TAMPA – As residents in portions of the South learned early this morning, even relatively small earthquakes can shake belongings off shelves and topple bookcases, computers and appliances.
But there are simple steps you can take to protect your possessions from damage and family from injury. The Institute for Business & Home Safety recommends these tips:
Anchor bookcases and filing cabinets to nearby walls.
Install latches on drawers and cabinet doors to keep contents from spilling.
Install ledge barriers on shelves, place heavy items on lower shelves, and secure large, heavy items and breakables directly to shelves to keep them from falling.
Use closed screw-eyes and wire to securely attach pictures and mirrors to the walls.
Attach computers and small appliances to desks, tables or countertops.
Secure ceiling lights, suspended ceilings and other hanging items such as chandeliers and plants to the permanent structure of your house.
Apply safety film to windows and glass doors.
Anchor large appliances to walls using safety cables or straps. Lock the rollers of any large appliances or pieces of furniture.
Secure water heater(s) to nearby walls.
Fit gas appliances with flexible connections and/or a breakaway gas shut-off device, or install a main gas shut-off device. (Local building codes determine whether you may install flexible connectors yourself or if you need to hire a professional.)
For more information, the IBHS publications Protect Your Home Against Earthquake Damage and Is Your Home Protected From Earthquake Disaster? are available on the IBHS web site www.disastersafety.org. You can also request a free copy by calling toll-free 1-866-657-IBHS (4247). A video demonstrating these steps can be viewed in the Video Gallery on the web site.
IBHS is an initiative of the insurance industry to reduce deaths, injuries, property damage, economic losses and human suffering caused by natural disasters.
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Television Assignment Editors note: IBHS has B-roll available which includes a “shake table” demonstration on a mock living room, showing what happens to a family and their belongings in a moderate earthquake. Some of the above safety tips are also demonstrated. Contact: Wendy Fontaine, IBHS Media Relations Specialist, (813) 675-1045.
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