Safety first: Japanese MPs practice putting on foldable helmets in earthquake drill (VIDEO)
by RT
Safety first: Japanese MPs practice putting on foldable helmets in earthquake drill (VIDEO)
Video of the members of Japan’s House of Representatives trying on their disaster helmets has drawn plenty of mockery online, in light of the safety equipment’s rather unique design.
Each member of the house has a foldable helmet under their chair to prevent head injuries in the event of an earthquake or similar disaster. During the House’s 26th plenary session, all members were trained in the use of the bizarre-looking helmets, with Speaker of the House Tadamori Oshima leading the way.
It goes without saying that many online mocked the unusual design of the helmets, with film references aplenty, particularly to the Star Wars franchise
However, the drill is not without merit: The country experienced a magnitude 5.7 earthquake just before Typhoon Hagibis made landfall this past October. This temblor came mere months after a monstrous 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck in the Sea of Japan, triggering a tsunami warning for a period of time.
Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, Japan is prone to seismic activity, including volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. The country still lives under the specter of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, which triggered a tsunami that caused the meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, the most severe such disaster since the Chernobyl incident.
