The safest place to be in an earthquake is an open field. Injuries and death are most often caused by falling buildings and falling objects.

If you are outside, move away from electrical wires as the poles are sometimes displaced and may fall. Do not move close to buildings.

If you are indoors, take cover immediately under a table or a sturdy piece of furniture. Make sure that you have a barrier between you and falling objects. Do not attempt to use stairs or elevators or to run out of the building. If you are in bed cover your head and body with pillows and blankets.

FEMA and the Red Cross recommend the continuation of  Duck, Cover, and Hold On in favor of the "Triangle of Life" theory. The Utah Seismic Safety Commission stated in a letter to all District Superintendents in the State of Utah, "Until advised otherwise by a national safety organization, the Commission - based on provisional guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and its own technical judgment - recommends continuation of 'Duck, Cover and Hold' as an appropriate earthquake safety measure in Utah."