From 2020 through 2021, wildfires burned more than 1.5 million acres of land in Oregon. To put things in perspective, the area that burned was approximately seven times the size of New York City. Wildfire smoke can contain hazardous small particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs, causing a range of health problems. On September 11, 2020, wildfire smoke caused Portland’s air quality to rank worst among major cities across the world with an air quality index (AQI) of 349, a level that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency characterizes as “hazardous.” Unsurprisingly, Oregon is taking measures to address the health risks associated with exposure to wildfire smoke, and the state is expected to soon join California in adopting related regulations.
On January 28, 2022, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) filed a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, announcing that it is promulgating rules to address employee exposure to wildfire smoke. According to Oregon OSHA’s recent announcement, the rules “are needed to help protect workers from the hazards of PM2.5 [or fine particulate matter] stemming from major wildfire events, which are projected to increase in frequency and duration as well as increase the number of ‘unhealthy air quality days’ in affected areas of Oregon.” The proposed rules “outline air quality index (AQI) trigger levels for specific requirements that will reduce employee workplace exposure to unhealthy and hazardous air quality from...
A video showing French riot police violently beating a 26-year-old street medic in Paris has gone viral, with social media users falsely claiming he died from his injuries. But the street medic is...