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Do you have adequate disaster prevention measures at home?
You have a complete set of disaster prevention goods and a stockpile of drinking water and food. Don’t you think you are now secure against earthquakes?
In fact, there are many hazards in your home. Chest of drawers, cupboards, bookshelves, refrigerators, televisions, microwave ovens, computers, stoves, lighting, pianos, windowpanes, etc., are all dangerous without disaster mitigation measures.
There are three points that can be improved even today, so by all means, let’s get our “disaster prevention measures” in order.
Beware of tall furniture and appliances!
What is the height of the chest of drawers, refrigerator, cupboard, or bookshelf in your home? Do you have a 160cm bookcase or a 180cm refrigerator?
For furniture and appliances taller than yourself, be sure to take measures to prevent them from toppling over: fix them to the wall with L-shaped hardware, secure them to the ceiling with a butt-rod, or take other measures to prevent them from falling over in the first place.
Watch out for furniture near the door!
Do you keep a chest of drawers near the door of a bedroom or a child’s room? Do you keep a lot of things in front of the bathroom or at the entrance?
During a major earthquake, furniture may fall over near doorways and doors may become stuck open. Even if you are not injured, you may become trapped and unable to escape on your own.
Be careful with the layout, for example, do not place furniture near the door and keep it clear on the escape route.
Watch out for falling furniture and debris!
Are the dishes in the top of the cupboard made of breakable materials? Is the microwave on top of the refrigerator?
During an earthquake, various hazards can occur at the same time, such as broken window glass and debris on the floor, objects that normally would not move such as microwave ovens and rice cookers flying toward you, or items stored above you falling.
It may be useful to put shatterproof film on window glass. Cupboards should be fitted with locks that will be activated when an earthquake is detected so that the doors will not open and the dishes inside will not fly out.
It is also a good idea to put anti-slip gel underneath appliances that are likely to move around a lot. It is also important to store heavy items as far down as possible and light items as far up as possible.
writer：Matsuoka
