Tag Archive for : wildfire smoke

Protecting Workers Exposed to Wildfire Smoke

With a record-breaking wildfire season coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, the effort to protect workers exposed to smoke from wildfires poses a number of extra challenges – including the ongoing shortage of N95 masks.

Wildfire smoke contains fine particles that can harm health by reducing lung function and aggravating asthma and other existing heart and lung conditions. Exposure to these airborne particles can cause coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing.

This year marks one of the worst wildfire seasons on record, resulting in five out of the 20 largest wildfires in California history, according to CalFire, which reports that 4.0 million acres have burned in the state at present. This figure is double the previous record for acres burned within a year in the state of California.

Employers, already challenged with protecting workers from exposure to the coronavirus, are now responsible for keeping workers safe from the air pollution created by the wildfires.

“Employers are obligated to protect their outdoor workers and must evaluate the health hazards posed by wildfire smoke,” Cal/OSHA Chief Doug Parker said in a press release. “If employers cannot move operations indoors where air is adequately filtered and they do not have access to respiratory protection, they may need to halt operations until the outdoor air quality improves.”

The California Department of Industrial Relations provides guidelines to employers for evaluating the risk that poor air quality poses to employees and for protecting the health and safety of workers in regions affected by wildfire smoke. The guidelines are outlined below.

Check Forecasts for Air Quality to Determine the Risk of Harmful Smoke Exposure

Employers are required to check the air quality forecast which categorizes the concentration of airborne PM 2.5, the smallest and most harmful form of particulate matter. An Air Quality Index (AQI) level of 100 can cause individuals with asthma or elderly persons with underlying heart or lung conditions to experience adverse health effects. Levels above 150 are unhealthy for anyone.

This table, from AirNow, in partnership with EPA and several other governmental agencies, shows the range of concern levels for increasing AQI values:

Methods for Protecting Workers from Harmful Air Quality Levels

If the outside air is deemed harmful (AQI reading of 151 or above), employers are required to implement the following measures:

• Lower employee exposure by implementing engineering controls such as moving outdoor employees to enclosed structures or vehicles with filtered air.
• Alert employees when air quality is harmful and have a good communication system in place for workers to report wildfire smoke hazards.
• Provide training for employees on the hazards of wildfire smoke.
• Encourage the use of disposable filtering dust masks such as the N95 respirator. The employer must provide respirators on a voluntary basis when the AQI is 151 or more but less than 500. When air quality reaches 500, the employer must require workers to use respirators.

Help to Make Sure You are in Compliance

These responsibilities can feel overwhelming in ordinary times. At Omega Environmental, we have the expertise and experience you can rely on even in extraordinary times. Give us a call or click on the link below to learn how we can help ensure your compliance with local, state and federal regulations for environmental and employee safety, including air quality index monitoring and analysis, employer and employee training, and recommendations for reducing exposure. Give us a call today.

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The Effect of Wildfire Smoke on Human Health and Property: A Whitepaper

While not as dramatic as the raging flames that produce it, wildfire smoke is a significant concern for residents, property owners and health and government officials dealing with the wide-ranging impact of wildfire season.

Wildfire smoke can reach thousands of feet into the atmosphere and be carried by wind currents far beyond the footprint of a wildfire, depositing ash, soot and char onto surfaces hundreds of miles away.

It’s a growing concern for residents, as well as for health, government and insurance officials who must assess the threat posed by deposited wildfire smoke, both to human health and as a source of property damage.

At Omega Environmental, Principal Scientist Richard L. Wade has extensive experience in the chemistry and mechanics of both wildfire and wildfire smoke as a researcher in academic and government regulatory roles, including as the former chief toxicologist for the San Francisco Fire Department and as a deputy chief for occupational health at Cal/OSHA. Dr. Wade’s research includes the review of results from hundreds of fire impact studies across the country.

Our whitepaper, Where There’s Smoke: Assessing the Health and Property Damage Risks of Wildfire Smoke, is drawn from his reporting, research and work at Omega Environmental, including studies of the Bastrop, Texas and Tubbs, Nunn and Woolsey California fires.

