Wildfire Preparedness Week and Protecting Workers from Respiratory Hazards

The first week of May is recognized as Wildfire Preparedness Week in California. It is a time when the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and partner agencies share proactive ways that people, communities and businesses can protect themselves and their property from the threat of wildfires.

During a wildfire, the public is often advised to stay indoors and avoid demanding activities, when there are periods of thick smoke; however, outdoor workers, who cannot escape to the indoors, are often at risk. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) cautions that exposure to wildfire smoke can cause many respiratory symptoms and worsen other illnesses. During pregnancy, exposure to wildfire smoke can even affect fetal development according to NIOSH.

“Exposure to too much of anything is bad, and overexposure to wildfire smoke is no exception. Smoke from wildfires and from nearby wildland-urban interface fires can result in unhealthy outdoor air quality near the fire and also can negatively impact the outdoor air quality vast distances from the event,” said Derrick A. Denis, Disaster Ready Emergency Preparedness and Infection Control (DR EPIC) Program Industrial Hygienist and Senior Vice President for Clark Seif Clark (CSC). “Whether outdoors or indoors, wildfire smoke can impact workers and building occupants. Combustion byproducts not only impact outdoor workers, but can also infiltrate the built environment degrading the indoor environmental quality in homes, schools, offices and other buildings. Smoke residues on surfaces and odors can sometimes persist outdoors and indoors for extended periods following a wildfire event.”

To help in these situations, the industrial hygiene, building science and indoor environmental quality professionals at CSC offer indoor and outdoor air testing services to identify and mitigate exposure risks to wildfire smoke and other airborne pollutants. CSC also provides employee training services on the proper use of respirators and air monitoring instruments, building assessments to evaluate filtration and engineering controls, smoke residue and odor investigations, and more. They have even sponsored an educational video about wildfire smoke and protecting outdoor workers that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/DCCc5ZuMDf4

To learn more about this or other occupational, air quality, environmental, health and safety testing, training and consulting services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118.

About Clark Seif Clark
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address indoor air quality, occupational, environmental, and health and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.

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Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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