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State-Level Wildfire Smoke Rules
In January, new permanent rules requiring employers to protect workers from wildfire smoke went into effect in Washington, which joins California and Oregon as the only states that regulate occupational exposure to wildfire smoke. The states’ rules primarily address exposures to PM2.5, or particles of burned material less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. These particles may enter the lungs and bloodstream and are linked with serious lung, heart, and kidney disease.
Requirements from the states’ wildfire rules are triggered by concentrations of PM2.5 as communicated by the NowCast Air Quality Index (AQI). Some of these requirements are presented below with the associated AQI levels and ranges. More information about Washington’s new rules can be found in NewsWatch.
From “Outdoor Workers Gain Year-Round Protections From Dangerous Wildfire Smoke”:
“The rules require [Washington state] employers to be prepared for the impact wildfire smoke will have on their workers by creating a response plan, providing training to employees, monitoring smoke levels, implementing a two-way communications system, and making sure employees have access to prompt medical attention, among other items.”
SOURCES
California Department of Industrial Relations: “Worker Protection from Wildfire Smoke.”
NIOSH: “Outdoor Workers Exposed to Wildfire Smoke.”
Oregon Occupational Safety and Health: “Wildfires.”
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries: “Outdoor Workers Gain Year-Round Protections From Dangerous Wildfire Smoke” (December 2023).
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries: “Wildfire Smoke Rulemaking.”
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