Highlights of this Whitepaper

• Potential health effects of wildfire smoke
• Wildfire smoke and property damage
• Differences between deposited and airborne wildfire smoke
• Differences in composition of wildfire smoke vs. smoke from structural fires
• Best practices for remediation and cleanup of property impacted by wildfire smoke

Expert Environmental Assessment and Remediation

At Omega Environmental we have more than 25 years of experience in the assessment and remediation of hazardous materials in buildings, soil, ground water and indoor air, including specialized expertise into the chemical makeup and effects of wildfire smoke. Our team of experts is ready to help you with cost-effective solutions for assessment, remediation and regulatory compliance for a wide array of environmental issues.

Download Our Whitepaper, Where There’s Smoke: Assessing the Health and Property Risks of Wildfire Smoke

Wet Winter Helping to Rein in California Wildfire Activity

While there are still two months remaining in California’s fire season, a wet winter and slightly cooler temperatures have created conditions that are keeping fire activity down, at least so far.

An analysis of state and federal fire records going back 25 years, found that as of late August, fewer acres had burned in California this year than in any year since 1988, The Mercury News reported.

That’s welcome news for a state that last year suffered through the deadliest and most destructive wildfire season in its recorded history with more than 1.8 million acres burned and 103 deaths, including six firefighters.

But there are still areas of concern as an abundance of dead branches left behind by heavy snowfall in northern California have authorities predicting increased chances of significant fire activity there.

According to the National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook report released Sept. 1:

• Heavy snow in northern Sacramento created a large amount of dead and downed limbs and trees, increasing the likelihood of “above normal significant large fire potentials” in northern California through October.
• Southern California will likely be the last area to see an end to fire activity this year due to offshore winds and dry fuels.

How to Stay Ready in Wildfire Season

Dr. Richard Wade, a toxicologist and expert on the effects of wildfire and smoke-related damage at Omega Environmental Services, shared some tips and best practices for maintaining wildfire season readiness:

• Keep brush cleared away from the perimeter of your home.
• Keep windows closed and stay inside when wildfire smoke is in the air, particularly if you suffer from respiratory ailments. There is no need to tape windows shut.
• Be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice.
• Shut down the outside air intake when wildfire smoke is in the air. The air conditioning can continue to run as long as it is not pulling in outside air. Replace air conditioning filters routinely.

You should also have a fire plan. What will you take with you if you have to evacuate? You may want to include prescriptions, important papers, insurance documents and family phone numbers written on paper, as well as a medical kit and priceless items such as family photographs.

Returning to Your Home or Business After a Wildfire

Wildfire effects do not end just because the flames have been extinguished. Ash can also pose respiratory and other health hazards if it becomes airborne or if it contains residue from hazardous materials that have burned. Most smoke and ash particles deposited outside of the fire’s footprint, however, do not contain any toxic or hazardous particles because such particles cannot survive the intense heat and combustive energy of a wildfire, Dr. Wade says. While wildfire ash may be blown hundreds of miles from the site of a wildfire as the result of the winds created, it is not typically hazardous once it has settled.

It is still a good practice to take care to avoid tracking ash into your home, however. Hose down your car, driveway and steps before entering the house. Replace air conditioning filters and HEPA vacuum filters and vacuum any affected areas. Wipe all surfaces with a cloth dampened with water.

Wildfire ash is water soluble, does not require any specialized cleaning or disposal services and can be safely deposited in the trash, taking care not to allow it to become airborne, where it can cause throat, lung and eye irritation.

Where’s there’s Smoke: Omega Wildfire Expert Has Answers

Dr. Wade’s wide-ranging experience in environmental health includes extensive expertise around the science and mechanics of both deposited and airborne wildfire smoke. His research includes in-depth studies of some of the most devastating fires across California and the Southwest in recent history, including the 2018 Woolsey and Camp fires. He has reviewed sample results from hundreds of fire impact studies across the country and designed sampling plans to determine the path and composition of airborne and deposited particulates.

A former adjunct professor at the University of California and chief toxicologist for the San Francisco Fire Department, Dr. Wade is a sought-after expert on fire impact, including the effects of combustion products on human health.

As a principal and leading expert in toxicology, risk assessment, environmental engineering, risk management and mircrobiological and chemical contamination at Omega Environmental, Dr. Wade provides environmental health assessments and consulting to clients that include law firms, the insurance industry and others.

To learn more about Omega Environmental’s wildfire related assessments and services, give us a call or click on the link below. You can also visit our management page to learn more about our expertise in a wide variety of environmental assessments, consulting services and remediation projects.

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