Directions for prevention (16) Protect your head and take refuge if you feel a shake

Immediately after an earthquake, there is a danger of injury or death when fallen objects strike one’s head.

Stay away from furniture or glass windows and seek refuge under a table or desk holding on to the table legs until the shaking subsides. This is the basic step to take for self-protection, but depending on where you are, there may be nothing to hide under.

　No one knows when or where we may encounter an earthquake. The moment that the Great East Japan Earthquake hit, there were cases where some in a supermarket used shopping baskets to cover their heads and protected themselves from fallen objects. Imagine how to protect your head if you encounter an earthquake at a place where there are no desks and tables.
　
In a bedroom, use a pillow or blanket. On your way to school or work, use a bag to protect your head and stay low. If you are in the shower, cover your head with a bath bucket and move to a safer location.