Lima Peru — A magnitude 7 earthquake in eastern Peru shook the offices of Oxebridge Quality Resources some 300 miles from the epicenter in Pucallpo, sending residents and workers into the streets. The intensity of the effects in Lima were unusual, given the distance.
Near the quake’s center only two people were injured, with one building collapsed and many more damaged, including a school in the province of Loreto.
Oxebridge’s current offices are located on the eastern fringes of Lima in San Juan de Lurigancho, so were slightly closer to the epicenter than the metropolitan zones, on the western Pacific coast. The current offices are temporary, and Oxebridge intends to move into the metropolitan area in 2012.
Earthquakes are common in the Andean nation, and tsunami warning signs line the beaches of Lima. For the most part, residents take tremors in stride, and are well trained in evacuation procedures. It is not uncommon for stores to run “earthquake drills” requiring all workers and shoppers to leave immediately and gather in pre-marked security areas.
The Peru tremor occurred a day after an unusual 5.8 magnitude earthquake rumbled Virginia, creating cracks in the Washington Monument, and being felt as far away as Canada.
Christopher Paris is the founder and VP Operations of Oxebridge. He has over 35 years’ experience implementing ISO 9001 and AS9100 systems, and helps establish certification and accreditation bodies with the ISO 17000 series. He is a vocal advocate for the development and use of standards from the point of view of actual users. He is the writer and artist of THE AUDITOR comic strip, and is currently writing the DR. CUBA pulp novel series. Visit www.drcuba.world
