Living in an earthquake zone should heighten your awareness that earthquakes can happen at any time, which means that equipment fastening is a key element in ensuring that your business can continue to function after an earthquake hits.

It stands to reason then that if you own a business which is located in an active seismic zone, equipment fastening should be at the very top of your list of priorities.

And irrespective of the scope of your operations, if you shelve the threat of earthquakes and the associated need for equipment fastening you could very well be faced with a bill many times higher than the cost of the actual fastening program.

Unsecured equipment can easily topple over in an earthquake, which is precisely why it needs to be fastened down.

Earthquakes occur when fractures in Earth’s outer shell slide by each other and build up stress. When large blocks of rock along these faults are strained to breaking point, they snap into new positions and release massive amounts of energy that cause the earth to shake.

Because we can’t predict where or when an earthquake will strike, or what its magnitude will be, the only thing left open to us is to make sure that we’re as prepared as we can be.

Earthquake proofing your workplace is similar to what you would do at home to protect your household possessions. It’s a matter of identifying potential hazards and securing them and a good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that if it’s heavy enough to hurt you if it falls on you it should be secured.

Of course, in the case of an office, lab, data center and so on it’s also a matter of protecting your investments by preventing expensive equipment from falling and smashing as the cost of replacing it could become astronomical.

Seismic Mitigation

Equipment fastening, also referred to as seismic mitigation, helps to create a safer work environment, complies with building and safety codes and it will ensure your business continuity. To that end, equipment fastening programs can be custom designed for every aspect of your operation.

Any kind of valuable equipment such as HPLCs, mass spectrometers, centrifuges and a host of other electronic items are at risk of damage if left unsecured. There are also mainframe computers, LAN cabinets and various fittings that need to be fastened down.

You can imagine what could happen if there was an earthquake and everything smashed to the floor. Years worth of valuable research could be lost, as well as the equipment itself. That scenario is totally avoidable, however, and there are innovative and cost effective methods of equipment fastening for all these things based on client preference.

Earthquake Preparedness in the Workplace

Earthquakes are unpredictable, so being prepared is the most practical course of action to take. If your equipment is unsecured it could be damaged or trashed beyond repair in a quake. The best way to prevent that is to take action now to avoid major financial and logistical headaches later.

And regardless of the size of your operation, a free risk evaluation will determine how best to meet your needs. QuakeHOLD! Industrial is the leader in earthquake preparedness and equipment fastening. If you run a business in an earthquake zone you need to be prepared and we strongly encourage you to look into our equipment fastening options and do it today.

The earthquake preparedness team from QuakeHOLD! Industrial was in Chile in June in order to educate the mass about how to counteract massive earthquakes. The United States Department of Commerce, in conjunction with the Chilean government, established the Rebuild Chile Expo 2010 in response to the destructive February earthquake that shook the country.

The primary focus of the Expo was to address the many needs in Chile resulting from the magnitude 8.8 quake and to learn how to prepare for the next one becausethey now realize there will be more. The expert Earthquake Preparedness team from Quake Hold Industrial was present because they specialize in non-structural seismic mitigation, something that is now very much in demand in Chile. Data center seismic mitigation, lab equipment fastening and warehouse seismic fastening is all part of earthquake preparedness, thus businesses in Chile are now taking it much more seriously.

Since earthquakes are extremely unpredictable, so being prepared for them is the smartest thing one can do to make sure the business remains functional without risking injury to employees. Earthquake preparedness not only ensures protection to valuable possessions but also prevents loss or damage of data.

It has been observed that unsecured items are the potential hazards during an earthquake causing personal injury and even death. Therefore, equipment fastening is one of the primary services offered by Quake Hold Industrial. The earthquake preparedness team organized by Quake Hold Industrial encourages business to undertake seismic mitigation to avoid destruction.