Hearing for Disaster Prevention Section at Minato City Office

We conducted an hearing for Mr. Shiota in charge of the Disaster Prevention Community Support Subsection at the Minato City Office from 11 a.m. on Thursday, September 6.

Disaster prevention activities to be conducted by business offices in Minato City

Question: Are there any laws related to countermeasures for disaster prevention including earthquakes?

Answer:
The “Minato City Basic Ordinance for Disaster Prevention Countermeasures” was entered into effect in our city on October 14 in 2011. The roles to be fulfilled by business operators are described in the Ordinance.

Chapter 2: Responsibilities of City, City Residents and Business Operators

Chapter 3: Responsibilities of Business Operators

Article 8: Business operators must work to ensure the safety of the facilities and equipment under their management, as well as the safety of their employees, visitors to their offices, and residents in areas around their business offices, as part of their social responsibility.

2. Business operators must cooperate with autonomous disaster prevention activities in the area while promoting partnerships with resident organizations for disaster prevention. In addition, they must work with the aim of cooperating in disaster prevention projects carried out by the City and disaster prevention related agencies, etc.

3. Business operators must work with the aim of preventing employees from simultaneous return-home situations in case of disasters and stockpile supplies required during disasters such as drinking water and food for stranded commuters (those who commute to business offices or schools or go out to shops or other establishments for shopping or other reasons and have difficulty going home on foot).

Although there are no penal regulations, the enforcement of a legally adopted ordinance is a major advancement for disaster countermeasures. With such legislation advancing after the Great East Japan Earthquake, the countermeasures and roles required of business operators have grown, in accordance with such legislation.

Question: Please introduce a typical countermeasure example for an office.

Answer:
I’ve heard that a person who experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake while working on the upper floor of a high-rise building saw its adjacent high-rise building swaying intensely from side to side.

Shaking specific to high-rise buildings due to long-period oscillations causes a slow but large swaying motion even if the building itself is not destroyed. It is dangerous since furniture and fixtures not fixed to floors move at a furious speed.

Countermeasures to present overturning of furniture and fixtures such as tall shelves are of course required. In addition, those on casters such as copiers and shredders are potentially dangerous weapons. They are required to be firmly secured to the floor with wires, especially on higher floors.

Question: Please tell us about what business operators should do with care in case of disasters.

Answer:
The number of employees going home should be controlled whenever a disaster occurs. This is because secondary disasters may occur as a result of transportation chaos, falling objects or collapsing buildings, etc.

For that reason, it is requested to conduct the management of stockpiled supplies such as food (water and nonperishable foods), sanitary goods, and portable toilets in preparation for disasters.

In addition, periodically hold emergency prevention drills in your building to ensure the safety of employees, visitors, and residents around the business offices.

Question: What kind of activities should business operators perform in the area on a daily basis?

Answer:
There is a disaster prevention council in each area. Please join and participate in their activities.

There are many business offices in Minato City. In contrast with the daytime population of approximately 900,000 people, the nighttime population is 230,000. Since the daytime population is extremely high, there is a limit to coping with a disaster only with residents disaster prevention capabilities. We ask that you actually take part in local disaster prevention efforts as a business establishment / office on a regular basis, in order to smoothly perform mutual assistance activities in the area.

TEL:03-6809-3306