Hide Under Desk in Drills (Drop-Cover Positions)
During an earthquake drill, drop to your hands and knees, move under a sturdy desk or table if one is close and safe to reach, cover your head and neck, and hold on until shaking stops. If there is no suitable cover nearby, protect your head and neck where you are. Follow your site’s emergency plan.
A desk can offer a nearby place to take cover, but it is not a tested shelter. It may move, tip, or be struck by falling items. A useful drill therefore does more than tell people to get underneath furniture: it checks whether they can reach it safely, whether the space works for them, and what they should do when the shaking ends.
I plan drills around those practical checks, not around a perfect-looking position. The aim is to rehearse a clear action without creating new hazards, blocking exits, or expecting anyone to crawl into a space they cannot use.
Planning the Drop-Cover Drill
A drop-cover drill practices three actions: get low, protect your head and neck under sturdy furniture when it is nearby, and hold on until shaking stops. It also gives people a chance to learn their site’s plan and identify hazards before an emergency.
FEMA’s earthquake guidance is to drop to hands and knees, take cover beneath a sturdy table or desk if possible, and hold on. If cover is not nearby, stay where you are and protect your head and neck. Do not cross a room or pass a hazard just to reach a desk.
Before the drill, review the local emergency plan. Identify:
- Sturdy desks or tables that are close to occupied areas.
- Windows, glass partitions, tall shelves, suspended lights, and other items that could fall or break.
- Routes to exits and areas where people may gather after shaking stops.
- People who may need an accessible alternative or help that is part of the site plan.
Tell participants what the drill will involve, including how the start and end will be signaled. A drill should practice the intended action, not surprise people in ways that create extra risk. Make clear that the desk is a convenient cover, not a guaranteed protective structure.
Planning check: Can each person identify a safe action from their usual position without crossing an obvious hazard?
Access, Reach, and Clearances
Access means a person can reach, use, and leave the chosen cover without an unsafe detour. A clear floor space is an accessibility term for an unobstructed area needed for certain uses; it does not describe a seismic refuge or prove that a desk can protect someone.
Check the approach to the desk, the space beneath it, and the route out. Do not require anyone to crawl beneath furniture they cannot enter or leave safely. If a person cannot use the nearest desk, work with them and the site’s accessibility or emergency-planning lead on an alternative position for protecting the head and neck.
Two ADA measurements can be useful when checking access, but they have limited meanings:
- The 2010 ADA Standards, section 305.3, specify a minimum 30-by-48-inch clear floor space where an accessible clear floor space is required. This is an accessibility criterion, not a recommended earthquake position.
- Where section 306 applies to knee clearance, its minimum dimensions include 27 inches high, 30 inches wide, and 19 inches deep. These dimensions do not establish that a person can safely shelter under a particular desk.
These measurements are not universal requirements for every desk or every drill. Apply the standards where they govern, and check local requirements and the building’s emergency plan. Measure the actual space and consider how people enter and exit it; a number on a plan cannot show whether a particular person can use it.
| Check | What to verify | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | The cover is reachable without crossing hazards | That it is safe to cross the room |
| Clear floor space | Any required accessible space stays unobstructed | That the space is a seismic refuge |
| Under-desk area | The person can enter, position, and leave safely | That the desk will resist impact or collapse |
| Exit route | The route remains usable after the drill | That occupants should evacuate during shaking |
Access check: If someone cannot safely use the desk, rehearse their agreed alternative rather than asking them to force the same movement as everyone else.
Preparing the Desk Area
Preparation means reducing nearby hazards without turning ordinary furniture into a supposed shelter. Secure furniture and storage against movement or overturning with suitable hardware, following the product maker’s instructions and using a suitable attachment surface.
Look above and around each planned cover. Move heavy items from shelves over desks where practical, and check whether cabinets, bookcases, or equipment could shift into the area. A desk may still move, tip, or fail; nearby falling contents remain a concern even when furniture is secured.
