Posted by Anne Cosgrove
With the recent devastating earthquake in Nepal, the danger of seismic activity is on the minds of many people. Facility management professionals may have elevated concerns even if their facilities are not located in areas historically prone to earthquakes. Such activity has sharply increased since 2009 in the central and eastern United States, for example. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), part of the Department of the Interior, has noted this increase has been linked to industrial operations that dispose of wastewater by injecting into deep wells.
Whether man-made or due to naturally occurring shifts, earthquakes are a growing concern for many locales. In April 2015, the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute held its annual meeting in Boston, MA, the first time in its 67 year history that the event was held in the northeast. The program touched on the potential for large earthquakes in a city popularly considered outside “earthquake country.”
Are you concerned about an earthquake potentially occurring where your facilities are located? Have you carried out new construction or seismic retrofits based on these concerns? Or are you beginning to research what can be done?
Share your feedback and suggestions in the LEAVE A COMMENT section below. Or, please send a note to the Editor with your experiences or questions.
