Disaster Relief Volunteers in Japan Must Ensure Their Own Safety with These Steps

By Ayaka Kaji / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

18:56 JST, October 21, 2025

When a disaster occurs, volunteers play an important role in helping damage-hit residents rebuild their lives. However, in disaster-struck areas where there is a high level of risk, volunteers themselves need to consider how to ensure their own safety.

It is recommended that volunteers review the basics of carrying out their activities safely.

Medical services in disaster-hit areas tend to struggle. Nobuyuki Kurita, president of Rescue Stock Yard, a nonprofit organization certified to carry out relief activities in disaster-hit areas, said, “To avoid causing trouble, it is important that volunteers ensure their own safety.”

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First of all, when calm, they should check whether they feel physically well.

It is necessary to find out in advance what types of volunteers are sought after. Then, they should apply for a volunteer insurance plan at the social welfare council in their local municipality before departing.

There can be a lot of dirt and dust in the air in disaster-hit areas. Volunteers should wear a mask and goggles. Since cotton work gloves absorb water, rubber gloves are best.

To prevent feet from being pierced by nails and other sharp objects, volunteers should wear high boots or sports shoes with steel plates inserted to prevent accidents. If other kinds of inserts to prevent feet from being pierced are available, it is OK to use them.

During activity orientations, dangerous places and off-limit zones are explained. Volunteers should listen very carefully.

If there is a risk of tsunami, it is best to confirm places for evacuation.

There may be cases in which volunteers will be asked to do risky work that they did not expect. In such cases, they need to say, “I cannot do that,” or consult volunteer centers.

Kurita urged, “It is important not to work beyond your abilities. If you feel anxious, you should consult somebody and carry out tasks without becoming overconfident.”

Prevent stress, heat stroke

There will be cases of volunteers witnessing damage or hearing about survivors’ experiences.

Yukari Maeda, a nurse and adviser in the Japanese Red Cross Society’s department for life saving and welfare, said: “Volunteers can also suffer from stress. You must never believe, ‘I’m different and all right.’”

Maeda pointed out self-care is important, saying, “It is natural to feel sympathy, imagining the same thing that happened to a survivor happening to yourself and becoming emotional.”

Concerning their feelings and the scenes volunteers may witness, simply talking to fellow volunteers or others whom they trust can reduce stress.

If you are not good at chatting, it is recommended to write down your feelings in a notebook.

“Volunteers are also victims behind the scenes. Verbalizing what you felt can ease confused feelings in your mind,” Maeda said.

In the hot summer season, volunteers need to be careful about heat stroke. “When people focus on the work, they tend to forget to take steps to prevent heat stroke,” Maeda said.

Volunteers need to sleep well and eat enough breakfast. If you feel even a little bit physically unwell, be sure to not do too much. It is also necessary to rest at intervals, such as every 30 minutes.

Make sure to hydrate before you get thirsty. “Never drink too little just because you have less time to go to the restroom. You need to drink water and also intake salt regularly,” Maeda said.