Report: Advocates Say Heat, Wildfire Smoke Rules Fall Short

Tuesday, August 17, 2021 | 0

Worker advocates say emergency rules intended to protect employees in Washington state from high temperatures and wildfire smoke fall short of what is necessary, according to a report by the Columbian.

The Department of Labor and Industries adopted both rules in July. The emergency heat rules require temperatures to break 100 degrees before employers must provide a shaded area to cool down and 10-minute breaks every two hours.

The emergency wildfire smoke rules require that pollution reaches hazardous levels — an Air Quality Index rating of at least 151 — before employers are required to provide masks.

A representative from the Washington Farm Bureau questioned the need for the rules, saying employers were already giving workers breaks in high heat and providing masks as needed to protect against smoke.

Regulators in neighboring Oregon adopted emergency rules in August.