Earthquake Preparation Guide: Securing Your Tool Shed Equipment

The size that an earthquake measures on the Richter scale will determine the amount of damage that it causes to your property. An earthquake is the collision between tectonic plates under the surface of the earth and the epicenter of this event is generally along the fault line or border of the tectonic plates. When earthquakes occur below the seabed they can result in tidal waves. 

Emergency Plan

It is important to be fully prepared for an earthquake. You should have devised a practical emergency plan which incorporates all meeting places and important information that every family member should be aware of. Make sure that you also have fire extinguishers in your home and shed in case there are any fires that break out either during or after the earthquake. 

Emergency Tool Kit

When making your plan, you will also need to pack an emergency kit. This will contain food, water, clothes and medical supplies. Another essential part of your earthquake survival kit will be tools from your shed. Identify which tools are likely to be the most useful in the event of an earthquake. This will include wrenches for turning off gas and water supplies, torches, screwdrivers, crowbar, hammers, nails, a bungee cord and any other tools which you might find useful in the event of a disaster. 

Securing the Tool Shed

Once you have selected the tools for your earthquake emergency kit, you will need to turn your attention to securing the tool shed. If the tool shed is made from wood, it is likely that it will withstand some of the vibrations during the earthquake. However, tool sheds do not have foundations so you will need to ensure that it is bolted down to its concrete base. If there is not concrete base then you might have to secure it to a garden wall or fence. If you do not have a garden wall or fence then you will need to find something solid that it can be secured to in order to prevent it from sliding during the earthquake. If you keep weed killer, pesticides or any other flammable liquids in your shed, these will need to put in a locked cabinet either in your home or in the shed. 

Securing Tools

The next stage is to secure your tools. If you have large heavy tools such as lawn mowers, rakes, shovels, axes and saws, these will need to be lashed to the tool shed walls. You can purchased belts and rope which are ideal for this from your local hardware store. For smaller tools such as chisels, screwdrivers, wrenches and hammers, simply place them into a large container such as a trash can. The container will also need to be secured to either the wall of your tool shed or your garden fence.  Once the tools have been placed into the container cover them with a plastic sheet to prevent them from getting wet and then place some weights or bricks over the sheet to stop it from being removed by vibrations. This will offer rain protection to your tools if there is damage to the roofing structure of a shed as well as helping to keep them in place.