Uploaded August 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Smoke from a wildfire or prescribed burn can travel a great distance and cause health concerns for people living and working many miles away. People are often advised to stay indoors and avoid demanding activity during periods of wildfire smoke; however, outdoor workers who cannot escape to the indoors are at risk.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) describes wildfire smoke as a complex mixture of gases and particles from burning vegetation and other materials. As a wildfire burns, many different compounds are released in the smoke, such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, particulate matter (PM), benzene, acrolein and aldehydes.
The agency warns that exposure to wildfire smoke can cause many symptoms, including eye and throat irritation, wheezing and coughing. It can also worsen other illnesses, such as asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and heart and blood vessel disease. During pregnancy, exposure to wildfire smoke can even affect fetal development according to NIOSH.
To protect outdoor workers from exposure to wildfire smoke, NIOSH recommends steps that employers can take, they include:
• Monitoring the air quality using the Environmental Protection Agency’s U.S. Fire and Smoke Map or one’s state health department website. Follow the recommended actions for the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the area
• Scheduling work for times when the air is less smoky
• Moving tasks to areas not affected by smoke, such as indoors
• Reducing demanding physical activities when the air quality is poor
• Consider wearing a NIOSH Approved N95 or P100 filtering facepiece respirator
• Providing smoke-free break areas and encouraging or requiring workers to use them
It’s also important to note that in some cases, wildfire smoke can make its way indoors, negatively impacting the indoor air quality (IAQ) of places where people work and live.
These are just a few of the many things to know about wildfire smoke and ways to protect outdoor workers from exposure risks. To learn more about this or other air quality, industrial hygiene, environmental, health or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
CTSI ctsiweb.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
Smoke from a wildfire or prescribed burn can travel a great distance and cause health concerns for people living and working many miles away. People are often advised to stay indoors and avoid demanding activity during periods of wildfire smoke; however, outdoor workers who cannot escape to the indoors are at risk.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) describes wildfire smoke as a complex mixture of gases and particles from burning vegetation and other materials. As a wildfire burns, many different compounds are released in the smoke, such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, particulate matter (PM), benzene, acrolein and aldehydes.
The agency warns that exposure to wildfire smoke can cause many symptoms, including eye and throat irritation, wheezing and coughing. It can also worsen other illnesses, such as asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and heart and blood vessel disease. During pregnancy, exposure to wildfire smoke can even affect fetal development according to NIOSH.
To protect outdoor workers from exposure to wildfire smoke, NIOSH recommends steps that employers can take, they include:
• Monitoring the air quality using the Environmental Protection Agency’s U.S. Fire and Smoke Map or one’s state health department website. Follow the recommended actions for the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the area
• Scheduling work for times when the air is less smoky
• Moving tasks to areas not affected by smoke, such as indoors
• Reducing demanding physical activities when the air quality is poor
• Consider wearing a NIOSH Approved N95 or P100 filtering facepiece respirator
• Providing smoke-free break areas and encouraging or requiring workers to use them
It’s also important to note that in some cases, wildfire smoke can make its way indoors, negatively impacting the indoor air quality (IAQ) of places where people work and live.
These are just a few of the many things to know about wildfire smoke and ways to protect outdoor workers from exposure risks. To learn more about this or other air quality, industrial hygiene, environmental, health or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
CTSI ctsiweb.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
