Bushfires remain a constant Australian threat, particularly as we get closer and closer to summer, so it's a good idea to brush up on your smoke safety and not be caught unawares out in the brush.
What is it and what are the symptoms?
Bushfire smoke typically contains a mixture of water vapour, airborne particles and gases such as carbon monoxide/dioxide and/or nitrogen oxides, all of which can negatively affect the respiratory system.
Breathing in bushfire smoke can irritate the eyes, nose and throat, with symptoms that include
- coughing
- shortness of breath or wheezing
- stinging eyes
- runny nose
- and a scratchy throat
Tiny airborne particles and gases in bushfire smoke can penetrate to the deepest parts of the lungs and worsen lung, heart and/or cardiovascular conditions. They will affect people in a variety of ways, depending on:
- their age
- the length of exposure
- the quantity of smoke breathed in
- and whether they are particularly sensitive to bushfire smoke
People older than 65, pregnant women, people with heart or lung conditions and children under 14 years may often be more sensitive to bushfire smoke.
If workers are affected by bushfire smoke and are concerned they should see their doctor or call 13 Health (13 43 25 84). If anyone has trouble breathing or feels chest tightness, call 000 for an ambulance.
Risk Management
Both workers and employers have a duty to work towards the risk management of workplace hazards. Workers are required to take reasonable care for their own health and safety, as well as of those around them, and to comply with all reasonable instructions given for risk control measures and emergency procedures. It is also important that all work is conducted according to training and information provided.
Employers (and the PCBU) have a duty to manage health and safety risks. Although there are many ways to achieve this,
WorkSafe QLD recommends following a four-step process.
Step 1: Identify the Hazard
Bushfire smoke exposure is often measured and assessed using community air quality standards and objectives, which can be useful for identifying and assessing the risk of bushfire smoke exposure to workers.
The Queensland Government
air quality monitoring website provides air quality index data that is updated hourly for South East Queensland, South West Queensland, Gladstone, Mackay, Moranbah, Bowen, Townsville and Mount Isa.
The index values represent a proportion of the National Environment Protection Measure for Ambient Air Quality goal-based standards and the Environmental Protection (Air) Policy 2008 objective.
You should also review the
health action levels developed by Queensland Health. They provide advice on what actions you should take to protect your health during a smoke event.
If live air quality data is not available in your area or you are unable to access the website, air quality can be assessed using visibility of nearby landmarks.
WorkSafe Victoria has a simple tool outlining air quality levels, corresponding distances to a visible landmark and precautions for workers.
Step 2: Assess the Risk
Risk assessments should be a routine part of your work, and bushfire smoke is no exception. These risk assessments can include a wide variety of items, such as air quality data, relevant warnings/alerts, characteristics of the fire, the nature of the work being performed, potential health effects and the sensitivity of your workers to smoke, and the weather conditions at play.
Step 3: Control the Risks
Eliminating exposure to bushfire smoke is by far the most effective control measure. However, where elimination is not possible, bushfire smoke exposure should be limited.
You can modify the work by:
- Relocating the work to a place with better air quality
- Postponing outdoor work in affected areas
- Considering alternative work
- Avoiding or limiting tasks that involve heavy physical effort
- Limiting the amount of time working in affected areas
Or you can modify the environment by:
- Shutting windows and doors to prevent bushfire smoking entering buildings and vehicle cabins
- Setting air conditioning and ventilation systems to recirculate or recycle air
- Avoiding evaporative air conditioners that bring outdoor air into the workspace
- Removing or minimising other sources of air pollution e.g. burning candles or incense, cigarette smoke
In addition to the above measures, P2
respirators can be used to filter out some of the fine particles in the air. P2 respirators are complex, however, and are
not a one-size-fits-all answer - so we strongly advise they be used solely as the final measure of control.
P2 filtration - while good for many of the fine particles in bushfire smoke - lacks the capability to filter out carbon monoxide and other dangerous gases.
Step 4: Review and Prepare
Bushfire conditions can change drastically in very short amounts of time, and it's important to be aware of this danger. Ensure that your risk assessment and control measures are up to standard with regular reviews, and make absolutely certain that they'll hold up in unforeseen circumstances - because you don't want to have to find out the hard way that you didn't do enough to protect your workers.
Related Issues
- vulnerable people including those with significant health issues
- people whose only option is to work outside; or
- people returning to their properties in burned areas
It is instead strongly recommended that if in a bushfire-affected area, time spent outdoors is minimised, and if at all possible, you should spend time indoors with the doors and windows closed. Vigorous outdoor exercise should be avoided, as exercise will cause increased air inhalation and therefore increased smoke inhalation. Employees with facial hair should not use masks and should be delegated to work that does not expose them to smoke.
For further information on how to manage and assess the risks of bushfire smoke, check out Worksafe QLD's page on the topic here and view the image here
