地震中に屋内でやるべきこと: 屋内安全

At Home: Drop Cover Hold Under Sturdy Furniture

When shaking begins at home, the 「まず低く、頭を守り、動かない」（Drop, Cover, and Hold On）地震の揺れの最中に国際的に推奨される防護行動。両手と両膝をつき、頑丈な家具の下に隠れ、揺れが収まるまでその姿勢を保つ。 technique should activate automatically — not as a conscious decision but as a trained reflex. Drop to hands and knees to prevent being knocked down. Move to the nearest sturdy table or desk and take cover under it. If no table is within two steps, move to an interior wall away from windows and cover your head and neck with your arms. Hold on to a table leg if available and maintain position until all shaking has completely stopped.

Kitchen residents should abandon any cooking immediately — a stove fire from an unattended burner is one of the most common 二次的地震災害揺れそのものではなく、揺れによって引き起こされる災害——津波・地すべり・液状化・火災・ダム決壊・化学物質の流出などを指す。揺れそのものより大きな被害をもたらすことが多い。 after earthquakes. Do not attempt to move a pot of boiling water; drop away from it, cover, and hold. The kitchen is statistically the most hazardous room during shaking due to the combination of hard floors, glass containers, and falling cabinet contents. Once shaking stops, shut off the stove before assessing for gas leaks.

In open-plan living areas where there may be no furniture within reach, identify the interior walls of your home as fallback positions. Exterior walls are more vulnerable to collapse and carry the additional risk of glass from adjacent windows. Interior walls near load-bearing columns or stair towers tend to be the most structurally robust sections of a wood-frame building during moderate shaking.

In an Office or Classroom

Office workers should 「まず低く、頭を守り、動かない」（Drop, Cover, and Hold On）地震の揺れの最中に国際的に推奨される防護行動。両手と両膝をつき、頑丈な家具の下に隠れ、揺れが収まるまでその姿勢を保つ。 under their desks immediately, holding on to a desk leg with one hand and protecting their head and neck with the other arm. Turn away from computer monitors, which can topple or shatter. Move away from filing cabinets and bookshelves if they are within two steps — these are the most common sources of office injuries in earthquakes. Server rooms and data centers contain racks that can topple; anyone in these spaces should prioritize distance from rack rows.

Classrooms with student desks allow each occupant to duck under their own desk. Teachers should model the 「まず低く、頭を守り、動かない」（Drop, Cover, and Hold On）地震の揺れの最中に国際的に推奨される防護行動。両手と両膝をつき、頑丈な家具の下に隠れ、揺れが収まるまでその姿勢を保つ。 technique and avoid attempting to assist students while shaking is ongoing — the teacher's primary safety action is to take cover themselves, as an incapacitated teacher cannot assist students in the aftermath. Practice drills conducted at least twice per year make this response automatic for both teachers and students.

Conference rooms present a specific challenge because the central tables in most boardrooms are too heavy and anchored to shelter under, and overhead projectors and AV equipment can fall. Move to the nearest interior wall away from glass and hold on. Avoid the temptation to evacuate immediately; the greatest risk is during shaking, and stairwells and corridors become dangerous during movement.

In a Store or Public Building

In retail environments, move away from tall shelving units, which are subject to 二次的地震災害揺れそのものではなく、揺れによって引き起こされる災害——津波・地すべり・液状化・火災・ダム決壊・化学物質の流出などを指す。揺れそのものより大きな被害をもたらすことが多い。 from cascading merchandise. Drop and cover in the nearest aisle away from unstable shelving, protecting your head with your arms. Avoid glass storefronts and refrigerated display cases, which can shatter under frame distortion. After shaking stops, do not rush toward exits, as crowds in a panicked state create crush injuries independent of earthquake damage.

