Cal/OSHA Urging Protections for Bay Area Workers in Smoky Air

BAY AREA, CALIF. -- Cal/OSHA is advising employers to take special precautions to protect outdoor workers due to smoky conditions throughout the Bay Area from the Camp Fire in Butte County, as well as a Winter Spare the Air Alert in place.

Smoke from wildfires contains chemicals, gases and fine particles that are harmful. The biggest hazard is from breathing in the fine particles, which can reduce lung function, worsen asthma and exacerbate existing heart and lung conditions, officials say.

When employees are working outdoors in air affected by wildfire smoke, employers are required by Cal/OSHA to monitor air quality information provided by local air quality districts and, if exposure is deemed harmful, take steps to protect workers such as providing respiratory protection equipment, reducing the amount of time of outdoor work by changing procedures
or schedules or providing enclosed structures or vehicles where the air is filtered.

The Bay Area Quality Management District has issued a Winter Spare the Air Alert through Monday due to heavy smoke blowing into the Bay Area from the so-called Camp Fire in Butte County.

Heavy smoke from the fire has elevated levels of particulate pollution especially in the North Bay and East Bay. Burning wood or any other solid fuel outdoors or indoors is banned while the alert remains in place.

Bay City News contributed to this article/Image via Shutterstock