Dacey, Gillian;
(2021)
Surviving Earthquakes: A study of preparedness advice and protective actions.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Earthquake preparedness advice, including exercises, aims to reduce injury and increase survivability. However, the relationship between official advice, such as drop-cover-hold, and actions taken during an earthquake has been largely overlooked in previous research. The aim of this study has been to investigate the protective actions that people take during earthquakes, and the influence of preparedness advice, along with variables such as age and gender, on these actions. Two surveys of earthquakes from New Zealand and Japan, and an analysis of earthquake preparedness advice from 67 countries, formed the basis of this study. This approach allowed for comparisons to be made between different earthquake events, using identical methodologies. This research has shown that actions commonly taken include, to seek shelter, stand in a doorway, remain in the same place, or to attempt to leave a building. Not all reported actions are included in relevant official advice and, despite high levels of awareness of current guidance, this did not always translate into recommended actions being taken. Actions most frequently advised in official guidance were to ‘avoid glass or loose and falling objects’ and ‘shelter under furniture’ when indoors, and ‘keep clear of buildings and tall structures’ when outside. The research concluded that behaviour during earthquakes is determined by the interaction of human and environmental factors in addition to the earthquake itself. The efficacy of earthquake advice in its current form was questioned and arguments were made for improving the communication of preparedness messages with more positive, action-orientated messaging. Additionally, messaging needs to address the requirements of a variety of groups in society. It is further suggested that disaster risk reduction experts acknowledge that people will not always behave as advised during an earthquake, and to incorporate this into their planning.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Surviving Earthquakes: A study of preparedness advice and protective actions |
| Event: | UCL |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2021. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Earth Sciences |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10133947 |
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