Wildfire season will shortly be upon us. And if you didn’t worry about wildfire safety for your workplace before, there’s a good chance you have to now.
Canada had the most destructive wildfire season ever recorded in 2023, with over 16.5 million hectares of land getting burnt by September (twice the previous record!) Even in the middle of winter, there was news coming out of Western Canada that some of the wildfires were still smoldering.
And the phenomenon isn’t restricted to the North. With the right conditions, fires can erupt anywhere and the smoke can spread far and wide. So, employers and safety managers need to start paying attention – even if they’re not in close proximity to abundant forests.
Wildfire is a major threat to people and property. It’s an emergency scenario that more and more workplaces need to be prepared to handle.
Wildfire Smoke
Here in Canada, we joke that we’re down to two seasons: mild winter and smoke.
The summers are becoming excessively hot, which means fire. And fire means poor air quality. Even faraway fires yellow the sky and redden the sun, making everywhere smell like campfire – even inside houses and offices.
And if you can smell it, it’s having an impact on the air you breathe.
Risks from Wildfire Smoke
Nowhere is entirely immune to the risk of wildfire smoke. In 2023, wildfires in Canada caused a significant dip in air quality all the way over in Portugal. So while proximity obviously matters, distance can’t always keep you safe – we all share the same atmosphere.
Smoke can increase fatigue, exacerbate existing respiratory conditions such as asthma, and increase the risk of developing chronic conditions such as emphysema. It has even been shown to heighten anxiety and lower concentration in exposed workers, so it has a wide gamut of effects.
People who work outdoors will be most affected by wildfire smoke. Particularly those doing physical labor in the heat, making them respirate quickly.
The US Environmental Protection Agency makes their Air Quality Index (AQI) available to the public. This, along with the standard weather forecasts, can help organizations make educated planning and scheduling decisions about when outdoor conditions pose a hazard.
Hazard Controls for Wildfire Smoke
When smoke risks are present, the normal hierarchy of controls is applicable. Elimination or substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE – in that order – are the most effective control strategies.
Elimination or substitution are preferred, which means evaluating whether the task is necessary at all. If it is, can it be deferred to a safer date? If it can’t, can it moved indoors, where air can be filtered and quality-controlled?
Where possible, the engineering controls of air filtering, air conditioning, or otherwise removing the smoke from the breathing air are high priority.
Administrative options include scheduling work around smoke events and providing breaks and task rotation.
All the above require careful planning. Workplaces that cross their fingers and hope smoke won’t impact their outdoor work, or delude themselves into thinking that the wildfires were a transient phenomenon, are going to be left choosing between being unable to work or putting their workers at risk.
The last control option is PPE, when no other option is possible or can’t completely control the hazard. Respiratory protection can potentially control for smoke, but it’s not a freebie. We’re not talking about surgical masks or a strip of fabric – preventing smoke inhalation requires an N95 or P100 half mask particle filter. These can be uncomfortable and cumbersome, they require maintenance and training, and since wildfire season coincides with the hottest months, they also add to heat stress concerns.
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Emergency Response Planning for Wildfires
Every workplace should have an emergency response plan in place that deals with the emergency scenarios they’re reasonably likely to face.
This typically includes fire. But in this case, we’re not talking about burnt popcorn in the microwave, greasy rags lighting up, or even a serious structural fire localized in an industrial setting. Not to downplay the potential seriousness of any of those examples, but wildfires are not local events. They’re geographic ones with catastrophic consequences. The type of planning involved requires collaboration between corporate and government entities, law enforcement, and the public. People may have to be evacuated from their homes and businesses and channeled out of areas altogether – but they need a way to do so safely, and they need somewhere to go.
We usually rely on historical data to determine the likelihood of an event impacting a given area. The effects of climate change have made this approach far less reliable, so workplaces near any wooded area should really consider how a wildfire scenario will play out.
Wildfires have become unpredictable. They have blazed out of control in Edmonton, Newfoundland, Australia, Hawaii – places where the almanac would not have told us to expect them.
The old risk standbys like “100-year flood” don’t instill the confidence they used to! Natural disasters have become more erratic and difficult to anticipate, and the risk of catastrophic fires is up almost worldwide. The best option is to have a plan in place, no matter where you’re located.
Training and Awareness
Everyone who may be impacted by wildfires, whether directly or indirectly, needs to be trained on the related hazards and controls. This is particularly true for anyone in a supervisory role, since it will be within their purview to establish high-priority controls and ensure compliance.
Every employee should have at least cursory awareness of the impacts of smoke and fire, and what the emergency response plans prescribe when the risks are elevated. Everyone must know their role before an emergency takes place – it’s too late to pull the binder off the shelf as flames are approaching.
Conclusion
By all indications, we are still on the upswing of wildfire activity – and it’s here to stay. Wise companies are taking that into consideration and planning accordingly.
Employers should be well aware of the hazards to their workers and their related responsibilities. Some jurisdictions such as California have specific thresholds that constitute an emergency condition (AQI >= 151). In other places, exposure may fall under general duty clauses that hold an employer liable if they knowingly expose workers to uncontrolled hazards. Conventional thinking might not have treated ambient air pollution as a direct hazard, but rule makers have taken notice, and they will hold employers’ feet to the fire to make sure they have a plan in place.
Ready to learn more? Check out our free webinar: Construction Respiratory Program Suffocating You? Breathe Easy.
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