Earthquake Preparedness: How To Secure Glass Fixtures

More and more everyday we are hearing about an earthquake. It really doesn't matter where you live, they are happening all over. The best thing is to know how to prepare some of your things in case an earthquake does hit in your area. Particularly glass fixtures, for they will shatter and perhaps cause the most physical damage even if it is a slight earthquake.

Step 1 - Securing Ceiling Fans with Lights

One of the most common injuries during an earthquake is being hit by flying glass. There are several ways you can keep this from happening by securing as many glass fixtures and glass objects as possible. Most every home has a ceiling fan in it somewhere. And most of them have a lighting fixture attached to it. The best option is to secure both. Using anchor screws, anchor them into the ceiling joists on 4 points around the fan. Using the 14 gauge wiring, wrap it around the fan center or motor and attach the lines to the anchors you have installed and snap them to hold tight. The light fixture on the fan can easily be secured with duct tape . Using the duct tape, tape it around the fixture and secure it to the motor also.

Step 2 - Covering Chandeliers

Dependent upon what kind of chandelier you have how much preparation you will need to do. Using cloth strips, cover the lighting fixtures with the cloth like a bag and then duct tape it to the frame on the chandelier. If you have the type with reflective crystals, simply remove them and then cover the lights on the fixtures as described above.

Step 3 - Securing Regular Table Lights

Glass table lights are easiest and best sat on the floor or a low lying place. However, you still need to cover the glass on them as they can knock over and shatter throwing glass all over. So again we go back to cloth. You can use pillow cases and the duct tape to secure them to the bases. If the entire thing is glass, make sure you cover it all. It will probably still break, but this exercise is to keep flying glass from hitting anyone. If the shades are glass and remove able, just remove them and wrap them in a pillow case secured with duct tape. 

Step 4 - Florescent Lighting

If you have open tubing on fluorescent lighting, just invest in some plastic covering for them. This way if they shatter, all the glass will be caught in the plastic cover and not be showered all over you . If you have glass covered fluorescent lighting, secure it in much the same way as the ceiling fans. Using anchors and wires, criss cross the glass to hold it in place and duct tape some cloth or even vinyl over it in case it shatters.

On small things, simply covering them in duct tape is going to keep the glass from flying all over and keep you much safer.