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DO NOT try to exit the building.
Find a protected location.
Get under a table or desk,
holding onto one of the legs, crouch against an inside corridor or hall, in a corner away from
an outside wall, or near a pillar or support system. The elevator lobby is a good place.
Stay away from windows and glass.
If unavoidable, turn your
face away from them. Grab anything handy, such as a coat, a cushion, pillow, blanket, newspapers
or even a cardboard box, to shield your head and face from falling debris and splintering glass.
Beware of falling objects and debris.
Watch out for falling ceiling
tiles, plaster and heavy objects which might fall or slide across the floor.
Prepare for shaking and swaying.
If you are on one of the top
floors, be prepared for possible swaying of the building. Most of the severe shaking will occur
on the lower floors.
Be calm and wait for instructions.
Stay in the building on the
same floor in the elevator lobby. Wait for instructions telling you how and where to make a
safe exit. Don't be surprised if the electricity goes out or if the sprinkler system or fire
alarms go on.
DO NOT use the elevators.
Even if the power is still on,
elevators could still be unsafe due to a warp in the shaft which could cause the elevator
to stall and you would then be stuck between floors, or the elevator could stop on a floor
which is engulfed in flames. During an earthquake, automatic safety devices will stop the
elevator in case of a power failure.
DO NOT use the stairways.
Unless you are certain that
there is an exit and that the stairwells are lighted, stairways should be avoided. There could
be a blockage below, cutting off the exit to the outside, or an aftershock could jam the doors
trapping you between floors. Stairways are also where people rush in a time of panic and you
could be caught in a mob situation. We utilize a security system which prevents doors from
being opened from inside the stairwell, increasing the possibility of becoming trapped.
Emergency lighting in stairwells might fail in an earthquake, leaving them dark and hazardous.
They may be filled with smoke or hazardous fumes. In other words, stay put if at all possible!
DO NOT rush outside.
Even if you are on a ground
floor, wait until the shaking stops, choose an exit carefully and then proceed with caution.
Calmly walk out of the building to a safe area outside, away from buildings and overhead wires.
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