A misguided safety theory?

Triangle of Life

Life saving or life threatening advice?

While the phrase "Triangle of Life" is without a doubt catchier and easier to remember than its counter advice of "Drop Cover and Hold On", most emergency experts and safety organizations have wildly criticized this theory as being potentially life threatening and outright dangerous during an earthquake.


Initially created by Doug Copp, his theory advises building occupants to seek shelter next to solid objects which would provide a protective void or space in which a person could avoid serious injury and survive in a major structural failure or building collapse, also known as a "pancake collapse".

The opposing suggestion is called 'Drop, Cover and Hold On" and strongly advises building occupants to seek shelter underneath a sturdy table or desk while holding on to one leg of the table to prevent it from 'walking away'. It is argued that in Western Communities and countries such as the US, complete structural collapses (pancake collapses) are rare and the Drop Cover and Hold On method provides more safety against falling objects compared to the Triangle of Life which leaves the person completely without cover.

Detailed investigation by leading safety organizations and experts into the statements made by Doug Copp that he has seen people who dies from not using his method are not corroborated. While Copp's theory states that the weight of falling objects might be great enough to crush objects such as a table or its legs, it does not readily provide a comparison to address the damage and injuries such items could cause to an unprotected human body (as would be the case in his Triangle of Life theory) versus a protected body under the Drop Cover and Hold On safety advice recommendation.

The Theory - picked apart
T.O.L. suggests that people indoors seek shelter in front of a large piece of furniture such as a cabinet or shelf unit. In the event of a ceiling collapse the furniture will 'hold' up parts of the ceiling and thus provide a void for the person.
But what if the ceiling does not come down and the piece of furniture tips over and falls on the person instead?
And what if the contents of the cabinet or shelf come falling down and onto the person next to it?

The T.O.L. theory works well in hindsight when a structure has been damaged by an earthquake and teams review the result. It is then easy to say "There is a void and a person could have survived in it." But how does one know which way a building or parts of it will fall? Seismologists state that earthquakes can shake the ground in various directions and depending on when a structure fails and which direction the ground shakes at that moment, a wall can tumble to the left or right. A ceiling can slide off the wall on one side and come down in one piece or buckle in the middle of the room and fold in half.

It is impossible to predict beforehand where the voids the Triangle of Life theory is based on will form and it is therefore still safer to be under a table or desk. At least you will be protected from falling picture frames, home decor and ceiling plaster.

Be safe during an Earthquake:

Get under the nearest table, desk or similar item and Drop, Cover and Hold On

Take cover within 3 seconds or less! Time is of the essence.

But get out of the kitchen! Cabinets will open and unload piles of dishes and glass ware.

Stay away from windows, glass doors, mirrors and sliding closet doors. When placed under pressure, glass will break and sharp shards of glass can come flying like razor blades.

Stay under the table or desk for a while longer, even if the shaking appears to have stopped. Some items might still come falling and being covered can protect you against falling objects from shelves.

Also consider aftershocks which can knock loose items that might still be hanging on.

Resist the urge to run outside, unless it is unsafe or life threatening to stay inside due to fire, gas leak or similar. Remember that falling roof tiles, falling windows and other debris might place you in even greater danger than you might face inside.

When leaving a building during an earthquake, make sure you are at least 1.5 to 2 times the height of the structure away from any surrounding building to reduce the risk of being hit by falling debris.