Earthquake Kits: Essential Ingredients Of A 72-hour Earthquake Kit For The Office

Being prepared for an emergency situation at the office is much the same as being prepared at home. Whether the office provides kits for their employees or everyone is expected to provide for him or herself, it is important to have at least 72 hours worth of basic survival supplies in case you are stuck there for a while. An office survival kit for one person might include:

- Water: One sealed gallon of clean water per day for at least three days. This will be both for drinking and for sanitation.
- Food: At least three days worth of ready to eat non-perishable food. Canned food or packaged army surplus rations work well, but be sure your food does not require too much water or heat to prepare.
- Prescription medication/feminine hygiene supplies if applicable
- Cooking and feeding supplies: plates, cutlery, cup, etc. as well as anything necessary to prepare the food in your kit, such as a manual can opener or scissors/sharp knife for hard to tear packaging.
- A shrill whistle: to signal for help
- Dust mask: to help filter contaminated air
- Blankets/sleeping bag
- Complete change of clothing, layers for warmer and cooler weather, sturdy shoes, and rain gear.
- Cash or traveler's checks

Other than the personal supplies needed for each employee's basic needs, there are some survival kit essentials that you should have on hand, but it is not necessary for each person to have their own. Make a plan with your employer/employees/health and safety officer, etc. to decide how many of what you will need, but a good rule of thumb is one secondary kit for about 20 people. General office kits should include:

- Light sources: several battery operated or hand crank flashlights for getting from place to place in the dark and 12-hour chemical light sticks for illuminating gathering areas or potential hazards.
- Radios: A hand crank or battery powered radio and a NOAA weather radio with tone alert tone and extra batteries for both units. These will keep you informed of outside conditions and let you know if rescue is headed your way or if it's time to evacuate quickly.
- Personal sanitation: moist towelettes, hand sanitizer, plastic garbage bags and twist ties. You can store these in a small bucket or trashcan, which can double as a latrine when lined with the plastic bags.
- First Aid kit: With instructions on how to use it in case of injuries. Always plan ahead- at least one person in any work environment should be trained in first aid/CPR.
- Plastic sheeting, cutting blade and duct tape: to cover broken windows and/or seal out contamination in case of a shelter-in-place emergency such as fallout, toxic contamination or biohazards.
- Tools: a sharp knife, a manual can opener for canned food and a wrench or pliers to turn off utilities in case of leaks or contamination. It might be a good idea to also include a crowbar, hammer and nails and bungee cords.
- Household chlorine bleach and eyedropper: Bleach can be used as a disinfectant when diluted one part bleach to nine parts water. In case of emergency, it can also be used to treat drinking water with sixteen drops bleach per gallon of water. Use only plain bleach--no scents, detergents or color safe bleaches!
- Fire extinguisher
- Matches in a waterproof container
- Heavy work gloves
- Local maps: for planning escape routes in case of evacuation or helping to guide rescue teams in via phone.

With these items, in an earthquake kit, on hand, your chances of surviving the ordeal intact go up exponentially.