In the Noto Peninsula earthquake that occurred on January 1st, many people are believed to have been crushed by fallen furniture. We asked a furniture fixing specialist what to pay attention to when fixing furniture, which is directly related to life. A Nagoya Fire Department member rescued people left behind in destroyed houses in the disaster area of ​​the Noto Peninsula earthquake. He said that one thing got in the way of the rescue. (Nagoya City Midori Fire Station, Assistant Fire Commander Higo Taishi) "It took a lot of time just to remove the belongings. If the furniture had been secured, the chances of survival would have been higher." While there were many cases of people being crushed by falling furniture or being unable to escape in time... (Nagoya City Midori Fire Station, Assistant Fire Commander Higo Taishi) "In one victim's house, the cupboard was secured in place. Because the furniture did not fall over, the passage was not blocked and they were able to evacuate immediately." Also, while many victims were able to avoid the collapse of their homes, but are unable to see when they will be able to rebuild their lives due to scattered furniture, etc. (Nagoya City Midori Fire Station, Assistant Fire Commander Higo Taishi) "The other furniture was secured in place, and this person was able to start preparing to live in their own home about three days after the disaster." "Securing furniture" is said to be the basis of disaster prevention. Nagoya City has been sending volunteers, mainly to elderly households, to prevent furniture from falling over free of charge, but since the recent earthquake, they say that they have received more requests from citizens. (The person who requested the service) "I got a flyer and called because I thought, 'I have to do something' after the Noto Peninsula earthquake." What is the key to fixing furniture? We ask a specialist. Volunteer Fukushima Kenji has fixed furniture in over 900 homes. He says it is important to secure the path to the entrance. (Furniture fall prevention volunteer Fukushima Kenji) "If an earthquake occurs while the wife is preparing a meal in the kitchen, she will be scared and in this situation (she cannot move). If the refrigerator falls, the path of movement will be hidden. In houses like this, it is better to fix the refrigerator." In addition to securing an evacuation route, the refrigerator is firmly fixed with metal fittings and belts to protect the food inside. Furthermore. (Fukushima Kenji, furniture fall prevention volunteer) "Furniture is normally tilted forward. When an earthquake occurs, it shakes (and falls)." Cupboards that are easy to move can be made less likely to fall by inserting a non-slip sheet underneath and attaching them tightly to the wall. It is also said that it is effective to lower the center of gravity by placing lighter items at the top and heavier items at the bottom of the shelves. (Fukushima Kenji, furniture fall prevention volunteer) "In a big earthquake, microwaves don't just fall, they fly away." It is said that the risk of microwaves and rice cookers falling can be greatly reduced by simply attaching commercially available anti-slip mats. And special care should be taken with chests of drawers in the bedroom. (Fukushima Kenji, furniture fall prevention volunteer) "If furniture (chest of drawers) falls, it's dangerous no matter where you sleep. This furniture would be better on a lowboard (low shelf), or it would be better not to have it at all. If there is no space, it's better to make this furniture completely immobile." This earthquake once again proved that such large furniture can become a "weapon" that takes lives if it is not fixed. Fukushima appeals that what happened in the disaster area is by no means "someone else's problem." (Fukushima Kenji, furniture fall prevention volunteer) "I want people to think about what they would do if such an earthquake occurred, and think about what they can do at home." For more details, see NEWS DIG! ↓ https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/cb...