Heat and Wildfire Smoke: New OROSHA Rules
Oregon OSHA has enacted two rules dealing with weather-caused heat exposure and exposure to smoke resulting from wildfires. There's no question that exposure to both of these can pose serious health hazards, and we would expect the likelihood of these problems to get worse over time. The new OSHA rules require employers to monitor both heat and air quality. Once action levels are exceeded, employers must institute specific administrative and engineering controls. For heat exposure, employers must provide shade, water, and adjusted work/rest schedules. Smoke exposure can be controlled using respirators, air filtration systems, and suspending outdoor work operations depending...
