Earthquake Preparedness: A Business Leader's Guide to Protecting People and Operations

Earthquakes don't give warnings. There's no forecast, no countdown, no moment to "wait and see" before deciding what to do. That's exactly why a real earthquake plan written down, practiced, not just talked about belongs in the same category as fire safety or backing up your data. It's not optional. Download our free Emergency Action Plan at https://www.safetymap.net/faq

Here's something most people get wrong: the shaking itself usually isn't what hurts people. It's what the shaking knocks loose — shelving that tips over, glass that shatters, ceiling tiles that come down, or people who try to run when they should've just dropped where they stood. A lot of that is preventable if you've thought about it ahead of time.

So let's walk through what actually matters, broken into the three phases that count: before, during, and after.

Before: Don't Wait Until You Need It

Start by walking your own space and looking at it differently than you normally would. That bookshelf by the hallway, the water heater in the back, whatever is mounted on the walls — is any of it secured? Heavy stuff should live low, not on a top shelf where it can come down on someone.

Next, get a written plan together. It should spell out where the "safe spots" are, under sturdy desks, against interior walls, away from windows and tall furniture. And keep them close. Injury data consistently shows that people who try to move very far during shaking get hurt more often than people who just drop where they are.

Writing the plan isn't enough, though. People need to actually know it — not just have it explained to them once in an email. Walk through the evacuation routes. Point out the assembly points. Update your preparedness plan with evacuation maps from Safety Map. Practice what "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" really looks like, because most people have heard the phrase but never actually done it. It's also worth having a few people trained in first aid and fire extinguisher use, and keeping that training current rather than letting it lapse.

Supplies matter too. After a serious quake, you might be without power or water, and roads may not be passable for a while. Keep water, basic first aid supplies, flashlights, and a radio on hand, and plan as if your team might need to get by on its own for a few days.

And then - practice it. A plan nobody's rehearsed tends to fall apart the moment things get stressful. Running a drill once a year, maybe tied to International ShakeOut Day in October, is a good way to find the gaps before a real quake does.

During: When It Actually Happens

In the moment, you want something simple enough to remember without thinking too hard, because thinking too hard is exactly what people can't do when the ground is moving:

• Drop to your hands and knees, right where you are.

• Cover your head and neck, and get under something sturdy if it's close by.

• Hold on until it stops.

If someone's outside when it starts, the advice flips — stay outside, get away from buildings and power lines, and crouch down low. A lot of injuries happen close to building entrances, where debris from above tends to land.

Anyone driving should just pull over, away from bridges and overpasses, and stay put until it's done.

After: The Part People Forget to Plan For

The shaking stopping doesn't mean the danger's over. Aftershocks are common, and they can be just as disruptive as the original quake, so don't let your guard down right away.

Before anyone goes back to business as usual, check for the hazards that aren't always obvious — gas smells, damaged wiring, cracks that weren't there before. If something seems off, report it rather than poking around yourself. Structural checks and search-and-rescue work are jobs for trained people, not whoever happens to be closest.

Make sure everyone's accounted for. And resist the urge to duck back into a building that's been damaged, even just to grab something — wait until it's actually been cleared.

Once things settle down, take the time to debrief. What worked, what didn't, where did people get confused. It's tempting to skip this step when everyone's tired, but it's usually the difference between a plan that looks good on paper and one that actually holds up.

Why This Is Worth the Effort

Beyond the safety side, this is a business continuity question too. A lot of businesses that shut down after a major disaster don't close because of the disaster itself — they close because they never had a plan for operating through it. A plan that's actually been practiced is one of the cheaper investments you can make against something you can't predict or prevent, only prepare for.

You can't control when the ground shakes. You can control how ready you are when it does. Download our free Emergency Action Plan at https://www.safetymap.net/faq

Be Ready to Drop, Cover and Hold