In the middle of the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic, CAL/OSHA implemented a new safety standard that addressed employee exposure to wildfire smoke. This standard was overlooked by many as it was “all COVID all the time” in those days. Now (as the pandemic is STILL ongoing), with the outbreak of several large fires in the State of California, there is an increasing likelihood that contractors throughout the State will be required to implement this new program due to smoke exposure from wildfires.

CAL/OSHA’s new Wildfire Protection Safety Order (§5141.1) addresses the hazards of workers who may be in an outdoor working environment, such as a construction site, and the smoke levels in the air due to nearby wildfires could harm their respiratory systems. The main provisions of the rule are: creating a written program, monitoring for air quality, training workers about the hazards of wildfire smoke and providing respiratory protection on either a voluntary or mandatory condition depending on the air quality readings. The air quality monitors are to be checked specifically for fine smoke particulates in the air, referred to as Particulate Matter that is 2.5 microns in size or smaller, or PM2.5. The main trigger points are 151 and 500 for PM2.5 levels in the air.

Employers are now required to monitor the air quality in the given area of their construction worksites through the AirNow (or equivalent) website , which access hundreds of air monitoring stations throughout the State. If a monitoring station reports a PM2.5 level of 151 or higher, all workers who could be exposed to the outside, smoky, air must be trained on the hazards of wildfire smoke and the voluntary use of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (dust masks) to protect their lungs. The curriculum for that training class is provided by CAL/OSHA within the new safety order itself in Appendix B.

If the PM2.5 level reaches or exceeds 500, then respirator use is REQUIRED and will now trigger the requirements of CAL/OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Safety Orders (medical evaluations, fit tests, training, written respirator program, etc.) for all workers who are allowed to work in that environment.

While contractors who are performing work in Southern California might think that the fires in Northern California will not affect them, the large size of the recent fires up north have resulted in smoke clouds blowing into New York City! The winds can move this smoke hundreds of miles and contaminate the air to a level of 151 or higher in a town far away. So, remember to check the site each day to ensure smoke is not coming your way!

Contact Synergy Safety Solutions and ask us how we can assist you with compliance for this standard and many other CAL/OSHA Safety Orders!