1 Take cover
Expect aftershocks
3Stay safe
EARTHQUAKE
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DURING AN EARTHQUAKE
1 Take cover
• If you feel the ground shake, drop under a heavy desk or table, press your face against your arm to protect your eyes, and hold on.
• If you cannot reach a table, take shelter in an internal doorway.
2
Brace yourself against a support
Cover your eyes with your arm
• If you cannot move quickly to a safe place, stay where you are but keep well away from windows.
• If you are in bed, stay there and protect your head with a pillow.
• Stay exactly where you are until the shaking stops.
Expect aftershocks
• Put out candles or naked flames in case of gas leaks. If you smell gas,
turn off the supply at the main.
• Each time you feel an aftershock, take cover and hold on, as before.
• Be aware that aftershocks can topple structures already weakened
by earthquakes. Inspect your home for damage after each aftershock, and move everyone out of the building quickly if you suspect that it is unsafe.
DO’ S AND DON’ TS
DO
• Keep away from windows: they could be shattered.
• Take cover wherever you are.
• Stay away from items that might fall on you, such as tall furniture.
• Put out cigarettes in case of gas leaks.
DON’ T
• Use stairs or elevators.
• Run into the street: falling bricks or glass could injure you.
• Think that you are safe once the ground stops shaking: always expect aftershocks.
• Use telephones unless the call is essential.
3Stay safe
• If you are outside, do not go back into your home until it has been
checked for structural safety.
• If you are inside and your home seems to be structurally sound, wait
there until you are given the official all-clear. Then, prepare to leave. Stay elsewhere until your home has been checked by a professional.
• Check everyone for injuries and give first-aid treatment as necessary.
• If water pipes are damaged, turn off your supply at the main.
• If you can smell gas or suspect that electrical wiring is damaged, turn
off supplies at the main.
• Keep listening to your radio for official instructions.
! If you are outside
• Lie down as far away as possible from buildings, trees, and power lines, or seek
shelter in a doorway. Stay where you are until the shaking stops.
• Do not go into any form of underground shelter, such as a cellar or tunnel, because
it could collapse.
• If you are driving, stop your car carefully and stay in your car until the shaking stops.