A Refuge from Redundancy
I work on the 18th floor of a 29-story tower in downtown Los Angeles. We have regular fire drills, and recently we had an earthquake drill. During the fire drills, we evacuate five floors down. For earthquake drills, we “duck and cover.” During a real emergency, however, it may be necessary for us to evacuate the building and proceed to a designated safe area off the property.
So I was happy to notice that a “Safe Refuge Area Map” had been taped to the cabinet over the sink in the little coffee room around the corner from my cubicle. The map shows the location of the safe refuge. Now each time I get a cup of coffee, I’m reminded that if there’s a need to evacuate the building, I should proceed to a nearby parking lot.
Is it hitting below the belt to criticize good intentions, especially when the safety of others is concerned?
So let’s call this an observation rather than a criticism when I say that the term safe refuge is a redundancy.
Refuge means “shelter or protection from danger or distress” or a place that provides this shelter or protection. In other words, a safe place. By definition, a place can’t be a refuge if it’s not safe.
I wonder if the folks who produced the map had this discussion and decided to be redundant for the sake of emphasis. Or maybe they thought people might not understand what the term refuge meant, hence the descriptive safe. Perhaps they considered safe area or safe zone but decided on refuge because the term implies something more comprehensive.
I’m glad the “Safe Area Refuge Map” is taped on the cabinet in the coffee room. In the event of an evacuation, I’ll be happy to know where to go, whatever the place is called.