Wildfire Smoke at Work: Ideas and Resources

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries sent this bulletin at 09/11/2020 02:19 PM PDT

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washington state department of labor and industries - safety and health

Ideas and Resources for Dealing With Wildfire Smoke at Work
A truck drives through smog from forest fires.

Wildfire season is upon us, but help is available to keep Washington safe and working. 

When wildfire smoke affects your community:

  1. The best protection against wildfire smoke is to shelter in an indoor space with good indoor air quality. Find guidance on reducing smoke exposure indoors.
  2. Check the Washington Smoke Blog the "Air Now" page, and follow Washington Emergency Management Division on Facebook or Twitter for updates on wildfires and air quality for your location.
  3. See our Wildfire Smoke and Washington Workers page for comprehensive information about workplace safety & health during wildfire season.
  4. Read and share our handout Wildfire Smoke and Dust Masks at Work. Remember that use of NIOSH-approved N95s is temporarily discouraged due to the current shortage and need to reserve existing limited supplies for workers exposed to coronavirus in high-risk occupations like healthcare. N95’s with exhalation valves are not FDA approved and do not need to be saved for healthcare. Examples of masks that might be useful for wildfire smoke include masks such as KN90s or KN95s approved in other countries. Any other elastomeric respirator with particulate cartridges can also protect you from wildfire smoke.
  5. See Protecting workers from wildfire smoke exposure: best practices for more information.

Thank you for doing your part to keep Washington safe & working!