Japan is a land of high seismic and volcanic activity. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, although Japan’s land area is only 0.25% of the world’s total, it accounts for an extremely high 18.5% of the world’s earthquake frequency. In addition, climate change in recent years has led to an increase in unexpected natural disasters. The Japan Meteorological Agency reports that while the world’s average annual temperature has increased at a rate of 0.72°C per century since the late 19th century, the rate of increase in Japan has been 1.19°C per century, a faster pace than in the rest of the world. The increase in rainfall in Japan is also remarkable, with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism reporting that the number of days per year with daily precipitation of 200 mm or more has increased over time, with about 1.7 times as many days per year from 1990 to 2019 compared to the 30 years from 1901 to 1930. These climate changes are increasing the frequency of landslides and floods.

From the Cabinet Office

While various efforts to prevent climate change are beginning to occur, it is also necessary to have policies in place to deal with disasters when they occur. In particular, since restaurants have many dangerous equipment such as fire, knives, and tableware, it is important to take precautions to prevent secondary damage such as injury and fire in the event of natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons. We therefore interviewed Mr. Ichikawa of the Kanazawa Branch of Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited, a professional in disaster prevention, about how to cope with disasters and how to prepare for them in everyday life.

Understanding the Risk of Disasters in Restaurants

Q.Even though it is an unexpected natural disaster, it is necessary to understand the risks that a store faces.

Ichikawa: First of all, it is necessary to check the hazard maps published by the local government to see what kind of disasters are anticipated at the location. There are systems available on the web that allow you to easily check hazard maps, such as J-SHIS from the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED) for earthquakes, and hazard maps from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism for floods and landslides.

Daily Preparedness

Q. First of all, please tell us about your daily preparedness regarding buildings.

Ichikawa: Regarding earthquake disasters, proper building maintenance is important for stand-alone stores. For older buildings, it is necessary to check whether seismic diagnosis and reinforcement have been conducted, and whether repairs to the roof, exterior walls, etc. are being made on a regular basis. Since it is difficult for architects and other specialists to conduct an investigation of facility safety immediately after a disaster occurs, it is advisable to prepare a checklist in advance so that facility staff can inspect the building themselves.

Q.Since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, there seems to be an increase in earthquakes in particular. What should restaurants pay special attention to?

Ichikawa: In an earthquake disaster, in addition to direct damage to buildings and equipment caused by shaking, customers and employees may be injured by falling furniture and tableware in the room. Restaurants, in particular, often store glass and ceramic tableware and bottles that could break in high places, such as hanging cupboards in the kitchen. It is recommended that measures be taken to prevent falling, such as installing earthquake-proof latches on cupboards.

In addition, it is also important to prepare waterproofing equipment, such as watertight boards and sandbags, to prevent wind and flood damage caused by strong winds and heavy rainfall, which has occurred frequently in recent years due to large typhoons and torrential rainfall caused by linear precipitation zones.

Q. What kind of stockpiling of supplies, etc. do you need?

Ichikawa: Restaurants that are tenants in large commercial facilities need to prepare stockpiles of at least water, food, emergency toilets, blankets (or aluminum blankets), etc., since employees may remain in the facility as temporary evacuation in the event of a disaster. It is advisable to prepare quantities based on the number of employees who may have difficulty returning home, assuming that electricity and water will be shut down for three days and one week, respectively. If there is a possibility that the facility will temporarily host residents from the neighborhood, preparations should also be made for the number of people who will be hosted.

Q.I am concerned about fires in restaurants because they use a lot of fire. Please tell us about fire prevention measures.

Ichikawa: As a general rule, restaurants with facilities or equipment that use fire are required to install fire extinguishers and to inspect and report to the fire department, so it is necessary to confirm that fire extinguishers are installed in the restaurant and that they are regularly inspected and reported. Also, fire alarms and gas detectors often have dead batteries, so you should consider making appropriate improvements after conducting periodic inspections. Also, when a fire breaks out, it may spread to buildings and other structures other than the origin of the fire. Since initial fire extinguishing is important to prevent the spread of fire, it is essential to maintain fire extinguishers and hydrants and ensure that employees are familiar with their use through training.

Fires that occur in restaurants often start with gas appliances in the kitchen. In addition, there are also cases of fires ignited by oil dust adhering to exhaust ducts, and tracking fires (fires ignited by dust that accumulates around electrical outlets of electrical equipment in the kitchen). Fire prevention can be achieved by taking sufficient control of the fire source, as well as by ensuring that ducts and electrical outlets are cleaned and sanitized on a daily basis.

Q. What advice would you give regarding daily training?

Mr. Ichikawa: Large commercial facilities must conduct regular disaster drills. Disaster drills should be attended not only by store managers and other administrators but also by all employees, including part-time workers. It is important to inform employees who were not able to participate in the drills about the contents of the drills and precautions to be taken when extinguishing fires and evacuating.

Q. Insurance is another way to be prepared, isn’t it?

Mr. Ichikawa: Many restaurants probably have fire insurance, but it is a good idea to understand its coverage. In addition to fire insurance, it is also important to periodically review the coverage for flood damage caused by heavy rainfall, which has been increasing recently, as well as insurance against business closures in case of emergencies. However, insurance does not cover everything, so it is advisable to be as prepared as possible on a daily basis.

