Property Damage and Occupational Health Hazards Caused by Wildfire Smoke

Smoke from countless wildfires in Canada have blanketed communities from New York City to Charlotte with unhealthy air this summer. During one day alone, over 125 million people in the region were under an air quality alert and the air quality in New York City registered as the worst in the world.

A New York Air Quality Health Advisory about the wildfire smoke warned:
Exposure can cause short-term health effects such as irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and shortness of breath. Exposure to elevated levels of fine particulate matter can also worsen medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease. People with heart or breathing problems, and children and the elderly may be particularly sensitive to PM 2.5.

During a wildfire, the public is often advised to stay indoors and avoid demanding activities during 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.

“Smoke from a wildfire hundreds of miles away can also react with urban air pollution to create exceptionally unhealthy air that can not only impact outdoor workers, but also make its way into homes, schools, offices, and other buildings impacting indoor workers and sometimes causing property damage,” said Frank Selamie, President of CTSI. “Smoke residues and odors can create lasting indoor environmental quality problems. The residues are known to damage electronics and cause corrosion, etching and discoloration on surfaces.”

To help in these situations, the industrial hygiene and indoor environmental quality professionals at CTSI offer indoor and outdoor air testing services to identify and mitigate exposure risks to wildfire smoke and other airborne pollutants. CTSI 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 CTSI’s air quality, industrial hygiene, or environmental, health, and safety services, please visit www.ctsiweb.com, email contactus@ctsiweb.com, or call (212) 971-7016.

About CTSI
Established in 1992, Consulting & Testing Services, Inc. (CTSI) was founded on one strong commitment: to provide efficient and expert services to clients based on professionalism, innovation, and cost-effective expert solutions. This commitment has been furthered with CTSI’s reputation in fostering client relationships in all sectors of the Environmental, Health, Safety, and Construction industries. CTSI prides itself in utilizing a high quality service based on its diverse team of staff and professionals’ concise recommendations and solutions to the most pressing dilemmas. The company operates offices in New York and Florida that service clients across the United States.

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail