How to Survive an Explosion

Perhaps the most dire threat to personal safety in extreme circumstances is a high yield explosion. The massive concussive force and the dangerous debris caused from such an event can cause serious bodily harm or death. However, it is possible to survive an explosion if you take proper measures to ensure your body is positioned so as to receive the force.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Recognize the signs that an explosion is imminent. In the case of a car accident, check for flames near anything that links to the vehicle's fuel lines.
2. Realize that an emergency situation does not often allow time for second thoughts. React quickly in order to maximize your chances for surviving the explosion.
3. Take cover behind any large solid object, preferably one that is not flammable.
4. Lower your body to the ground, lying flat on your stomach if such a position is possible given your circumstances.
5. Cover your head with your hands and keep your face as close to the ground as possible, avoiding the temptation to get up and see if the emergency has passed.
6. Remain in your covered position throughout the initial blast wave of the explosion and expect to experience a momentary loss of breath as a great deal of oxygen may be displaced, varying in intensity by the force of the explosion.
7. Check yourself for any major wounds before attempting to leave the site of the emergency. To survive the explosion is only part of your more general concern for your long-term health.