Do not modify desk legs or supports as a substitute for engineering review. Do not add doors, locks, tight skirts, or sealed panels around the desk. Enclosing the space can trap someone, interfere with escape, block access, or restrict ventilation. A brief drop-cover position does not have a universal CFM ventilation requirement, and it is not intended for prolonged occupancy.
Field-style planning scenarios, not incident reports. These examples show how to apply the checks to common room layouts. They are not claims about a particular school, office, or earthquake.
Open-plan office
An open-plan office has desks near windows, rolling chairs, storage units, and shared walkways. The planning team identifies nearby cover that can be reached without crossing a glass area, checks the route around chairs, and secures storage using suitable hardware. During the drill, staff practice the cover action and confirm that walkways and exits remain clear.
Lecture room
A lecture room has rows of desks and aisles that may be crowded. The instructor checks which desks are sturdy and reachable from each seating area, then explains the alternative action for anyone who cannot get beneath one safely. The group rehearses without moving through an aisle to reach distant furniture.
Preparation check: Remove or secure hazards where feasible, but never describe the result as a certified refuge.
Verifying the Drill and Post-Shaking Actions
Verification means checking that the practiced steps work in the real room, including for people who need an alternative. After the drill, note what blocked access, caused confusion, or left an exit unusable, then update the site plan or room setup.
Use this sequence:
- Explain the signal and action. Tell participants to drop, take nearby cover if safe, protect the head and neck, and hold on until the signal that shaking has stopped.
- Practice from normal positions. Start from desks, aisles, and other occupied areas. Do not direct people toward cover that requires crossing a hazard.
- Use the agreed alternative. If no suitable cover is within safe reach, practice protecting the head and neck where the person is. Do not make someone crawl under furniture they cannot safely use.
- End the shaking phase. Once the drill signals that shaking has stopped, follow the site’s plan. Evacuate if directed, using the planned route and watching for hazards.
- Review and correct. Record blocked routes, unstable furniture, unclear instructions, or access problems. Assign someone to follow up on each issue.
Do not tell participants to remain beneath desks after shaking stops as a general rule. The next action depends on the site plan and conditions. Check exits and routes during planning, and make sure staff know what signal means the drill phase has ended and what the local plan requires next.
Verification check: Can participants name what to do during shaking, what to do if cover is not reachable, and what signal or instruction governs their next action?
Conclusion and FAQ
A sound drill matches the room and the people in it. Practice getting low, using nearby sturdy furniture when it is safe to reach, protecting the head and neck, and holding on until shaking stops. Keep accessible routes and exits clear, avoid modifying desks, and follow the site plan for what happens next.
What does “drop, cover, and hold on” mean?
Drop to your hands and knees, take cover under nearby sturdy furniture if it is safe to reach, and hold on until shaking stops. Protect your head and neck.
Should I run to a desk across the room?
No. FEMA guidance is to use cover if it is nearby. If you would need to cross a hazard, protect your head and neck where you are.
Is an ordinary desk earthquake-proof?
No. An ordinary desk is not a certified refuge. It may move, tip, collapse, or be hit by falling objects.
What if I cannot fit under the desk?
Do not force yourself beneath it. Follow the agreed site plan for protecting your head and neck from your current position.
Do ADA clearance measurements show that a desk is safe cover?
No. The 30-by-48-inch clear floor space and applicable knee-clearance dimensions address accessibility, not seismic protection.
Should we add panels or a door around the desk?
No. Enclosing a desk can create entrapment, access, exit, and ventilation hazards. Do not add doors, locks, or sealed panels.
Do desks need a particular ventilation rating for a drill?
There is no universal CFM requirement for a brief, open drop-cover position. This guidance is not for staying under a desk for a long time.
When should I leave the desk after the shaking stops?
Follow the site’s emergency plan and staff instructions. Evacuate when directed, using the planned route and checking for hazards.
What should a drill review afterward?
Check whether cover was reachable, accessible routes stayed clear, participants understood the alternative action, and exits remained usable. Correct issues before the next drill.
(This article was written by one of our staff writers, Samuel Thornton. Visit our Meet the Team page.)
