VIEW GALLERY Thailand earthquake
These startling pictures show a road being torn apart by an earthquake in Thailand.
Luckily nobody was injured in the magnitude-6.0 quake, which struck 6 miles south of Mae Lao and 17 miles southwest of the town of Chiang Rai on Monday.
Tall buildings swayed in the Thai capital of Bangkok, 500 miles to the south. The quake also was felt in Yangon, the capital of neighboring Myanmar.
A Chiang Rai police officer said: "There has been minor damage to buildings in Chiang Rai itself, some shops have goods scattered about and we're seeing cracks in buildings.
"No injuries have been reported so far but we're hearing that some provincial roads have sustained some damage with large cracks appearing."
The quake initially was detected as magnitude-6.3, but the USGS slightly downgraded the severity minutes later.
The region is mostly rural but is popular with tourists.
Where safety is concerned, consider the steps you took to be safe in 2015 as well as the emergencies that arose, so you can identify emergency strengths and weaknesses. For example, did anyone slip or fall at one of your properties in 2015? If so, how was the incident handled? What steps can be taken to prevent future accidents? The National Safety Council offers several ideas for reducing the risk of slips and falls.Emergency fire exit door sign icon
Plan for earthquakes. Review your earthquake preparedness plan, making sure that evacuation routes are clear and furniture, boilers and water heaters are secure. If your building is located in an earthquake-prone area such as Southern California, use this interactive map to see if your building is located on an active fault line. Understanding the severity of the risk can aid in earthquake planning.
Remove clutter throughout the building. Hallways that are littered with boxes impede safe passage. So make sure stairwells remain accessible and that exits are clearly marked. For suggestions about preparing exit routes and creating a fire prevention plan, check out the emergency evacuation fact sheet on the OSHA website.
Reduce fire risks. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking equipment is the leading cause of fires that start at home. As for nonresidential buildings, the most recent available data from FEMA (for 2013) suggests the leading reported causes of fires are cooking, followed by arson, carelessness and heating equipment. Prominently display safety guidelines for heating food, reporting suspicious behavior and carefully dealing with electricity and open flames.
Assemble a “Go-kit.” After any emergency, building occupants might need to shelter in place or move to a safe location on your property, potentially for days. The important components of a go-kit are one gallon of water per person, for three days, non-perishable food, flashlights, medications, first-aid kit, whistle, hand-crank or battery-operated radio (and extra batteries) and emergency blankets. Learn more about assembling an effective go-kit from the Red Cross.
These startling pictures show a road being torn apart by an earthquake in Thailand.
Luckily nobody was injured in the magnitude-6.0 quake, which struck 6 miles south of Mae Lao and 17 miles southwest of the town of Chiang Rai on Monday.
Tall buildings swayed in the Thai capital of Bangkok, 500 miles to the south. The quake also was felt in Yangon, the capital of neighboring Myanmar.
A Chiang Rai police officer said: "There has been minor damage to buildings in Chiang Rai itself, some shops have goods scattered about and we're seeing cracks in buildings.
"No injuries have been reported so far but we're hearing that some provincial roads have sustained some damage with large cracks appearing."
The quake initially was detected as magnitude-6.3, but the USGS slightly downgraded the severity minutes later.
The region is mostly rural but is popular with tourists.
Where safety is concerned, consider the steps you took to be safe in 2015 as well as the emergencies that arose, so you can identify emergency strengths and weaknesses. For example, did anyone slip or fall at one of your properties in 2015? If so, how was the incident handled? What steps can be taken to prevent future accidents? The National Safety Council offers several ideas for reducing the risk of slips and falls.Emergency fire exit door sign icon
Plan for earthquakes. Review your earthquake preparedness plan, making sure that evacuation routes are clear and furniture, boilers and water heaters are secure. If your building is located in an earthquake-prone area such as Southern California, use this interactive map to see if your building is located on an active fault line. Understanding the severity of the risk can aid in earthquake planning.
Remove clutter throughout the building. Hallways that are littered with boxes impede safe passage. So make sure stairwells remain accessible and that exits are clearly marked. For suggestions about preparing exit routes and creating a fire prevention plan, check out the emergency evacuation fact sheet on the OSHA website.
Reduce fire risks. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking equipment is the leading cause of fires that start at home. As for nonresidential buildings, the most recent available data from FEMA (for 2013) suggests the leading reported causes of fires are cooking, followed by arson, carelessness and heating equipment. Prominently display safety guidelines for heating food, reporting suspicious behavior and carefully dealing with electricity and open flames.
Assemble a “Go-kit.” After any emergency, building occupants might need to shelter in place or move to a safe location on your property, potentially for days. The important components of a go-kit are one gallon of water per person, for three days, non-perishable food, flashlights, medications, first-aid kit, whistle, hand-crank or battery-operated radio (and extra batteries) and emergency blankets. Learn more about assembling an effective go-kit from the Red Cross.