Fires Forcing Worksite Shutdowns

By Karen L. Edwards, RCS Editor. 

Many contractors are voluntarily shuttering worksites to protect workers’ health from the poor air quality.  

Air quality index (AQI) levels in places like Oregon are at hazardous and unhealthy levels in many parts of the state. This has many contractors shutting down work sites to protect their workers from breathing in the smoke-filled air. 

Robert Camarillo, executive secretary for the Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council (OSBCTC) told Construction Dive, “There’s no order in place mandating these jobsites to shut down. It’s just the stand-up contractors who are taking it upon themselves to keep workers safe and shut jobs down themselves.” 

2020 has been a challenging year for contractors across the country because of COVID-19. Many experienced shutdowns at the height of the pandemic and making the decision to stop work due to the fires and air quality brings another financial hit to the construction and roofing industries.  

KATU2 reports that ten percent of all emergency room visits in Oregon are related to asthma-like breathing issues attributed the smoke from the wildfires. Public Health officials are urging people to stay inside. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ranks air quality index values of higher than 151 as unhealthy and over 301 as hazardous. Parts of the western U.S. are seeing numbers far surpassing the hazardous level.  

Many states, like California, require employers to provide outside workers with N95 masks when AQI levels surpass 151 and require their use at levels of 500 or higher reported Construction Dive. Peter Tateishi, CEO of Associated General Contractors of California shared in an interview that they have been working “diligently to ensure contractors have the latest Cal/OSHA emergency regulations for wildfire smoke.” 

Oregon OSHA administrator Michael Wood told Insurance Journal, “During this incredibly challenging and evolving emergency, we are encouraging employers—particularly those with outdoor operations—to take all reasonable and necessary precautions and steps to ensure the safety of their employees.”  

As a roofing contractor, how is the smoke from the fires affecting your operations and are you taking extra precautions or closing sites? Tell us about it in the RoofersCoffeeShop® forum.  

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