SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS DURING AND AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE WHILE CARRYING OUT

FIELD EXPLORATION

Seismic movements are a natural phenomenon that manifest themselves with different degrees of severity and
tend to strike suddenly and without warning when a tectonic plate subducts beneath another tectonic plate. This
memorandum set forth some guidelines regarding safety and prevention issues that our exploration groups doing
fieldwork might have to deal with in the event of an earthquake. Usually, during an earthquake telephone lines
collapse, there is a significant disruption of public services and landslides can block, damage or destroy many
roads. In most earthquakes, people are killed by mechanical energy as a direct result of being crushed by falling
building materials and electrical wires and, also, by reckless human behavior. What can be done to raise awareness
and address this issue?
We can develop an earthquake emergency response plan which should be included in the project management
plan putting special emphasis on communication issues; this plan should take into account specific equipment
needs for explorations groups doing fieldwork in the event of an earthquake, methods to inform your relatives that
you are alive and well and action strategies that should be implemented by the exploration groups doing fieldwork
and the exploration headquarters located in the country in the aftermath of an earthquake.

Some key points that should be included in the plan:

a) The campsite location should be part of the activitys
formal risk assessment: the campsite should be
located away from potentially unstable zones and
geologic faults which are susceptible to landslides,
rock fall and flash floods.
b) In order to prepare for a required air evacuation, you
should identify two helicopter landing areas (main
and secondary).
c) The plan should include:
A daily incident reporting and monitoring system
using two different communication methods.
A trip plan detailing how and when an exploration
task is to be completed and who is going to carry
out such task. There should be maps available
showing a main access road and alternate routes.
Logistics; the exploration groups doing fieldwork
should have additional rations of not perishable
foods and drinking water.
First aid kits (ALS-BLS) to provide emergency
medical care to anyone who could need it. A
doctor should be available by phone at any time.
The flashlights and, also, the Spot and Satellite
equipment should have an additional number of
extra batteries.
A phone book with an index of telephone numbers
belonging to both private and public sector
organizations such as Civil Defence, Firefighters,
Hospitals, Police, S.O.S, Rescue Organizations and
Ambulance Providers
In rural areas, identify meeting points to be used
during earthquakes; be aware of possible
earthquakes replicas. Stay away from unstable
zones, electrical posts and bridges.
Each worker should have a personal survival
equipment, PPE and outdoor clothing; each work
group should have flares and smoke signals.
Reassessment of risks after an earthquake in order
to identify and possibly adopt any necessary
measure or carry out any required activity.
d) In the work area, make daily adjustments to your
work plan and work protocols to support the
completion of any required report.
e) Every worker should attend induction training
sessions on how to act in the event of an
earthquake.
f) Those people in the work team having the
necessary experience, skills or knowledge to
become leaders during an emergency should be
identified.
g) Each worker should review with his/her family an
action plan specifically developed in response to
an earthquake because they must know how to
act while you are out doing fieldwork.
h) A check-list taking into consideration the
preceding issues should be developed to verify
that the aforementioned points have been taken
into account before starting any exploration task
scheduled to take place in rural areas.