Workplace Safety and Information
Wildfires
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N CALIFORNIA, wildfires are an unfortunate reality, especially during the hot summer months. But like many disasters, wildfires are unthinkable until they hit your community.
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n 2019, California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Cal/OSHA) passed a regulation that required employers to provide outdoor workers exposed to wildfire smoke with N95 masks to prevent smoke inhalation and health problems.
SAFETY STEPS FOR ANY DISASTER
The Kincade Fire of 2019 shocked communities throughout Sonoma County, and thousands of farmworkers were displaced and without the basic resources needed after evacuating their homes and worksites. This year has proved to be an even more rampant year for wildfires in California. As a result, the state encourages families to come up with a disaster plan, put together an emergency pack of goods, and be prepared just in case a wildfire hits your town. Listos California is a disaster preparedness campaign that provides Californians with information and resources in the event of any type of disaster like floods, earthquakes, and wildfires. Read through their Disaster Ready Guide to educate yourself and your family about what to do and how to prepare for an emergency. We also recommend cutting these pages out and putting them somewhere visible in your home, just in case you or your loved ones have to deal with a wildfire or other emergency. English: www.listoscalifornia.org/wpcontent/uploads/Disaster-ReadyGuide-Digital-SelfPrint-1.pdf Spanish: www.listoscalifornia.org/ wp-content/uploads/DisasterReady-Guide-Digital-SelfPrintSpanish-1.pdf
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Get alerts to know what to do.
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Make a plan to protect your people.
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Get to safety with things you need.
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Stay safe at home when you can’t leave.
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Help friends and neighbors get ready.
CalAlerts.org
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BASIC TIPS FOR ANY DISASTER
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Carry Identification: Families may be apart when disaster strikes. People and pets get separated.
Everyone you care for should carry identification. Put written identification in children’s school bags. Consider a medical alert tag or bracelet. Get pets updated tags and microchips. Photos of families and pets can help you reunite.
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Build a Support Network: Have a backup plan in case of emergency. Think about who you can rely on.
Talk with your neighbors about their needs, and yours. Discuss disaster plans with caregivers. Ask schools about plans to reunite parents and children. Plan ahead for skilled helpers to assist with evacuations. Share keys with trusted friends to rescue your pets.
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Have Extra Medications and Power Supply: Many people can’t go three days without medications. Some need electricity to power equipment and devices.
Carry extra medicine when you leave home. Photo (or carry) list of doctors and prescriptions. Ask pharmacy to renew 30-day prescription at 28 days. Save extra doses in your Go Bag. Plan to keep medicine cold and charge equipment/devices.
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Reduce Stress: Lessen physical and mental stress by planning ahead.
Dial 211 to find shelters for specific needs. Label equipment before evacuation. Ask utility to warn of power shutoffs. Pack specialty medical and communication supplies. Plan to comfort those with Alzheimer’s or mental illness.
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SAFETY TIPS: WILDFIRE BEFORE
Red Flag warning means prepare NOW.
Plan for no electricity. Don’t use candles.
Check that water hose is working.
Get bandana or mask to protect lungs.
English: www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/Complaint.htm. Spanish:www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/Spanish/Complaint.htm.
Clean gutters. Remove brush near home.
DURING
Don’t “wait and see”. Leave when told!
Leave smoky areas quickly.
Open or remove curtains, shades or blinds.
The regulation also requires that employers test the Air Quality Index at the beginning of each shift in areas exposed to a wildfire. If numbers reach an unsafe level, employers are required to do at least one of three things: relocate work to a safer outdoor location, provide an indoor location with clean air, or provide N95 masks if neither of those options are available. Employers are also required to provide employee trainings on the risks of wildfire smoke, how to use a respirator, and employee rights outlined in the regulation. At the time that this regulation was passed, N95 masks were in abundant supply and relatively inexpensive. The pandemic has changed all of that. N95 masks went from roughly 75 cents per mask to at least $6 per mask, and healthcare workers are also in desperate need of them to prevent contracting COVID-19. As more masks are mass produced and distributed throughout the United States, Cal/OSHA expects that farmworkers will have greater access to them in the middle of wildfire season. If you suspect that your employer is not following Cal/ OSHA health and safety requirements, workers can file a confidential complaint via telephone or email with the local Cal/OSHA district office. You can find your local office’s contact information and complaint instructions online in English or Spanish.
Close all doors and windows. Turn off Air Conditioner.
Prepare pets for evacuation.
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Employees with work-related questions or complaints can also contact Department of Industrial Relation’s Call Center in English or Spanish at 844-LABOR-DIR (844522-6734).
