Is It Dangerous To Work Outside With Poor Air Quality?

With smoke from Canadian wildfires impacting the Eastern and Midwestern U.S., air quality is now a hot topic. Many folks are worried about working outside during periods of poor air quality.

It’s important to remember smoke isn’t the only thing impacts air quality. Other factors can make it dangerous to work outside. Keep reading to learn more about working in these conditions.

Note: The following guide is informational. Consult your physician about specific air quality concerns.

What is the Air Quality Index?

According to AirNow.gov, the Air Quality Index (AQI) is a measurement the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state environmental agencies use to determine the amount of pollutants in the air.

Air samples are taken and analyzed to determine how many pollutant particles are present in parts per million, or PPM. The AQI reflects the finding in six color-coded categories:

• Green (good): Zero to 50 pollutant particles per million;

• Yellow (moderate): 50 to 100 pollutant particles per million;

• Orange (unhealthy for sensitive groups): 101 to 150 pollutant particles per million;

• Red (unhealthy for everyone): 151 to 200 pollutant particles per million;

• Purple (very unhealthy for everyone): 201 to 300 pollutant particles per million;

• Maroon (hazardous for everyone): 301 to 500 pollutant particles per million.

For folks spending time outside away from air filtration systems, this simple breakdown is especially helpful.

Causes of Poor Air Quality

While smoke is an obvious detriment to air quality, there are other reasons for a high AQI. Some might surprise employers and workers.

The main causes are particulate matter and ground-level ozone. Particulate matter includes smoke, dust, dirt, soot and salt in the air. Some particulate matter can be natural, like salty ocean air or wildfires, but others can be emissions from vehicles and factories. Find out how dangerous wildfire smoke is.

Ground-level ozone forms from a reaction between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the presence of heat and sunlight. It’s the main ingredient in smog, impacting human, animal and plant respiration.

Emissions from factories, electric utilities, vehicles and chemical solvents all contribute to these issues. Certain natural conditions make things worse or better.

Sunshine and high temperatures can cause chemical reactions in pollutants. Wind speed and air turbulence can disperse or concentrate pollutants in specific ways. Despite the lack of sunlight and cooler temperatures, air quality often worsens at night due to lower wind speeds. Conversely, rain can knock pollutants down and restore healthy air quality for a time.

The Impact of Air Quality On Worker Health

Most workplace hazards are obvious and tangible, like falling off a ladder or getting hit by falling debris. But poor air quality also can be extremely dangerous for some workers.

People exposed to poor or unhealthy air may suffer from headaches, fatigue and concentration issues. Workers in construction, emergency services and other outdoor employment fields may experience these symptoms and find themselves in extremely dangerous situations.

Other issues include irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. This can lead to breathing problems culminating in cardio-respiratory distress, especially among sensitive groups. These include people with heart or lung diseases, older adults, children and even teenagers. For people with asthma, poor air quality can quickly trigger attacks.

When Does Air Quality Become Dangerous?

The AQI’s chart describes when air quality becomes dangerous. However, there’s some gray area involved — no pun intended.

For most healthy adults, air quality doesn’t become dangerous until it reaches AQI red level. However, that doesn’t mean that air quality in the orange range is necessarily safe. Prolonged exposure to an orange AQI level can impact people differently, with some healthier adults experiencing difficulty breathing comfortably.

Most folks would do well to take caution when the AQI reaches the orange level, and consider the red level dangerous.

Essential Safety Tips for Working in Poor Air Quality

Poor air quality can be difficult to avoid completely, but there are a few things employers and their workers can do to limit exposure.

The following are some helpful safety tips for working in poor air quality:

• Avoid strenuous outdoor activities. Strain increases the heart rate, which increases the need for oxygen, leading to harder and faster breathing.

• Limit time outside to reduce exposure to harmful air. Encourage short spurts outside and limit unnecessary outdoor activities.

• Concentrate on interior projects if air quality is a concern.

• Wear a respirator. In many cases, an N-95 respirator can protect employees from harmful particles in the air. Full-face masks with replaceable canister filters are even better because they protect the eyes as well.

• Use an air purifier indoors and change the filter often.

• Change clothes at the end of the day. Airborne pollutants can easily attach themselves to clothing, then become airborne again at home or the office.

• Shower as soon as possible at the end of the day. Airborne pollutants can attach themselves to hair and even skin.

• Recirculate interior air. For folks working from the driver’s seat, switch the vehicle’s HVAC system to recirculate interior air; that’s usually the button on the dashboard with an arrow pointing in a circular direction. This will limit the outside air coming into the vehicle. Just remember to keep the windows and sunroof shut.

• Take the day off if you can. When the AQI is dangerous, there isn’t typically a safe window of the day to work. The AQI usually worsens at night, and the heat of the day can make the ground-level ozone unbearable.

Best Protective Gear Against Poor Air Quality

Some employees don’t have the luxury of taking the day off or staying inside. For those who must work in poor AQI conditions, the following protective gear may help:

• For all-day exposure: full-face respirator kit from 3M

• For short exposure: 3M Aura N-95 respirator

Beyond masks, a pack of baby wipes can remove particles from exposed skin.

Poor Air Quality is a Serious Matter

While it’s great to do your own research, contact your physician for the final word on anything related to poor air quality. Everyone reacts differently to air quality, and your physician knows you the best.