In a library, the primary hazard is falling books and toppling shelving. Move away from the stacks immediately if you have any warning from initial P-wave trembling, which often precedes major shaking by two to five seconds in areas served by 緊急地震速報（EEW）地震を検知し、強い揺れが到達する前に人々やシステムに警報を送るシステム。数秒から数十秒の猶予を提供し、身を守る行動をとるのに十分な時間となる。 systems. In the stacks, drop and cover against the base of a shelf unit rather than in the middle of an aisle where falling from both sides is possible.

In a movie theater, stadium, or auditorium, 屋内待避（シェルター・イン・プレイス）地震時または地震後に避難するのではなく、現在の場所にとどまる行動。建物が構造的に健全で、津波の危険がない場合に適切な対応である。 in your seat and protect your head and neck with your arms. Do not rush toward exits during shaking. After shaking, follow staff direction and evacuate in an orderly manner through the nearest marked exit, watching for ceiling debris and structural damage above doorways.

In an Elevator: Stay Calm, Don't Panic

If caught in an elevator during an earthquake, press every floor button immediately to maximize the chance that the elevator stops at the nearest floor before any power failure or mechanical jam occurs. Brace yourself in the corner of the elevator car, hold the handrail if available, and protect your head and neck with your arms. Elevators in modern buildings are equipped with seismic sensors that automatically return to the nearest floor and open doors after a seismic event.

After shaking stops and if the elevator has not automatically opened, use the emergency telephone or intercom button to contact building management. Do not attempt to force open elevator doors or exit through the ceiling hatch independently — these actions carry significant injury risk. Wait for professional assistance unless smoke or fire creates an imminent threat. Elevator shafts are structural elements that tend to remain intact even when surrounding floors experience damage.

Near Windows and Glass

Windows and glass storefronts are major sources of 二次的地震災害揺れそのものではなく、揺れによって引き起こされる災害——津波・地すべり・液状化・火災・ダム決壊・化学物質の流出などを指す。揺れそのものより大きな被害をもたらすことが多い。 in the moments after shaking begins. Glass facades, suspended ceiling tiles, and light fixtures can shed debris across a wide radius even without direct impact from the earthquake. When shaking begins indoors, prioritize moving away from any glass surface — windows, glass partitions, glass shower enclosures — before dropping to cover.

Do not stand at a window to watch the earthquake. The instinct to look outside is common but dangerous; ground movement can cause glass to fracture suddenly, and exterior facades on neighboring buildings can shed debris toward your window. After shaking stops, treat all windows as potentially compromised until they can be inspected. Use alternate exit routes that avoid passing directly under or beside glass facades and suspended decorative elements.

When the Shaking Stops: Immediate Actions

The first thirty to sixty seconds after shaking stops are the period of highest risk for the second-most common earthquake injury scenario: moving through a damaged environment without adequate assessment. Check yourself for injuries before attempting to assist others — an incapacitated rescuer multiplies the casualty count. Call out to confirm that others nearby are conscious and responsive.

Look before you stand. Survey the floor around you for broken glass, fallen objects, and structural debris, then slowly rise using your hands for balance. Put on shoes if they are nearby and accessible before walking. Check the ceiling above your exit path for sagging drywall, exposed wiring, and cracked load-bearing elements. An 余震本震と同じ断層領域で本震の後に続く、より規模の小さい地震。余震活動は数週間から数年続くことがあり、最大の余震は通常本震よりマグニチュードが1.0〜1.2小さい。 may arrive within minutes; the decision to shelter in place versus evacuate should account for structural damage visible from your current position.

Sniff for natural gas — the odorant added to natural gas supplies (mercaptan) is detectable at very low concentrations. If you smell sulfur or rotten eggs, do not use any electrical switches, do not use your phone indoors, and exit immediately with the door left open. Gas leaks are among the leading causes of post-earthquake fires and are preventable by prompt, calm action consistent with 地震への備え家具の固定、連絡計画の作成、非常用物資の維持、訓練の実施など、地震の被害を最小限に抑えるための継続的な計画・準備の過程。 training.