In about 20 minutes, we are going to have a TV programme about surviving accidents. I don’t know what it is going to say. And anyway I started to write this a few weeks ago. There are two fundamental lessons:
Be prepared
Get out without delay
Obvious when you think about it but few people take notice. Here are a few observations:
- I did not learn to swim until my early 40’s. Within a week of starting to learn, a British car ferry, the Herald of Free Enterprise rolled over and hundreds drowned. Immediately, our teacher skipped swimming lessons and taught us how to get rid of our clothing underwater.- Learn your escape route, the moment you enter a plane, a ship or a building. Look around and decide what you are going to do if an accident occurs. Study any safety information available and listen attentively to safety briefings
- On an aircraft, understand how to open an exit door, where the lifebelt is and all the other stuff. Keep your feet free and don’t be afraid of asking your fellow passenger the same. Always wear your seat belt and again ask others to do the same.
- In an hotel, work out the exit route and look at it. Ideally get a room towards the ground or at least one that overlooks a roof you can jump on to. One useful tip from the programme - get a room on the 6th floor or below because that's the limit of most fire ladders.- On a ship, find your route to the lifeboat. Walk it.
- Wear flat shoes.
- Carry a hammer in the car to break the windows. In winter, carry a Mars Bar in case you get snowbound.
Leave all possessions behind and just flee. Go like hell and don't stop to look.
Pretty obvious really.
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