Cal-OSHA: Don\'t Work Outside; Wear Respirators

Tag : outdoors wear

SACRAMENTO, CA - With smoke continuing to hang over much of thestate from wildfires, the California Division of OccupationalSafety and Health advised employers and workers in NorthernCalifornia Saturday to avoid extended work outside and to possiblywear particulate respirators to avoid the hazy polluted air.
"Employers and employees should follow the advice of the state AirResources Board and local air quality management districts andavoid being outdoors to the extent they can," said Cal-OSHA ChiefLen Welsh. "If workers are required to be outdoors, strenuousactivity should be minimized."
The agency also advised those working outdoors, particularly inareas near fire activity, to wear disposable particulaterespirators. The air-purifying masks help filter particles out ofthe air.
The advisories come after hundreds of lightning-sparked wildfiresover the past week have turned the air of Northern California intoan unhealthy stew of smoke and ash, forcing the cancellation ofathletic events and other outdoor activities.
Health advisories urging residents to stay indoors to limitexposure to the smokey air were issued Saturday from Bakersfieldnorth to Redding, a distance of nearly 450 miles.
Lowe's hardware in West Sacramento says they've seen a jump inindoor air filter sales, as people try to clean up what comes outof their air conditioning systems.
"Just think about it," said Jason Castillo of Lowe's. "All the dirtand dust getting kicked back up into your house. You don't wantthat cycling back in, especially right now with the air quality theway it is. I would urgently change (your filter)."
Air pollution readings in the region are two to 10 times thefederal standard for clean air, said Dimitri Stanich, spokesman forthe California Air Resources Board. Some areas are experiencing theworst air quality on record, with the smoke hanging down to theground like a fog.
Air quality agencies are especially concerned about small-particlepollution. The tiniest particles can penetrate past the body'simmune defenses, traveling deep into the lungs and the bloodstream.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District saidSaturday's air quality would remain unhealthy at around 174 AQI.While still unhealthy, the measure was down considerably fromFriday's reading of 254 AQI, which registered in the "veryunhealthy" region.
The forecast was expected to remain in the unhealthy area throughMonday, but begin improving again Tuesday. News10/KXTV and The Associated Press