What to do in case of disaster

Q.I know that when a disaster strikes, people panic.

Ichikawa: When a natural disaster occurs during business hours, the first priority is to ensure the safety of customers and employees. In the event of an earthquake disaster, fire is also a concern for restaurants that use fire, so fire extinguishers and hydrants must be used to quickly extinguish fires in the initial stages. As a key point in this process, if the height of the fire is above your height, it will be difficult to extinguish the fire in the initial stage, so you must give priority to prompt evacuation. Then, not only in the event of an earthquake disaster, but also in the event of a water disaster, customers and employees may have difficulty returning home due to the suspension of transportation in the vicinity. In addition to weather information from local authorities, it is advisable to collect information on buses, railroads, roads, and other transportation-related information so that you can make a decision to suspend store operations at the appropriate time.

Q.Is there anything that a company with a large number of stores should be aware of?

Ichikawa: It is necessary for the head office to quickly identify physical damage and human casualties in order to continue business operations. For this purpose, it is recommended to secure multiple means of communication between the head office and each store. We recommend the introduction of a safety confirmation system in order to quickly ascertain human casualties among employees.

Cooperation with Local Communities

Q.I understand that large facilities may accept people who have difficulty returning home. What precautions should we take in such cases?

Ichikawa: First of all, you need to confirm that the facility is large enough to cooperate with the local government. If you act only with the desire to help, you may end up in trouble, so you need to consider every detail, including the number of people you can accept and stockpiles. When the time comes to accept the evacuees, it is also necessary to consider whether the facility is safe and whether there are enough employees to deal with those who have difficulty returning home.

Q. What specific support will you provide?

Ichikawa: Some large commercial facilities include agreements with local governments in their business continuity plans (BCPs). For example, a supermarket has an agreement in advance to give priority to local governments in selling water, food, and other supplies to them in the event of a disaster. Another example is a food manufacturer that has an agreement to distribute its products to evacuees in the event of a disaster. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) has compiled a list of other examples of cooperation between local governments and food-related companies in the event of a disaster.

Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance’s Perspective on Sustainability

Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd. recognizes new risks and aims to contribute to the development of local and international communities by providing products and services that respond to such risks and continue to offer the greatest possible peace of mind to customers. In this context, the Kanazawa Branch considers “issues unique to the region” based on the ideas of local employees, and implements “GENKATSU,” a regional contribution activity aimed at solving such issues. We asked Mr. Ichikawa about these activities.

Q. First of all, please tell us about the activities of “GENKATSU”.

Ichikawa: “Genkatsu” is a coined word that combines “vigor” and “vitality. GENKATSU is one of our CSV initiatives in the three Hokuriku prefectures that started in FY2019, and is also in line with our SDGs philosophy.

Q. What initiatives have you undertaken so far?

Ichikawa: There are two main teams, A and B. Team A holds “web-based remote events” with the keywords “elderly,” “children,” “interaction,” and “energy. In the first event, we focused on elderly care facilities, where visits with family members have decreased due to the coronary disaster and facilities are suffering from a decline in vitality due to voluntary restraints on recreational activities to prevent infection. We planned a “〇× Quiz on Disaster Prevention and Traffic Safety” and held a remote event with a rehabilitation facility in the city. The facility users were encouraged to use their hands to express themselves in the “◯×” quiz as a form of rehabilitation, and they answered the questions with smiles on their faces from start to finish. In the second event, a remote factory tour called “Let’s see Kuruma no Oisha-san” was planned for children’s preschools in the city to learn about automobile maintenance. They were surprised to see the backside of a car, which they cannot usually see, and how a heavy car is lifted by a machine.
In addition, the team B issues “GENKATSU Disaster Prevention Newsletters” on the theme of disasters that are likely to occur in a given month, and “Disaster Prevention Cards” that are useful in the event of a disaster. These are basically distributed to agents, employees, and their families.

We know that the word “insurance” may make some people feel intimidated, but we hope to provide an opportunity for everyone to think about disaster preparedness through GENKATSU, which is based on familiar themes.

Editor’s Note

Insurance is to be taken out in case of emergency, and insurance companies such as Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance are the ones who have created this system. Ms. Ichikawa said, “Having the right insurance can help you in the event of a disaster, but it does not cover everything. I know there is no end to your worries, but I would like you to be as prepared as possible for what you can do now. She added, “We are all concerned about the future of the world. While climate change mitigation measures will be increasingly required, adaptation measures are also becoming more important. I think it is necessary to take a fresh look at the disaster preparedness of our stores with the awareness of “protecting ourselves by ourselves”.

[Reference Site] Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance’s Perspective on Sustainability
[Reference Site] Changes in the Environment Surrounding Japan｜Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
[Reference Site] Secular change of annual mean temperature anomaly in Japan
[Reference site] Examples of Emergency Preparedness Initiatives at Food Industry Businesses

This column was prepared under the supervision of MS&AD InterRisk Research Institute, Inc.