Southern California was hit by quite a shaker today. According to Reuters, A 5.4 magnitude earthquake rolled through Chino Hills at about Noon today. Originally we thought it was a 5.8, but it has been recently downgraded.
Although it set off a lot of building alarms, there have been no injuries or significant damages reported. Here's what the report says:
"In California, fortunately because of our good building standards we would not expect to see structural damage with a (magnitude) 5.4," said Kate Hutton, seismologist at the California Institute of Technology.
This is very true. If this had happened somewhere else, it may not be such a rosy picture. That's because, as everybody knows, this is the land of earthquakes. The only people really shaken up are the people that are either visiting, or haven't lived here very long.
I'm not terribly familiar with the construction industry, but I'm pretty sure that the building codes that we have, make construction projects in California more expensive, more time consuming, and more work in general. I know a few years ago, it cost me about $1000 just to get a new water heater installed, because the regulations require more diligence, such as safety straps to secure it, so that an earthquake doesn't knock it loose.
We don't like it too much, but we know that any time an earthquake can roll through and make our lives even more difficult. So it's worth the expense up front, and it's good to know that our bridges and buildings are built with these concerns in mind.
Understanding why your company needs to comply with certain regulations, guidelines, or even internal policy is the key to commitment. You need to explain the risks, and the impact of the risks, so that people aren't just focusing on the "pain" of compliance.
Don't let an earthquake destroy your company. Pay the price for proper compliance, and make sure your company is on board by explaining the risks.
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