Cal/OSHA: Protect outdoor workers from wildfire smoke
Firefighters aren’t the only workers who are exposed to smoke from California’s wildfires. Employees who are working in outdoor areas in proximity to wildfire smoke – which can contain chemicals, gases and fine particles that can harm health – must also be protected, according to Cal/OSHA.
The agency says that breathing fine particles is the biggest hazard posed by wildfire smoke. The particles can can reduce lung function, worsen asthma and other existing heart and lung conditions, and cause coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing.