In Japan, after an earthquake, or when there is a heavy downpour, transportation is affected and guardians of children may not be able to reach home in time from the office. In elementary schools, because the guardian is unable to come and pick up the child, the teacher needs to ensure that the children are protected, and therefore, bears enormous responsibility. Since commuting times to work are long, guardians need to instate measures for the safety of their children.

This study aims to clarify guardians’ recognition of children’s safety in the event of a disaster, and examine the corresponding challenge they face in terms of commuting distance.

The subjects are 2,181 guardians of children in four elementary schools near places where landslides had occurred in Hiroshima city in 2014. The questionnaires distributed throughout the school produced 1,027 valid responses. Guardians were divided based on commuting distance into two groups; one of whom were within 3-km commuting distance and the other of more than 3 km. The two groups were compared for their recognition of children’s safety using a chi-square test.

Children’s safety in school was a concern for 73.9% of guardians. The safety of school buildings in case of a disaster was a cause of concern for 80% of guardians who are close commuters, and 73.9% of guardians whose commute distance is longer (P = 0.015). The fact that children cannot return home was a cause of worry for 33.9% of guardians whose workplace is nearby, and for 29.9% whose workplace was distant (P=0.044).

Most parents, especially guardians going to work far away, do not recognize that they cannot reach home, and therefore, need to think about providing safety measures for their children in the disaster.