The fires on the west coast of the United States have sent an unprecedent amount of smoke to the Salt Lake Valley. All of us have been affected by this smoke. “Wildfire smoke is composed of harmful chemicals and tiny particles suspended in the air that present a significant health hazard for workers exposed to it. These particles can irritate the lungs and cause serious or even fatal health effects, such as:
- Reduced lung function
- Bronchitis
- Worsening of asthma
- Heart failure
- Source: https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/doshreg/Protection-from-Wildfire-Smoke/Wildfire-smoke-emergency-standard.html
The Utah Department Air Quality (DAQ) recommends that persons with existing heart or respiratory ailments should reduce physical exertion and outdoor activity. The DAQ maintains a web page for Salt Lake County ( https://air.utah.gov/trendcharts.php?id=slc ) where it records the level of the following harmful air pollutants on an hourly basis:
- Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 micrometers and smaller in size
- Ozone
- Nitrogen Oxides (NO)
- Carbone Monoxide (CO)
- Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
If you are concerned about the air outside, you can go to the aforementioned website and see the levels of pollutants measured by DAQ. While the Utah Occupational Safety and Health (UOSH) Division does not have any regulations for employees working in the smoke from the wildfires it would be wise and prudent to limit employee exposure, where possible, to the unhealthy air, especially for those employees with existing heart and respiratory ailments. Job rotation and working a non-traditional schedule when the air is less polluted, are all suggested methods to limit employee exposure to the smoky air.
For employees working inside a building the air is filtered by the HVAC equipment to greatly reduce, not eliminate, the smoke pollutants. Lastly, we all know how to wear a cloth face mask. While not as effective as the official N95 mask it will help to reduce the effect of the smoky air on our respiratory tract.
Rich Millet, CSP
Salt Lake Community College
Environmental, Health and Safety Manager
801-957-4902 Office
801-520-0260 Cell
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