In what has already become Canada’s worst wildfire season on record, approximately 3,800 fires had already burned more than 23 million acres by July 12, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. The ongoing disaster has affected nearly every Canadian province, displacing over 150,000 people due to mandatory evacuations, inflating health costs across the country, and disrupting businesses, particularly in the oil and gas industry.
On top of that, smoke from the fires spread across a wide swath of North America in June, turning city skylines a sickly orange and creating toxic levels of air pollution for communities from Canada to the Southeastern United States. At various points during the month, the air quality in cities like Toronto, New York and Chicago was the worst in the world. This unhealthy air forced school closures and cancellations of outdoor sporting events, and flights out of several airports were grounded or delayed due to the poor visibility.
According to experts, this year’s wildfire season has been exacerbated by climate change, which has resulted in warmer temperatures and drier than normal ground conditions in Canada. This has allowed fire and smoke to spread to areas not typically affected or adequately prepared for such conditions. Both the fires in Canada and the smoke issues across the Eastern United States are expected to continue for the foreseeable future. Whether in a wildfire-impacted region or in the shockingly broad smoke impact zone, risk professionals should urgently establish or reassess their wildfire- and smoke-related safety plans.
Mitigating Wildfire Risk
As wildfires in Canada continue to rage and communities in the United States are impacted by fires of their own, organizations across North America should take the following steps to help reduce their risk:
1. Protect your physical workplace. Experts recommend creating a buffer zone of defensible space around your business to protect people and property from direct fire damage. Steps include removing combustible material and keeping vegetation to a minimum within a 30-foot zone should be around the building, clearing branches and shrubs that are within 15 feet of chimneys, and removing vines from building walls. Mowing grass regularly, clearing the area of fallen leaves and branches, and replacing vegetation with less flammable species can also reduce the spread of wildfires. In addition, businesses should ensure that they have fire extinguishers on the premises and that employees are trained on how to use them.
2. Review and update your insurance policies. In the face of wildfire risk, it is important to review your commercial property insurance and business interruption policies to ensure that you are adequately covered. Prepare a detailed inventory of the equipment, assets and other property on-site so that you have documentation in the event of a claim. If necessary, boost coverage limits to reflect the true value at risk. Keep a record of your policies and key insurer contacts in an off-site location or in some form of cloud storage to ensure it is always accessible, regardless of conditions on the ground, so you can provide your insurer with notice of a claim as soon as possible.
3. Create an emergency action plan. Before wildfires threaten your facility, ensure that you have an emergency action plan in place. All employees should be trained on the plan and it should be practiced regularly. Make sure the plan identifies the chain of command during a crisis and outlines emergency functions and to as well as which employees will perform them.
It should also establish contingency plans for various scenarios. If conditions are too hazardous for employees to commute to work, establish a remote work policy and provide instructions on what employees need to do to work safely and effectively off-site. If ordered to shelter in place, the plan should identify designated safe areas within the building for workers to assemble.
In the event an evacuation is necessary, the plan should list multiple exits and routes, as well as locations of nearby shelters or alternate meeting places for employees. Companies can also provide a packing list of emergency supplies ahead of a potential business evacuation, including masks, non-perishable food and water, first aid kits, evacuation route maps, flashlights, portable radios, and hard drives with computer backups and/or important files. It is also important to establish and test a communication strategy, including the use of a two-way messaging system, to help verify that employees are safe and to share important information.
Mitigating Smoke Risk
The primary concern when it comes to wildfire smoke is that it contains harmful chemicals as well as solid particulate matter made of soot, char and ash. This smoke contains particles of 2.5 microns or smaller, which are especially harmful because they can irritate the eyes and throat. When inhaled, they can also cause respiratory problems; worsen chronic heart and lung diseases; and lead to asthma attacks, bronchitis, reduced lung function and even heart failure. The following mitigation measures can help keep employees safe from smoke risks:
1. Create a smoke readiness plan. According to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), a smoke readiness plan should include the following:
- Purchase smoke preparation supplies like portable air cleaners with extra filters
- Upgrade HVAC system recirculation filters and perform HVAC system maintenance
- Optimize airflow with fans instead of opening windows
- Assess the condition of air filters and add supplemental filtration, if necessary
- Weatherize the building envelope, doors and windows
- Monitor indoor air quality for harmful levels of particulate matter with air quality sensors on either an air purifier or thermostat
- Create temporary clean air spaces that can be closed off from the rest of the office
- Cut down on human-made sources of particulate matter like cooking, smoking and using the printer/copier machines
2. Follow local and federal guidelines. There are a number of resources that provide broad information on how to handle poor air quality, but for specific guidance for your location, seek out trusted local or federal sources. NOAA’s Fire Weather Outlook and AirNow’s Air Quality Index and Fire and Smoke Map can provide the current status and forecast of smoke conditions in your area. When developing wildfire smoke policies and procedures, be sure to follow any applicable state regulations. If your state does not provide smoke exposure guidelines or regulations, consider looking to states that do as they may offer a useful jumping-off point for developing your own policy. For example, the California Code of Regulations requires that businesses:
- Monitor air quality regularly for harmful levels of particulate matter during each shift
- Communicate smoke hazards in a manner all employees can understand
- Provide respirators and instructions on how to use them when air quality reaches harmful levels
- Provide mandatory training and instruction to employees on the health effects of wildfire smoke; their right to obtain medical treatment; how to obtain air quality information; the employer’s two-way communication system; and the methods employers are using to protect employees
3. Address outdoor worker needs. If possible, employees should be advised to work from home when air quality is poor. However, for industries like construction that do not have that option, employers need to take additional precautions. For outdoor workers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends monitoring the outdoor air quality frequently; relocating or rescheduling work tasks to smoke-free areas; and reducing levels of physical activity, especially strenuous and heavy work. Employers should also require and encourage workers to take breaks in smoke-free places; make accommodations for employees to work inside with proper HVAC systems and high efficiency filters when possible; and provide or allow the use of respirators approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health.