EARTHQUAKE SAFETY IN SAN FRANCISCO – PROTECTING BREAKABLES

In this week’s article on earthquake safety in San Francisco and safety in the home, we focus on how to protect breakables and collectibles to make sure they don’t fly off the shelves and smash in an earthquake.

A lot of us like to display our knick-knacks, ornaments and even treasured family heirlooms on the mantle and other places around the house, but if they’re not secured to the surface they can actually become projectiles in an earthquake.

As we’ve mentioned previously, most injuries in an earthquake are caused when people are hit by projectiles in the home or have heavy furniture fall on top of them.  According to official statistics from the Office of Emergency Services in California, 55% of injuries in an earthquake are caused in this way.

Tall, top-heavy pieces of furniture are the most common causes of injury because they’ll topple over if unsecured, but the smaller things can be just as potentially dangerous.

In an earthquake, those items can fly off the shelf if they’re unsecured, meaning you run the risk of being hit in the eye, on the head, or in the face.  That can be bad enough for any one of us, but think about what it could do to an older person or a small child.

In most cases after things get broken in an earthquake we’ll kick ourselves and say, “oh, if only I’d done something about this sooner,” but by taking the time beforehand to secure your breakables and collectibles you will avoid loss or damage to your possessions and prevent potential injuries to yourself and your loved ones.

The good news is that earthquake safety in San Francisco is easy and affordable by using temporary adhesives to secure your breakables.

QuakeHOLD! Putty

A unique and versatile product, QuakeHOLD! Putty is designed to safely secure valuables and treasured collectibles.

The scientifically designed putty is non-toxic, removable and reusable and can be used to anchor figurines, glassware and crystal, as well as antiques, ceramics and other fragile items.

Originally developed for museum professionals, this innovative product is safe to use in the home and will work on almost any surface including wood, glass and tile, plus formica, marble and metal.  It has been tested extensively under both simulated and actual earthquake conditions in California and it meets the highest standards.

It was first developed to stop glassware, antiques and collectibles from falling and breaking during earthquakes and these days it’s very popular among museum professionals for securing collectibles.

The cream colored putty is easy to use and a little goes a long way.  Simply roll it into small balls, about the size of a pea, or thin strips and put it on the bottom of items to be secured, then with a slight twist, press the items onto the desired surfaces.

Removal is just as easy.  A gentle twist from the base in an upward motion and the item comes off the surface cleanly without damage to either the object or the surface.  If there’s any residual putty left on the surface just roll or dab it onto itself to get it off.

One 2.6 oz packet of putty contains enough adhesive to secure 40-50 items, both large and small.

And a little trick to remember is to remove and reapply the putty every three to six months to keep it more pliable.

Because earthquakes can strike anywhere at any time, earthquake safety in San Francisco is your best defense.  A golden rule of thumb is if it's heavy enough to hurt you if it falls on you, it should be secured in place.

There are seven steps to earthquake safety in San Francisco and the first one is to identify potential hazards around the home and fix them.  And in this case, that means securing breakables to make sure that they don’t fly off shelves and smash. Do it today before it’s too late.