drop, Cover and Hold On”- Earthquake related injuries are most likely to be from falling objects, rather than building collapse. Protecting your head is vital. In the scenario of being in bed when a quake hits, stay there and cover your head with a pillow if there are not any flying objects or falling hazards.
2. When there are unsecured flying objects (glass, ceiling pieces, or light fixtures) that can strike you while in bed, drop to the floor and attempt to cover your body by crawling under the bed and holding on. The best way to stay alive is to be underneath heavy items and move with sturdy furniture. This allows for two essentials- shielding your head from falling objects and preventing you from being crushed between furnishings when they move.
3. If there isn’t room to position your body beneath sturdy furniture, drop to the floor. Hold on to the furniture or a large heavy object, while getting as close to it as possible. Firefighters are trained to find individuals in survivable voids, such as those found around large items. (However, it should be noted that predicting these areas is not science. Being under an item is still your best option) However, you may find this practice offers a measure of safety if getting under an object is not possible. Hold on until the shaking ceases.
4. Stay away from windows or heavy hanging items, such as light fixtures, artwork, etc.
5. If you are cooking, turn off the stove. Then drop to the floor and crawl to a safe spot under furniture.
6. Do not stand in doorways. According to Mark Benthien, Director of Education and Outreach at the Southern California Earthquake Center, it’s very likely you wouldn’t be able to stand during a strong quake and these areas offer little protection from falling objects. Additionally, swinging doors or shifting framework might add injuries, not prevent them.
7. Buildings constructed to withstand earthquakes will be safest along interior walls.
8. Never use elevators and stairways during an earthquake.
9. If you happen to be outside when a quake strikes, keep away from power line areas or structures that can fall. Get down low and stay still till the tremors stop.
10. Those who are in a vehicle during a quake should take care not to stop on or near unstable spots, such as bridges. Avoid proximity to objects that can collapse. If you can, drive to an open area. Turn off the vehicle. Utilize parking brake and emergency flashers. Watch for further hazards and wait till it’s safe to continue. Remember, roadways may have suffered damage, so be alert to new dangers.
11. If you do become trapped in your home or car, stay calm. Avoid yelling or excessive breathing of building dust. Instead, try to find an object to bang or knock on to alert rescuers of your position.
12. Keeping a first aid kit, a ready supply of water and non-perishables and flashlight with batteries at hand is vital in areas with earthquake potential. Stash a flashlight and shoes or slippers near your bed. In the event an earthquake occurs, broken glass and uneven surfaces present a great risk to escaping the building.
13. Be aware of aftershock potential, which may cause further damage. If the structure you are in seems unsafe, try to evacuate quickly and carefully to an open area once shaking stops. Never run out doors during a quake, you are very likely to be struck by falling objects and injured. As with all potential hazards, awareness is the first step in survival. Be savvy to earthquake possibilities where you live and travel. Teach your family these tips and practice them with your children. Most quakes last a very short time. Living through those moments is far easier when you know the proper techniques for survival.
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Regardless how severe, all bleeding can be controlled. If left uncontrolled, bleeding may lead to shock or even death. Most bleeding can be stopped before the ambulance arrives at the scene. While you’re performing the steps for controlling bleeding, you should also be calling for an ambulance to respond. Bleeding control is only part of the equation.
The first step in controlling a bleeding wound is to plug the hole. Blood needs to clot in order to start the healing process and stop the bleeding. Just like ice won’t form on the rapids of a river, blood will not coagulate when it’s flowing.
The best way to stop it is to…stop it. Put pressure directly on the wound. If you have some type of gauze, use it. Gauze pads hold the blood on the wound and help the components of the blood to stick together, promoting clotting. If you don’t have gauze, terrycloth towels work almost as well.
If the gauze or towel soaks through with blood, add another layer. Never take off the gauze. Peeling blood soaked gauze off a wound removes vital clotting agents and encourages bleeding to resume.
Once bleeding is controlled, take steps to watch and treat for shock. If an oxygen unit is present do not hesitate to use until help arrives.
